Butternut Squash Vegan Buddha Bowl combines arugula, quinoa, black beans, apple, pumpkin seeds, and tahini lime dressing. It’s naturally gluten-free with an oil-free option. And the components can be prepared in advance so you’ll have a delicious complete meal in minutes!

One of my favorite fall vegetables is butternut squash. It’s delicious simply roasted with a little olive oil or vegetable broth, salt, and pepper, like in Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash. I also enjoy it with Cilantro Lime Rice & Black Beans.

But what exactly is a Vegan Buddha Bowl?

I did a little research on Bon Appetit and Epicurious, and it appears this ubiquitous dish has very little, if anything, to do with Buddha.

He did eat his meals from bowls, but there is no record of him eating a combination of grains, plant-based proteins, and vegetables.

And that’s what the Vegan Buddha Bowl is all about!

In this recipe, the grain is quinoa, the protein is black beans, and the vegetable is roasted butternut squash.

And for added nutrition and deliciousness, we also have apples, pumpkin seeds, arugula, and a tangy dressing made from tahini and lime juice.

The inspiration for this Vegan Buddha Bowl came from a recipe for Butternut Soup with Apple.

I started reading The Art of Flavor and came across the soup recipe. But instead of a smooth and velvety soup, I started craving something with different textures but similar flavors.

You can use whatever type of apple you prefer, but my choice for this recipe is a sweet and crisp variety such as Honeycrisp.

And if you don’t care for the peppery taste of arugula, baby spinach is a fantastic alternative.

If you prep all the components in advance, you can make a Vegan Buddha Bowl in minutes!

In addition, you can enjoy the quinoa, black beans, and squash hot or cold.

I like to make a batch of quinoa over the weekend in my Instant Pot so I can use it in bowls or salads like Fall Kale & Quinoa Salad or Quinoa Tabbouleh Salad.

And I also like to roast a batch of vegetables in the oven to use during the week. You can get some more time-saving cooking tips in this article.

Plus the dressing is easy to make in advance. I prefer to use an immersion blender for ease of clean up, but you can use a regular blender or food processor if you don’t have one.

Then when you’re ready to eat, all you need to do is assemble your Vegan Buddha Bowl as shown in this quick video!

I hope you enjoy this Butternut Squash Buddha Bowl as much as I do!

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Butternut Squash Vegan Buddha Bowl

Butternut Squash Vegan Buddha Bowl combines arugula, quinoa, black beans, apple, pumpkin seeds, and tahini lime dressing. It's naturally gluten-free with an oil-free option. And the components can be prepared in advance so you'll have a delicious complete meal in minutes!

Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 416 kcal

Author Amy Katz

Ingredients

• 3 cups butternut squash peeled and cut in one-inch cubes
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil (optional)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 2 cups arugula (or substitute baby spinach)
• 1 can black beans (1 1/2 cups cooked) rinsed and drained
• 1 apple such as Honeycrisp, chopped
• 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

Tahini Lime Dressing

• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup water (use less for a thicker dressing)
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup (or substitute agave)
• salt to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the butternut squash and drizzle with the olive oil, if using, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss with you hands. For an oil-free version, use water for roasting (or steam the squash instead of roasting). Roast for 20 to 30 minutes until the squash is tender and lightly browned.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa according to the package directions. (See notes for Instant Pot directions.)

4. To make the Tahini Lime Dressing, blend all the dressing ingredients until very smooth using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor. 

5. To make the Buddha Bowls, divide the arugula among four bowls. Add a quarter of the quinoa, black beans, butternut squash, and apple to each. Drizzle each bowl with Tahini Lime Dressing and top with a quarter of the pumpkin seeds. (The quinoa, black beans, and butternut squash can be served either warm or cold.)

Recipe Notes

To prepare the quinoa in your Instant Pot, add 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons water to the rinsed quinoa. Set the timer to 5 minutes and use natural release.

If you make Butternut Squash Vegan Buddha Bowl, or any of the other recipes on the website, I would love to see your creations! 

Use the hashtag #veggiessavetheday on Instagram and tag Veggies Save The Day so I don’t miss seeing what’s cooking in your kitchen. In addition, you can post your photos on the Facebook page Veggies Save The Day. 

Nutrition Facts

Butternut Squash Vegan Buddha Bowl

Amount Per Serving

Calories 416 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Sodium 423mg 18%

Potassium 1043mg 30%

Total Carbohydrates 58g 19%

Dietary Fiber 13g 52%

Sugars 10g

Protein 15g 30%

Vitamin A 228.5%

Vitamin C 41.1%

Calcium 14.3%

Iron 28.1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.