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.
I hope you enjoy this Butternut Squash Buddha Bowl as much as I do!
Butternut Squash Vegan Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut in one-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil, (optional)
- salt & pepper, to taste
- ½ cup quinoa
- 2 cups arugula, (or substitute baby spinach)
- 1 can black beans, (1 ½ cups cooked) rinsed and drained
- 1 apple, such as Honeycrisp, chopped
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, (pepitas)
Tahini Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup water, (use less for a thicker dressing)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup, (or substitute agave)
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- 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.
- Meanwhile, prepare the quinoa according to the package directions. (See notes for Instant Pot directions.)
- To make the Tahini Lime Dressing, blend all the dressing ingredients until very smooth using an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor.
- 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.)
Liz
Sounds great! I'll be making it soon!
Amy Katz
I hope you enjoy it!
Leslie
Thank you for this recipe! This was my first time to make a Buddha bowl, but I think I'm hooked. I had some roasted butternut squash on hand. I subbed brown rice for the quinoa simply because I had some made. This was absolutely delicious!
Amy Katz
That's fantastic, Leslie! Brown rice is a great swap for quinoa.
Cheryl
We had this last night. Made as is. Easy and delish! Perfect weeknight dinner, boyfriend loved it. I shared w my sister-in-law!
Amy Katz
Fantastic! Thanks Cheryl!
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy
Yummy! I've really been into bowls lately and this one is perfect! My brother brought me a few butternut squashes from his garden! P.S. I couldn't rate this recipe for some reason.
Amy
Ooh, I would love to grow squash! Thanks Anjali!
Stephanie
I've been looking for healthy dinners lately and this one sounds delicious. Thank you!!!
Amy
Thanks Stephanie! Enjoy!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
Butternut, tahini, honeycrisp? SOO many good things you packed in that bowl!
Amy
Thanks Rebecca! We've really been enjoying this one!
Mel | avirtualvegan.com
My kind of dinner! We make buddha bowls at least twice a week. They are a great way to use up odds and ends. Love the apple addition in this one. I've never done that and I can imagine the sweetness and crisp texture are lovely with the other ingredients.
Amy
Thanks Mel! I really like the apple in it.
Sarah Newman
YESSS I love Buddha bowls! What a hearty combo of black beans, quinoa and butternut squash! And that tahini lime dressing - so tasty!! 😀
Amy
Thanks so much, Sarah! I love them, too. 🙂