Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce are a great meal prep option for your weeknight dinners. The ingredients are simple and the peanut sauce is the star of the show!

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I usually incorporate some sort of meat into my meals, since it’s such an easy form of protein and helps me feel satiated. However, I love this making this meal to switch it up! Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce are vegan and can easily be meal prepped to enjoy throughout the week.

Buddha Bowl Ingredients

  • Rice – basmati, white, brown, jasmine all work for this recipe. Try cooking your rice in broth with a little butter and salt, it really enhances the flavor! I wouldn’t recommend swapping for quinoa or cauliflower rice in this recipe, but you could omit the rice.
  • Sweet Potatoes – I prefer jewel, however purple or japanese would work as well. Keep it simple when cooking with oil and salt. I like to crisp up the sweet potatoes for this recipe by cooking just a little longer.
  • Romaine lettuce – substitute iceberg, mixed greens, or spinach. I think Romaine is best because it add a nice crunch to the dish, but work with what you’ve got!
  • Chickpeas – aka garbanzo beans. My mom likes to throw her chickpeas in the oven with the sweet potatoes, so that’s always an option. They may not take as long to cook so if you opt to bake them with the potatoes, add the chickpeas in at about the halfway point (about 12 minutes).
  • Avocado – not much to say here. A great source of healthy fat for this dish.

Also, I sometimes add cooked chicken to this dish to add extra protein.

Peanut Sauce

The star of the show! This sauce is seriously the best part of the meal, so be sure to make plenty. I usually make this sauce with equal parts of each ingredient, but feel free to adjust to your preference! Give it a little taste before adding to your bowl.

  • Peanut Butter – use a natural version. In other words, avoided added oils or sugar. I think cashew or almond butter could be substituted, but I haven’t tried that myself. I love the peanut butter flavor for this sauce.
  • Coconut Aminos – this is what I use instead of soy sauce, but they are interchangeable. Use what you’ve got. Tamari is another option.
  • Balsamic Vinegar – not a flavor that I’d expect to work with peanut butter and coconut aminos but trust me, it does.
  • Maple Syrup – adjust the sweetness of the sauce by starting with just a little and then adding more as desired. I wouldn’t recommend swapping for honey, but coconut sugar could work.

Meal Prepping Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce

This is a perfect recipe to meal prep, whether you’re planning to enjoy for dinner or lunches throughout the week.

Prepare the rice and sweet potatoes, allow time to cool. Drain and rinse chickpeas, place in an airtight container in the fridge.

When storing in the fridge, it’s a pretty safe bet that the rice, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas can be placed in the same container.

Chop the lettuce, storing in the fridge with a wet paper towel to keep fresh.

You can mix together the Peanut Sauce ingredients and keep in the fridge, it holds up very well. Be sure to stir again before using.

To enjoy these bowls, all you have to do is slice the avocado, assemble the bowls, and drizzle with sauce! If preferred, you can warm up with rice and sweet potatoes.

If you like this dish, check out Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad for another meal prep and vegan friendly recipe!


buddha bowls with peanut sauce

Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce

Buddha Bowls with Peanut Sauce are a great meal prep option for your weeknight dinners. The ingredients are simple and the peanut sauce is the start of the show!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course easy meals
Servings 4 bowls

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup rice uncooked
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes plus 2 tbsp oil + salt
  • 1 head Romain lettuce or preferred greens
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 2 avocados

Peanut Sauce

  • ¼ cup natural peanut butter
  • ¼ cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
  • ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the rice according to package instructions. Making about 2 cups of cooked rice.
  • Preheat the oven to 425 °F. Peel and cut the sweet potato into 1-2 inch cubes and place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt, and toss until coated. Cook for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
  • Chop head of lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Cut open and slice avocado.
  • Mix the Peanut Sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Stirring until the peanut butter is well combined.
  • Assemble the bowls by dividing desired amount of ingredients into separate bowls and drizzling with Peanut Sauce.
Keyword buddha bowl, peanut sauce, Vegan
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