Today's Mediterranean Buddha Bowl recipe combines two of my favorite things: buddha bowls and Mediterranean food. This Mediterranean buddha bowl is packed full of simple healthy ingredients and flavor. It's no secret that I love buddha bowls.
They are so customizable, and SIMPLE. As much as I love to cook, somedays I just feel like making something that is only one or two steps, and buddha bowls are exactly that. I have a couple buddha bowl recipes on my blog:
What Makes Mediterranean Food Healthy?
Mediterranean food being healthy is something we hear often. There were plenty of diet trends going around center around eating a Mediterranean based diet. Why?
Well, Mediterranean cuisine is some of the healthiest in the world (a blue zone actually). It is so healthy, because it is predominantly plant based, and if you're making recipes like this Mediterranean Buddha Bowl, then it is 100% plant based. Vegan or not, it's always a good idea to eat more plant based foods.
If you're not ready to go fully vegan, but want to eat more plant based foods, then Mediterranean food may be a good place for you to start. I have some other delicious Mediterranean inspired recipes on my blog!
What Is A Buddha Bowl?
Honestly, it took me way too long to get to the bottom of this name. There's not really a clear definition of what a buddha bowl is, but they are a vegan staple. A buddha bowl is a general term of a plant based bowl loaded with vegetables.
I don't think they necessarily have to be vegan, but 99% of the time they are. I love buddha bowls, because you can essentially combine any flavors and ingredients you like and make a delicious bowl. That's exactly what I did with this Mediterranean Buddha Bowl.
Why Make This Mediterranean Buddha Bowl:
If I haven't convinced you to make this Mediterranean buddha bowl recipe yet, let me share a couple more reasons why I love this bowl.
First, and most important it's healthy. I won't dive too much into that, because I already explain what makes it healthy.
Second, this is a budget friendly buddha bowl. Sometimes people get so fancy with their buddha bowls (people is me LOL), but this Mediterranean bowl is loaded with affordable healthy vegetables and plant based protein.
This leads me to my next point: this buddha bowl is high protein! If eating high protein vegan meals is important to you, make sure to read the next paragraph for more information!
How To Make A High Protein Vegan Buddha Bowl:
That's right, this is a protein packed vegan recipe! This Mediterranean Buddha Bowl recipe has tofu, quinoa, and hummus which are great sources of vegan protein. These ingredients help to make this recipe super filling and nourishing.
When I first went vegan I was so concerned about not getting enough protein because that was the stereotype around being vegan that I had always heard. Funnily enough, I actually started eating more protein after going vegan, because I loved the taste of all the plant based protein options out there. Bowls like this Mediterranean Buddha bowl make it easy to get all your necessary protein on a vegan diet.
Ingredients for this Mediterranean Buddha Bowl:
Mediterranean Buddha Bowl Ingredients:
- Olives
- Quinoa
- Cherry tomatoes
- Bell pepper
- Romaine
- Cucumber
Vegan Feta Ingredients:
- Tofu
- Hummus
- Nutritional yeast
- Lemon
- Miso paste
White Balsamic Dressing Ingredients:
- White balsamic vinegar
- Italian seasoning
- Cold pressed flaxseed oil
How To Make This Mediterranean Buddha Bowl:
One of the main reasons I am so obsessed with this vegan Mediterranean bowl is because it is so simple to make. As much as I love to cook, I am a complete sucker for a simple recipe such as this Mediterranean bowl.
Making this bowl only requires a couple quick steps. First, prepare the tofu feta. This tofu feta is messy, but totally worth it. Add all the tofu feta ingredients except the tofu together in a bowl Mix until a paste forms. Break the tofu into blocks and coat with the paste. Set aside.
Next prepare the rest of the ingredients for the Mediterranean vegan bowls. Cut cucumber into half moons, cherry tomatoes in half, olives in slices, bell pepper into strips, and chop lettuce roughly.Assemble your bowl and top with a dollop of hummus.
Making the sweet balsamic dressing by whisking together ingredients. Top the vegan bowl with the tofu feta and balsamic dressing and serve!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Are Buddha Bowls Healthy?
Buddha bowls have gained a lot of attention in recent years, and are known for being super healthy. However, are they actually healthy? Let's talk about it!
There are thousands of buddha bowl recipes out there. Therefore it's impossible to say that they are all healthy, or unhealthy. However we can generally assume that buddha bowls are healthy. Why?
Buddha bowls typically contain 5 key components. They are: whole grains, veggies, plant based protein, and sauce (and sometimes extra nuts ands seeds for toppings). If made properly buddha bowls can be super nutritious vegan bowl!
Can I Make This Mediterranean Buddha Bowl Oil-Free?
Although this vegan Mediterranean buddha bowl is made with healthy cold pressed oil, it can still be made oil-free if you typically avoid oil (like me). There's actually a couple ways to make this recipe oil-free.
First, you can use blended avocado. It's important that the avocado is blended not mashed. This is my favorite method, because it adds a nice flavor to the bowl as well.
The second method is tahini. I love using tahini for oil-free salad dressings. However I also understand the flavor is not for everyone. Either way works great for an oil-free alternative for this recipe!
Related Vegan Mediterranean recipes:
Mediterranean Buddha Bowl
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 head romaine
- 1 english cucumber
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 can black olives
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 bell pepper
For the vegan feta:
- 1 block tofu
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon miso paste
For the Dressing:
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoon cold pressed flax seed oil
- 2 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Begin by cooking your quinoa according the package instructions. Press the tofu.
- Begin chopping the vegetables; cut cucumber into half moons, cherry tomatoes in half, olives in slices, bell pepper into strips, and chop lettuce roughly.
- To make to tofu feta, combine the lemon, miso, and yeast together and mix thoroughly. Once combined add to a bowl with the tofu, and begin breaking it up and coating evenly with mix.
- To make the dressing simple combine all ingredients and mix.
- Assemble ingredients together in a bowl and top with dressing, serve and enjoy!
Jacqui
I love Mediterranean food and Buddha bowls, so this is the absolute perfect combo for me!