If I could live off of one thing, I’m pretty sure it would be some kind of plant-based bowl. It’s hard to beat the combo of seasonal veggies, whole grains, beans/legumes, nuts/seeds, all topped off with an incredible dressing. I’m rarely disappointed. This bowl in particular is inspired by Kerr Street Cafe’s Buddha Bowl (a local restaurant), which I treated myself to the other week. Let’s just say this preggo mama basically had to waddle out of the café, because I could not stop eating despite baby nudging me that space was getting a bit tight in there. (Thankfully, I came armed with an empire waist dress!) I knew I had to recreate the bowl at home, and I’m sharing my delicious take on it today.
Before I get to the recipe, though, I have a couple exciting pieces of news to share!
1) We recently found out that The Oh She Glows Cookbook is the Top Canadian-Authored Book of 2015! Umm what the what!? I can’t even wrap my mind around this news and couldn’t be more grateful to you for your support. Here’s an excerpt from BookNet Canada’s article:
"The Oh She Glows Cookbook was published in April 2014, yet it still occupies the number one spot, even outselling heavy-hitting non-fiction titles published in 2015 like Shift Work and even the only Canadian-authored colouring book to make the list: Fantastic Cities. As an enduring title, it sits alongside 2013’s The Inconvenient Indian and the fourth-bestselling paperback children’s book of all time according to Publisher’s Weekly, Love You Forever by Robert Munsch, which was published in 1995. The rest of the titles on the list were either published for the first time in 2015, or released in a new format."
THANK YOU from the bottom of my veggie-loving heart.
2) In case you haven’t seen this on my social media channels, Chapters/Indigo is running a pre-order contest for their Most Anticipated Books of 2016 list, and my next cookbook, Oh She Glows Every Day, is included (so cool!). You could win a basket of my favourite kitchen items, valued at $500, including a Cusinart food processor, Bodum Brazil French Press, Wusthof Classic 8-inch Vegetable Knife, Sunwarrior Warrior Blend protein powder, Do Matcha green tea powder, and more. All you have to do is pre-order the book from Indigo and be entered to win automatically (if you pre-ordered from Indigo earlier this year or last, you’re automatically entered…yay!), or you can send a mail-in entry explaining what it means to you to cook for the people you love. Be sure to check out the full contest rules here.
You can pre-order by visiting Chapters/Indigo online. This contest is open to Canadian residents (not including Quebec unfortunately—sorry guys!). A big thanks to Chapters/Indigo and Penguin Canada for making this contest possible.
At long last…onto this glow-rious food!
Summer Glow Buddha Bowl with House Vinaigrette
Yield
Serves 6
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Like most plant-based bowl recipes there are a few different components that need to be prepped for this Buddha Bowl, but I'm happy to say they're all incredibly easy to whip up. I like to prepare the House Vinaigrette and quinoa in advance, maybe the day before or the morning of. This way, the bowls come together incredibly fast. While I created this bowl with summer in mind, rest assured that you can swap out the summer veggies for seasonal veggies all year long. You can also boost the protein by adding your favourite beans/legumes. This bowl is inspired by Kerr Street Cafe's Buddha Bowl.
Ingredients
For the House Vinaigrette (makes 3/4 to 1 cup):
- 3 tablespoons (45 mL) red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) Dijon mustard
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons (10 mL) pure maple syrup, or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt or fine sea salt, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 to 8 tablespoons (90 to 125 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
For the Buddha Bowl:
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) uncooked quinoa (I use rainbow, but any kind works)
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups (180 g) fresh green beans, ends trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups (170 g) fresh snap peas, ends trimmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups (220 g) yellow zucchini, sliced into half-moons
- Pink Himalayan salt or fine sea salt, or to taste
- 1 to 2 cups (30 to 60 g) fresh baby spinach
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and spiralized/julienned*
- 1 medium beet, peeled and spiralized/julienned**
- 1 to 2 large ripe avocados, pitted and sliced
- 3/4 cup (120 g) toasted pepita seeds***
Directions
- For the House Vinaigrette: In a small (1-cup/250 mL) mason jar, add the vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Secure lid and shake vigorously to combine. Remove the lid and add in the olive oil. Secure the lid once again and shake vigorously until the oil is emulsified. Taste, and add additional maple syrup or oil if desired.
- Cook the quinoa: In a medium saucepan, add the quinoa along with 2 1/4 cups (560 mL) water. Stir to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a low boil. Immediately reduce the heat to medium-low, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 13 to 16 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove the lid and season the quinoa with salt and pepper.
