It’s now March and after a few months of winter it appears I’m going crazy. Why? Well, you can now add roasted cauliflower to my list of strange-but-true late winter food cravings. Weird, I know. Cauliflower has never been high on my list of comfort food vegetables, but for some reason I just couldn’t get the idea of a creamy roasted cauliflower recipe out of my mind. So I made a creamy cashew-based lemon tahini sauce and mixed it with roasted chickpeas, cauliflower, and broccoli. Doesn’t that just sound dreamy?
I may have just lost half of you, but hear me out; if you’ve never been a fan of cauliflower (or broccoli) this just might be the recipe that changes your mind. It turned my husband into a believer and I hope it does for you too.
To make this simple dish a meal, I roasted some chickpeas to go along with it. The roasted chickpeas add a nice crunch to this mix and of course pair so well with the creamy sauce. Eric has recently discovered that the texture of roasted chickpeas is so much better than unroasted. So guess what we’ve been doing a lot lately? Yup, roasting chickpeas. This dish would also be wonderful served over a bed of grains if you are feeling so inclined. I planned on serving this with millet, proceeded to forget about it on the stove, and scorched the heck out of it. Figures.
The temperature is slowly climbing here in Southern Ontario and like many of you, we’re anxiously awaiting spring’s arrival. In the meantime, I’ll be celebrating “springing forward” on March 10th which will mean daylight until just after 7pm. Major progress!!
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Roasted Buddha Bowl
Yield
3 to 4 servings
Soak time
8 hours
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
If you think you’re not a fan of cauliflower or broccoli, this might just be the recipe that changes your mind. Roasted to perfection and served with an addictive (seriously, addictive) cashew-based garlic lemon tahini sauce, these veggies get downright dreamy. The addition of roasted chickpeas boosts the dish to a full-blown meal, and lends it a delightful crunch, too. I love serving it on a bed of warm quinoa. Pro tip: The dressing recipe makes only half a cup (125 mL), so if you’re someone who likes a lot of dressing with your bowls (or even a versatile dressing for workweek lunches!), I recommend doubling it.
Ingredients
For the bowl:
- 1 large head broccoli, chopped (5 to 6 cups/325g to 390g)
- 1 large head cauliflower, chopped (5 to 6 cups/400g to 480g)
- 1 (14-ounce/398 mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon (20 mL) olive oil
- Fine sea salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Cooked grains (such as quinoa) (optional)
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) tahini
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup (20 g) nutritional yeast
- 6 tablespoons (90 mL) water, or more if needed
Directions
- Soak cashews in a bowl of water overnight or for at least 8 hours. For a quick-soak method, pour boiling water over the cashews and let sit in the bowl for at least 45 minutes. Drain.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the chopped broccoli and cauliflower onto one baking sheet. (If it doesn’t all fit on one, you can add some onto the second sheet.) Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and toss until coated. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place into the oven.
- Place a tea towel on the counter and spread out the drained chickpeas. Fold the sides of the towel over the chickpeas to cover, and roll the chickpeas around until dry. Transfer chickpeas onto the parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil and roll around the chickpeas with your hands until they are fully coated. Sprinkle with salt and place into the oven.
- Roast the broccoli, cauliflower, and chickpeas for 25 to 30 minutes, until the broccoli and cauliflower are lightly browned and the chickpeas are golden. (At the halfway mark you can give the chickpea pan a gentle shake to roll them around in the pan.)
- Meanwhile, add all of the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend on high speed until smooth. If you are cooking grains, such as quinoa, cook them now, too.
- Plate the cooked grains (if using), and top with the roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and chickpeas. Drizzle on a generous amount of dressing. Season with salt and pepper, and any desired spices (I like to add smoked paprika and/or cayenne pepper, too).
- If you have leftover dressing, it will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge in a sealed container. The dressing will thicken as it sits (especially when chilled), so you can add more water to thin out as necessary, or simply allow it to come to room temperature before serving. Any leftover grains, chickpeas, and veggies will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a few days. I tend to reheat them in a skillet with some oil over medium heat.
