You will love making a Mediterranean Buddha Bowl using Mediterranean ingredients like brown rice, hummus, Greek yogurt, feta cheese, chickpeas, roasted vegetables and greens. These buddha bowls are customizable and perfect for lunches or dinners for your family!
I make a lot of Buddha bowls and grain bowls with rice or quinoa in my house. You might be wondering what exactly is a Buddha bowl?
Today’s Mediterranean Buddha Bowl recipe breaks it down: what it is, how to build one, and how to swap in ingredients you already have in your pantry.
This version is one of my favorites, combining hummus, Greek yogurt, chickpeas, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, brown rice, olives, feta, and fresh greens.
I make bowls like this all the time—some of my go-to recipes include the Mediterranean Salmon Bowl, Easy Mediterranean Hummus Bowl, Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Hummus Bowls, and the Chicken Shawarma Bowl.
Lately, we’ve been focusing on eating more plant-based meals, and Buddha bowls are perfect for that.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Grains: I used brown rice, but any whole grain works—try farro, bulgur, barley, or quinoa depending on what you have on hand.
- Vegetables: Use whatever vegetables are in your fridge. For raw options, I like carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers. Roasted vegetables are also a great addition for extra flavor and texture.
- Protein: Adding protein to your bowl is a great way to give yourself that extra energy. You can do a protein like this Mediterranean Salmon, a Tandoori Grilled Chicken or a Easy Grilled Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce. If you are a vegetarian try tofu or add beans. I especially like adding white beans or chickpeas.
- Cheese: Cheese adds great flavor to Buddha bowls. Use what you have on hand—feta, gouda, goat cheese, or Parmesan are all excellent options.
- Dressing: I love creating a buddha bowl dressing or sauce using ingredients in my pantry. You can create a 4 Ingredient Creamy Dill Salad Dressing or a Tahini Yogurt Dressing using yogurt. I also like to just add a dollop of Greek Yogurt to my buddah bowls as the dressing.
How to Make a Buddha Bowl
Step 1: Choose a Base: Start with a whole grain or greens like brown rice, quinoa, farro, bulgur, barley or mixed greens, spinach, arugula, kale.
Step 2: Add Protein: Pick a plant-based or animal protein like chickpeas, lentils, tofu, tempeh, Greek grilled chicken, Baked Salmon, Greek shrimp skewers or beef.
Step 3: Load up on Veggies: Use raw, pickled vegetables, roasted, grilled, or steamed veggies.
Step 4: Add Fats: Incorporate healthy fat sources like avocado slices, olives, hummus, tahini, nuts, or seeds.
Step 5: Finish with Dressing or Sauce: Bring it all together with a flavorful topping: Tahini Sauce, lemon vinaigrette, Tahini yogurt-based sauce, Creamy Dill Sauce or a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar
Meal-Prep Tips
Prepare all of the ingredients ahead of time and store them in individual containers until you are ready to put together your buddha bowls. You can chops veggies, cooke the grains and protein and create your sauces ahead of time!
More Mediterranean Recipes
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Flatbread
Vegetarian
Mediterranean Hummus Toast with Za’atar
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
Mediterranean
Mediterranean Naan Bread Pizza
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Mediterranean Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 – 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/4 cup brown rice, rinsed and cooked according to the package
- 2 cups hummus
- 2 cups of feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup of kalamata olives, pitted
- 3 cups of greens of your choice, try arugula, spinach, romaine or swiss chard
- 2 cups of Greek Yogurt
- Vegetables of your choice or try these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables
- 1 lemon, cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- If you are making roasted vegetables Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Cut all of your vegetables to your desired size making sure they are about the same size for even roasting and put them in a large mixing bowl.
- In a small mixing bowl or mason jar combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, oregano, za'atar or sumac, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Stir or shake to combine. Toss the vegetables in the olive oil mixture.
- On a baking sheet spread the vegetables out in an even layer. You don't want your vegetables to be crowded so you may want to use two baking sheets.
- Roast the vegetables for about 30 to 35 minutes or until they are soft and just starting to show some char on the edges making sure to stir the vegetables at about the 15 minute mark.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil (about 4 quarts water). Once the water is boiling, add the rice and continue boiling for 25 minutes or according to the package.
- When you are ready to assemble the buddah bowls you will start by dividing the brown rice or grain among the four bowls.
- Then add each ingredient and dividid among the four bowls. I like to add the hummus and Greek yogurt last. Garnish with the parsley and lemon wedges.
Notes
- For a buddha bowl you can use more or less of each ingredient depending on what you like. Also feel free to substitute ingredients as you see fit.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Today’s post is sponsored by the American Dairy Association Mideast. All opinions are 100% my own.
OMG Buddha bowls 🥣 have become my favourite food. I literally eat one for lunch every day.
microbialogic