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This vegan Mediterranean Buddha Bowl is full of colorful veggies and plant-based protein like quinoa, roasted chickpeas, and hummus.
Eating nutrient-dense food packed with protein and fresh vegetables is always a good idea, and this Buddha Bowl hits the mark.
It’s like a mini Mezze Platter styled for one or two, and it’s fresh, colorful, and full of plant-based protein. Make it for meal prep or lunch, or scale it up for a fantastic Mediterranean party spread.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chickpeas: To remove the skin, pour drained and rinsed chickpeas on a clean, dry kitchen towel. Rub vigorously until dried and the paper skins start to fall off (It is not required to remove all skins, but roasted chickpeas taste better if you do).
- Hummus: My favorite homemade hummus starts with dried chickpeas, not canned. Add classic flavors like lemon and garlic, and blend with plenty of tahini and olive oil.
Step-by-step instructions
To roast the chickpeas:
- Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. In a small bowl, combine chickpeas with olive oil, basil, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the chickpeas and rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
To make the bowl:
- Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave for 4 minutes on high. Remove from microwave, stir, and heat again for 2 minutes longer. Stir and let stand 1 minute in the microwave.
- Layer greens in the bottom of a bowl or on a platter. Arrange the grape tomato halves, cucumbers, bell pepper, olives, chickpeas, and quinoa in sections around the bowl.
- Spoon the hummus in the middle of the bowl and serve.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes one large Buddha bowl, enough for 2 main-dish sized servings or 3-4 servings when accompanied by other foods such as pita bread or fruit salad.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chickpeas will soften in the first hours after coming out of the oven.
- Make ahead: The bowl can be assembled in advance, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.
- Go bigger: Buddha Bowls remind me of Mezze Platters, and you can certainly scale up the quantities here to feed a crowd.
- Customize your Buddha Bowl: When building your bowl, get creative! Instead of quinoa, cook some brown rice. Farro tastes great too too. Add a spoonful of Tabbolueh, Fattoush, or Roasted Eggplant Dip. Instead of Kalamata olives, try Olive Tapenade, an olive and anchovy spread. Maybe toss your greens in some Red Wine Vinaigrette. And instead of the roasted chickpeas, try a scoop of easy Chickpea Salad.
- Serving suggestions: Serve your Mediterranean Buddha Bowl with plenty of soft pita bread or some homemade pita chips. Toasted baguette slices are always tasty, too.
Recipe FAQs
Where did the term “Buddha Bowl” come from?
The first reference to a “Buddha Bowl” probably showed up in Martha Stewart Living’s Meatless, a collection of 200 vegetarian recipes published in 2013. Within the book, Buddha Bowls are described as plant-based bowls of glory. They don’t always have to be vegan, but they started out that way.
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Mediterranean Buddha Bowl
This vegan Mediterranean Buddha Bowl is full of colorful veggies and plant-based protein like quinoa, roasted chickpeas, and hummus.
Equipment
Ingredients
For the roasted chickpeas:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 can chickpeas drained, rinsed, and dried, skins discarded (see note 1)
- 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the quinoa:
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
- 1 cup water
For the bowl:
- 2 cups lettuce torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
- 2 cucumbers peeled, halved lengthwise and chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
- 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 1/2 cup hummus (see note 2)
Instructions
To roast the chickpeas:
- Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
- In a small bowl, combine chickpeas with olive oil, basil, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the chickpeas and rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.
To make the bowl:
- Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave for 4 minutes on high. Remove from microwave, stir, and heat again for 2 minutes longer. Stir and let stand 1 minute in the microwave.
- Layer greens in the bottom of a bowl or on a platter. Arrange the grape tomato halves, cucumbers, bell pepper, olives, chickpeas, and quinoa in sections around the bowl. Spoon the hummus in the middle of the bowl and serve.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chickpeas: To remove the skin, pour drained and rinsed chickpeas on a clean, dry kitchen towel. Rub vigorously until dried and the paper skins start to fall off (It is not required to remove all skins, but roasted chickpeas taste better if you do).
- Hummus: My favorite homemade hummus starts with dried chickpeas, not canned. Add classic flavors like lemon and garlic, and blend with plenty of tahini and olive oil.
- Yield: This recipe makes one large Buddha bowl, enough for 2 main-dish sized servings or 3-4 servings when accompanied by other foods such as pita bread or fruit salad.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chickpeas will soften in the first hours after coming out of the oven.
- Make ahead: The bowl can be assembled in advance, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5bowlCalories: 574kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 25gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 1411mgPotassium: 1214mgFiber: 20gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1352IUVitamin C: 123mgCalcium: 183mgIron: 7mg
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Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Made this tonight and since I didn’t have garbanzo beans, I subbed in hominy grits (following your roasting directions) and it was delicious.
I’m so glad you loved it, Tessa! Thanks for sharing your hominy grits substitute! Yum! – Meggan
Made this last night but with some variations due to allergy to chickpeas. Used pan roasted cashews and made sweet potato hummus and it was so tasty. Hubby loved it as well so now it will be a regular go to. Thank you
You’re so welcome, Lizzy! Sounds delicious! – Meggan
Amazing! Loved it all, especially the roasted chickpeas. Finally a great recipe for cooking quinoa and it’s fast too! I made a dressing with garlic, Dijon, balsamic, lemon olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. It was perfect! Great meal prep too!
I’m so glad you loved it! Take care! – Meggan
I am so excited to find your recipe site. I have found so many wonderful meals and salads to make. I am also following your site as of today.
Thank you for the follow, Rena! I hope you love my recipes. Please write if you have any questions about them! I’m happy to help! – Meggan
Made a variation on this and my wife absolutely loved it! I used Tahini sauce with olive oil as the dressing.
I also replaced the roasted chick peas with beets and black olives.
Sounds delicious, Nader! Take care! – Meggan
Delicious!! My homemade hummus just needs some more practice 😊
So glad you loved it Lee-Ann! If you’re looking for a fun version of homemade hummus to practice, please check out this recipe! https://www.culinaryhill.com/hummus-with-garlic-and-lemon/ Thank you and take care! – Meggan