- Sauté the vegetables: Meanwhile, in a large skillet or wok, add the olive oil, green beans, snap peas, and zucchini. Stir to combine and season with salt. Sauté the veggies over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, until tender but not overcooked. You still want the veggies to have a light crispness to them. At the end of cooking, stir in the spinach and cook for a couple minutes until it wilts. Turn off the heat.
- Peel and spiralize the carrot and beet, and slice the avocado.
- To assemble: Stir all of the cooked quinoa into the skillet veggie mixture. Increase heat to medium, and cook until warmed throughout. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Portion the quinoa-veggie mixture into large shallow bowls. Top the bowls with the carrot, beet, avocado, and a generous amount of toasted pepita seeds. Lastly, shake the House Vinaigrette and drizzle about 3 to 4 tablespoons all over the top of each bowl. Any leftover Buddha Bowl mixture will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days, and the leftover House Vinaigrette will keep for at least two weeks. The olive oil in the dressing tends to solidify when chilled, so be sure to allow it to sit on the counter for a bit (or warm the sealed jar in a bowl of hot water), and shake well before using. A great way to serve leftovers is to toss some baby mixed greens with House Vinaigrette and stir in some warmed quinoa-veggie mixture. Top it with sliced avocado and toasted pepitas for a quick meal.
Tip:
- * If you own a spiralizer, be sure to use a very thick carrot for spiralizing (the smaller ones won't work). Or you can simply julienne the carrot with a julienne peeler, which is what I usually do.
- ** To avoid staining your hands, try wearing kitchen gloves while handling the beet.
- *** To toast the pepita seeds: Spread the seeds onto a baking sheet and toast them for 8 to 12 minutes at 325°F (160°C), until golden.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
Congratulations, Angela! What amazing news! Not at all surprising, though ;) Well done and can’t wait for your new book!
Thanks, Lisa :)
Congratulations on book list staying power, just goes to show that plant-based recipes appeal to so many! This summer bowl look just like what I need right now, I’m melting in the heat!
Thanks, Jo! Stay cool out there! :)
Congrats how exciting!!
And the bowl looks deeeelish!
-Brittney
Congrats on being the top Canadian-authored book of 2015! You and your book definitely deserve that achievement. Reading it is like opening the pages and falling into “cosy” and “glowing”. Embarassingly, I have been known to strike up conversations about your book with total strangers in the bookstore when I see someone perusing your book or the grocery store if they ask my opinion on a vegan ingredient in the specialty aisle :)
Today I made your oil-free chocolate zucchini muffins and my family promptly inhaled them…yum.
This recipe is my new favourite and my new spiralizer has been put to good use!
I do the same thing (talking to complete strangers about the book when at Whole Foods or even at my nutritionist’s office)! Glad I’m not the only one inspired at GLOW-ing. :)
Aw, thanks for sharing the love, Nicole! <3 :)
Congratulations, that’s an amazing accomplishment!! I love buddha bowls and your recipes, so combined together, this is awesome :) It looks delicious!
Akino | akinokiki.blogspot.ca
That Buddha bowl makes me want to get a spiralizer ASAP :)
Wow, congratulations! That’s so amazing (but not that surprising). Can’t wait for book #2!
Dang, if I move to Canada now, would that mean I can enter to get the gift prize?! jk…
…all kidding aside. It’s delightful to read about someone’s success when they are invested with their heart and soul in what they do. Your mission to share your hard-learned lessons while encouraging clean living is so inspiring. And fun!
Congrats on everything! L’il OSG Baby-to-be, OSG2.0, Top-Selling OSG#1 in CA, New App, house reno’s….
…what a “sweet ’16” for you all. Totally deserved!!
Thanks so much for the lovely words, Kathy! :)
this looks healthy and amazing and colorful. thanks for sharing. I love making healthy recipe too. https://flyingkittyadventures.com/
Great post, thanks for sharing :) www.indigoandmouse.blogspot.com
Congrats, so exciting to be up there with ‘Love You Forever’!! I love your blog & cookbook, just pre-ordered the second, can’t wait!
Thanks so much for your support, Kathleen! I hope you love the next book. :)
I’m with you- I could probably live off of bowls like this! Thank you for getting me hooked on them. :) And a huge congratulations on your news! I love love love your first book (I meal plan with it every week!) and absolutely cannot wait for the second! Have a great weekend!