Tip:
Need a nut-free dressing? Try this Lemon Tahini dressing on for size.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)
The first time I made this dish I was so hungry (and the dish was so tasty!) I ate almost the entire dish straight from the mixing bowl with a fork. My camera wasn’t quick enough for me this time! That’s when I came up with the name Buddha Bowl because I was rocking a Buhhda-like belly the rest of the day. Note to self: if you eat an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting you will pay the consequences. Carry on.
This sounds delicious! And the roasted cauliflower cravings don’t seem so odd to me. I have this strange addiction to roasted cauliflower with ketchup and sriracha – it makes up for the lack of french fries and hash browns in my diet.
Sometimes at the cafeteria at work they serve amazing roasted cauliflower that is really creamy and just melts in my mouth. I haven’t figured out how to get that effect at home yet. Even steaming them a little before roasting hasn’t quite done the trick. Any ideas?
This recipe is screaming warm, comfort, and cozy-ness in this cold weather (here in Nashville). The sauce is my favorite part, you can’t go wrong with “cheese” sauce and broccoli right? Trying this soon and thanks for sharing this!
Ohhh, that dressing sounds super tasty! My boyfriend hates the texture of chickpeas– I’ll have to try roasting them, maybe he’ll come around.
That dressing sounds heavenly! I love the flavours in it and creamy dressings are a must in winter time, for some weird reason…! I’ve been on the broccoli/cauliflower fan train for a long time so no persuasion needed here but I love the idea of adding roasted chickpeas into the mix. Delish!
I used to only tolerate cauliflower if it was smothered in cheese or turned into soup. l also recently developed a desire to roast it and add it to salad – especially good with kale. Must try the cashew tahini…
Sometimes the most simple ingredients can make such a delicious meal. Roasting the chickpeas is a great idea and the creamy sauce looks like it would add just the right amount of extra flavour.
Thanks for sharing :)
I am so looking forward to trying this recipe… but one ingredient in many of your recipes is a problem for me. Nutritional yeast. It’s an inflammation trigger for me, and I’ve been unable to find a substitute. What do you recommend?
I’m not sure Karen, you could experiment with the dressing without it. You just might have to tweak the other ingredients a bit but I’m sure it would still taste nice. goodluck!
Looks great….but you scared me off with the Buddha Belly – I don’t need it! :)
Yum! I love chickpeas…and try and fit in the broccoli and cauliflower too :)
This looks so simple, and SO yummy! I’ve always loved broccoli and chickpeas in any shape or form, but I was never a cauliflower fan either until I ate it roasted!! It’s delicious!!
Yess! Looks delicious. I love roasted vegetables in bowls and also as part of salads (esp in cold weather)
Mmmmm…this is delicious! Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe!!!
Just made this for my family tonight. Wonderful! My husband could not stop commenting on how amazing it was. My teenage boys ate and ate it, even though I found it very filling. Thank you! You were not kidding though about the Buddha belly… Toting one right now. Always love your recipes! Thanks, Angela!
Oh, wow. This is definitely on the “to-make” list. Roasted veggies are the bomb.
Banana bread? I have 2 ripe bananas sitting on the counter and my kids requested banana bread but when I searched your recipes I didn’t find one – which surprised me given your generous use of bananas. Any suggestions?
Oh YUM!!!
This recipe looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it. For the dressing, what other nut can I use instead of the cashews.
Macadamia nuts would work and probably almonds. Or you can make my lemon tahini dressing that I linked to at the bottom of the directions. Goodluck!
Oh, I already do your Lemon Tahini Dressing. I just love it and make a big batch of it and store it in the fridge for a quick topping on salads. I was interested to try the added nut version. I will try it with soaked almonds and let you know how it goes.
I made this for dinner last night, deeeeelish!!! I loved it and can’t wait to have the rest for lunch today! Def a new staple in my house. Thanks for sharing.
Have you read Kris Carr’s book, Crazy Sexy Diet? She similarly named one of her stables “Buddha Bowl.” Great minds think alike!
Made this last night. Loved it. The dressing is sooooo good.