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.
Just tried this tonight with some rainbow quinoa–it was delicious! Your recipes are always a win! Thanks for sharing!
Made this 1/20/14. Served over tri-colored quinoa. It was awesome. Healthy whole food deliciousness. Can’t wait for the cookbook :) Thanks for another great recipe, Angela. XO
Made this for dinner tonight. I could not believe how delicious it was. I always expect to love your recipes but I could not stop eating it. But even more exciting, my two year old could not stop eating it either. He kept asking for more, and he is a picky eater. Thank you thank you thank you!!!! :)
I made this last week & it was fantastic! Making it again this week. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe.
I love this recipe. It is easy and so good!! This will be a regular on our menu for sure! Thanks so much!
Made this last night, so delish! I changed it up a bit and sprinkled cumin on the veggies before sticking them in the oven, this gave the dish a bit more flavor and a slight kick.
For the past 21 days I was on a Daniel fast, which is basically vegan but even stricter. I was so happy to find your website and such great recipes. After a while you get tired of soup and chili. I made your pasta recipe with butternut squash, wonderful. The best was the Buddha Bowl, it was the first time I have ever enjoyed cauliflower. Thank you so much. I have finished my fast but I will continue to make your recipes because they are plain good.
I just made this bowl of awesome tonight. I’m still eating it and already can’t wait for tomorrow’s leftovers. This will definitely become a regular meal for me. It was my first time working with nutritional yeast. I’ve been avoiding recipes that call for it for years, and now I wonder why. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
My husband and I have fallen in love with this (as well as many other of your recipes!). However, the second time we made it, we doubled the batch as to leave left-overs. The first night, it was as perfect as we remembered. However, now that we are eating the left-overs there is a LOT of heat- by the end of the bowl it’s pretty uncomfortable. Any idea why this may be? Also the cauliflower now has a radish sort of taste to it. Again, curious if it’s the sauce or if cauliflower can take on this heat somehow. Thanks!!!
I am in Mexico , Puerto Vallarta for 4 months and wondered if you can make Tahini, with sesame seeds here? we can get the seeds but not the Tahini prepared. I love to use my Nutri Blast machine which whips up everything even better than the Vitamix blender I used to use.
Any recipes out there for Tahini?
Angela, Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Simple and delicious. Served it over cubed steamed (leftover) sweet potatoes and really enjoyed the flavor combo! Making it again tomorrow :-)
I tried this recipe tonight by roasting broccoli, asparagus, brussel sprouts, and chickpeas, and serving it over organic kamut. It. Was. Amazing. My fiancé and I will be using your website a ton from now on for food inspiration. Thanks for sharing!
This recipe was delicious! I added butternut squash and mushrooms and sprinkled everything with cumin. We will defintely make this again. Thank you Angela!
Just tried this and it is *amazing*! My meat-eating husband and I ate it like it was junk food or something. I added some red quinoa (cooked with the lemon rind and a spoonful of tahini) for some extra crunch and protein and it turned out great. Thanks for sharing a fantastic recipe!
This recipe is so delicious! We eat it at least 3 times a month!
I just discovered this recipe about a month ago, and it has quickly become one of my favorite dishes. Anyone have any other veggie combos they’ve tried? I’m thinking of trying one with chickpeas, kale (sauteed instead of roasted) and _______??? some other veggie. Was thinking of an asparagus and cauliflower version as well.
I made this with broccoli, tomatoes and onions. Turned out well I think :) Add the tomatoes after half the time though.
Kale sounds nice! I imagine carrots, leek, zucchini or mushrooms would be nice, too :)
Oh my goodness. I made this for dinner and it is amazing! I made some adjustments to meet the needs of the moment, but the spirit of the final dish was fully yours. Thank you. I will make this again, no doubt.
I’m new to healthy cooking and vegan dishes – can I get more info on what nutritional yeast is – what is is – what it does – and where I buy it
Oh my goodness! This is the most excellent dish! It’s a keeper for sure. Simple and easy cleanup too. I did add one more vegetable, onions. Everything came out perfect. Great comfort food. Plenty of protein. Mix of textures: crunchy, soft, and wonderfully creamy. Thank you!
Absolutely delicious! Loved it and will make again.