Thanks, Katy – you have a great weekend, too!
Saw this on your snapchat and looks totally delish! Your snapchat has definitely inspired me to make some delicious eats this summer!
Pre-ordered your book and can’t wait for your bonus recipes :) But am TOTALLY bummed the contest isn’t open in Quebec.
So glad you’ve been enjoying my Snapchats, Ally! And I hope you enjoy the book–thanks for your support. :)
what spiralizer is best? I want a very good one
Hey, Fritzi! I talk about my fave spiralizer and julienne peeler in this Friday FAQs here (question #1). Hope this helps!
Hi Angela, this looks delicious! Is the beet raw? I can’t be sure from the photo.
And congratulations on the success of OSG cookbook. I’ve really enjoyed cooking from it.
Hello, I just tested your recipe for dinner tonight and it was delicious !! I just replaced the quinoa by the bulghour and yellow zucchini with a mixture of red pepper, green and yellow. Thank you for sharing ! (Please excuse my english … I’m French)
I’m glad it was a hit! And thanks for sharing those subs; it’s always so inspiring to hear how readers get creative & adapt my recipes. :)
Loved this. Perfect just as it is. So easy, healthy and complete. Congrats on the success with your book. I have lost track of how many people I have told about you and your recipes. Its such a great place to start with veganism
Aw, thanks so much for sharing the love Janine! And I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the buddha bowl. :)
Love the colors and textures presented in this recipe. Beautiful!! And congrats on the success of your book! :)
Congrats! Serving bowl for lunch today! Looks delicious.
I have pre-ordered book from my local independent book store, Blue Heron Books!
Please slip my name in your draw if you are able!
Many thanks. So look forward to your blog and recipes!!
This is so good! I used green beans, yellow zucchini and asparagus, yum!
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Karen!
Congratulations on the exciting news! I absolutely love the cookbook and your blog. This buddha bowl looks so good, I cannot wait to try it!
Thanks, Myra! :) When you give the Buddha Bowl a try, I hope you enjoy it!
Hey Angela! Any alternative to the red wine vinegar?
Angela that is awesome and so inspiring!! You go girl!
This recipe was delicious. I thought for sure that it would be too healthy for my omnivore husband but he loved it. That dressing is absolutely delicious. This recipe requires quite a bit of prep but while I was at it, I added some extra veggies–and it made a TON of food. We can both eat it for dinner twice and even have some leftover for lunches. Save time by opting to julienne the carrot and beet. The spiralizing IS pretty but I did it once and now I’m kind of over it because of the spiralizer set-up/clean-up lol. My only modification was adding a couple of cloves of minced garlic to the veggie sauté. Shallots would be a great addition, too. This dish tastes both savory yet clean & healthy with a zesty pop of flavor from the delicious vinegarette. Overall great flavor profile and textures. Nice one, Angela!! Thank you! : )
Thanks so much for the lovely comment, Tara! I’m so happy to hear the buddha bowl is a hit with both you and the husband. :)
I saw this on Snapchat and was anticipating the post as I had fresh green beans and yellow squash ready to go! It was delicious. I can’t believe I made dressing that good – thank you! I needed more carrots for the leftovers but that’s a quick add. I tossed with greens as you suggested and had a couple of lunches packed and ready for work. Yay! It is so healthy and easy!
Congratulations on your 2015 success! Well deserved. I’m on pre-order for book the new book and am thinking lots of Christmas presents!
By the way.. I’m expecting baby #1 and enjoy reading your pregnancy posts!
Oh my how beautiful! I bet this is beyond tasty too. I love all the colors and textures in this.
Sign me up
This look simple and i will definitely give it a try. Thanks for your sharing.
Rachel
I hope you enjoy it if you try it, Rachel!
Made this tonight. Came home at 7pm and was eating it by 8pm. Yes, some prep, but it’s worth it. Great meal for busy humans to make on a Sunday and have healthy leftovers for lunches or another dinner. It makes a bunch of clean food ready to go. I used the exact ingredients. So good! Merci Angela!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Becky!
Yes! what Becky said,so great to have in fridge. delish!! Thank you
This was extremely delicious, filling and easy! I also felt great after eating it. For some reason I had been intimidated by these kinds of bowls but I love how they can be adapted to whatever veggies are available. I am excited to try more of your recipes soon.
I love that about these bowls too, Caitlin! I’m so glad you decided to try this recipe, and – of course! – that you ended up enjoying it. I hope you love whatever you decide to try next just as much!
This recipe was fantastic! I made exactly as directed (except left out the beets as I didn’t have any) and this was so tasty. It was good for lunch the next day as well. I will be making this again next week!
OMG!!! So yummy!!! Thank you Angela for another amazing dish. I went to the farmers market this morning here in Calgary and successfully picked up all of the ingredients locally sourced. Since everything was so fresh I decided to try this bowl cold by keeping the veggies raw. I made the quinoa earlier this morning so it had cooled down and just tossed all the remaining ingredients together with the dressing. I also had some leftover sunflower shoots in my fridge so I added them as well. I can’t get enough of this salad…and the dressing to die for.
Oh, my mouth is watering at the thought of all those fresh veg! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Ashlee. :)
I made this for dinner tonight and it was Ah-Maz-Zing!!! Husband-approved! I sautéed the beet greens with the rest of the veggies and they were a big hit! I always make sure I buy beets with healthy greens so they don’t go to waste. Thanks for all of the amazing meals Angela!!!
Thank YOU for the great comment, Jen. I’m so glad everyone enjoyed the bowl!
Yum!
This was delicious! Added a little hot sauce since I didn’t have Dijon mustard. Some extra nuts on top are a great addition too. Also I guess if you are going to use a spiralizer it’s worth investing the $ in a good one. I used the vegetti and it spewed a lot of small chunks. Probably only works on soft things like zucchini. Nevertheless the recipe was a hit amongst my dinner guests who doubled as the people who helped me make it.
I’m glad it was a hit! I bet the hot sauce gave it a good kick. :)
Love this!
Angela, those photos are making me salivate – totally agree on the love of summer veggie bowls. Trying this recipe is now on my to do list!
Hope you enjoy it when you get a chance to try it, Nicole! :)
Raw or cooked beets? I have never cooked with beets before, I am kinda scared, even tho I love them when dining out.
I wanted to leave a comment because this has been my absolute favorite lunch of the summer! The combination of flavors and textures is fantastic, and I love that I can prep all of the components one day and then have lunches ready for the rest of the week. If you’re like me and usually just haphazardly throw lunch together with whatever happens to be in your fridge, take the time to follow recipe for once – this one is worth it!!
Thanks so much for the recipe love, Susie! I adore this buddha bowl, and it’s so great to hear you do, too. :)
This was delish and so filling!!! So much flavor and so beautiful, too. Thank you so much for the recipe. :)
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed it, Kelly!! Thanks for the lovely comment. :)
Just devoured this and it was so delicious!
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Elizabeth!!
Wow, this looks delicious. I’m really hoping of becoming a vegan but I need some inspiration for meal ideas. I’ll have a look at your blog, maybe it could help me. From what I can see, your blog looks amazing, and so does the food!
I hope you find lots of recipe inspiration here, Regan! :)
Thank you for your great recipe.
In fact many carnivores prefer vegan venues, as i found out on this article :
http://animal-welfare.org/worlds-best-burger/
Anybody likes vegan burgers ?
You’ve out done yourself with this one, couldn’t stop eating it! Can’t wait to try all your new recipes from the new cookbook! It was like Christmas morning when it got loaded onto my kindle Tuesday morning. You and Blender Girl are the reason and inspiration for my new found passion of cooking and eating healthy, THANK YOU!
Thanks so much for the lovely words, Cheryl!! I hope you love the new book.
Looks amazing and congrats to the book!! Love your blog so much.
Have a beautiful day.
Klara
Thanks, Klara! :)
I have made this recipe (varying the veggies when necessary) FOUR different times for different non-vegans (including my parents). Everyone LOVES it. When I have sous chefs to help me julienne/spiralize, it’s even better! :-)
Sous chefs are the best, for sure! :) It’s always so great to hear when a recipe wins over non-vegans as well, so thanks for letting me know! :)
We just had this for supper….delicious and thank you! I added a leek and red pepper to the stir fry, for colour.
Congratulations on all your successes with the books and blog…it’s very inspiring.
Thank you so much for the sweet congrats, Flora! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the bowl.
I just read your recipe and want to make it for my family. It looks healthy, delicious and colorful and and I can’t myself to making this recipe. I have question, what can I use to make Vinaigrette instead of red wine vinegar? So please reply and to see your answer at once I’ll make it and update your blog page.
Thank You………….
Hello, i’ve never spiraled before. do i cook the carrot and beet and then spiralize? or spiralize them raw?