Start here if you’re new to grain bowls:

• Learn the basic formula
• Jump to easy recipe ideas

I know it’s going to be an excellent week when I’ve got all of my grain bowl components prepped and in the fridge for fast, easy, and healthy meals all week long.

If Grain Bowls look intimidating to you or you’re just not sure how to build one, or if you’re looking for new buddha bowl ideas, this is the article for you! My aim is to include loads of options and inspiration – I want to bowl you over with grain bowl ideas! I know, I know, that was a stretch. Carrying on …

What is a Grain Bowl?

Grain bowls aren’t actually new – they’re more like a modern name for a very classic way of eating: building a meal around a grain, then adding vegetables, protein, and sauce.

Across many food cultures, this “base + toppings” structure has existed for centuries. In Asia, it shows up in rice bowls like bibimbap. In the Mediterranean and Middle East, it appears in grain-and-legume-based meals paired with vegetables, herbs, and yogurt or tahini sauces. Worldwide, people have long combined starches, vegetables, and proteins in a single bowl.

What is on the newer is the Western “grain bowl” trend, which grew popular in the 2010s along with interest in meal prep, plant-based eating, and customizable “build-your-own” meals. The appeal is simple: grain bowls are flexible, balanced, and endlessly adaptable.

What is a Buddha Bowl?

A Buddha Bowl is essentially a grain bowl but vegetarian or vegan. It’s more veggie-forward and often served cold or room temp, which makes it even easier to prep ahead (no reheating when serving!)

But why is it called a Buddha Bowl? Apparently because a full bowl resembles the rounded “belly-like” appearance of Buddha. It could also be because it’s connected loosely to Buddhist-inspired vegetarian eating traditions.

Why You’ll Love Grain Bowls

• Perfect for meal prep – I’ll often prepare a grain, roast a vegetable, clean some greens, and make a sauce, then keep the components in the fridge. Then it’s just a matter of opening a can of beans, chopping up an avocado or another veg, and assembling the bowl.
• Solves the lunch conundrum – I don’t know if it’s just me, but lunch is the most difficult meal of the day! It’s so hard to come up with healthy vegetarian options that come together quickly (it’s the time of day when I have the smallest amount of time). So when I’ve got grain bowl ingredients prepped and ready, lunch is a breeze.
• SO easy – Once you have the components prepped, it’s super easy to assemble grain bowls for quick nutritious meals.
• Endlessly customizable – Hate kale? Swap in some arugula! Not a fan of tofu? There are plenty of other protein options available! It’s super easy to create your very own “house” grain bowl that is fine-tuned to your tastes.

How to Make A Grain Bowl

1. First, add your grain base.
2. Next, arrange the main veggie(s) to the side.
3. Add the protein.
4. Pile on the greens.
5. Add toppings and garnishes.
6. Drizzle with sauce.
7. Devour!

Easy Grain Bowl Recipe Ideas

With all of the ingredient options available to you, the combos are pretty much endless. But here are some of my favorites:

Sweet Potato & Chickpea Grain Bowl

Quinoa with roasted sweet potatoes, chickpeas, shredded kale, and a delicious green goddess dressing, lots of pickled red onions, pepitas, creamy avocado, and micro-greens.

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Grain Bowl

Brown rice topped with crisp lettuce, black beans, roasted sweet potatoes, avocado, and cilantro lime dressing. Pepitas are a great addition too!

Mediterranean Grain Bowl

Rice, farro, or bulgur with roasted or fresh red bell peppers, cucumber, spinach, and chickpeas with crumbled feta and Kalamata olives. Drizzle with Greek salad dressing or Tzatziki sauce, or add a generous dollop of hummus.

Peanut Thai Veggie Grain Bowl

On a base of brown rice, add crispy pan-fried tofu, fresh spinach, steamed broccoli, and sliced bell peppers. Drizzle with peanut sauce and garnish with salted peanuts.

Veggie Sushi Grain Bowl

Seasoned rice with carrots, cucumbers, avocado, edamame, sesame seeds, and sesame-wasabi dressing. Yum!

Meal Prepping Grain Bowls

One of the best things about buddha bowls? They’re perfect for meal prep.

I pick a protein and a grain, and start with prepping those. Place them in an airtight container and place them in the fridge, then prep your veggies. Store those in the fridge, and whip up some sauce. Place that in a jar or container. Now you have a whole grain bowl meal prep kit on your refrigerator shelf for super easy lunches and dinner all week long!

I hope that having more information about how to make a grain bowl is inspiring to you! I just love that they’re so great for meal prep and are so easy to customize to match any craving I might have. Here’s to beautiful Buddha bowls in your future!

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Grain Bowl Formula (How to Build a Perfect Buddha Bowl)

Grain bowls (also known as Buddha Bowls) are my favorite way to make sure I'm getting a good amount of veggies and fiber in my diet. They're full of nutrients, ridiculously satisfying, perfect for prepping ahead of time, and endlessly customizable!

Course dinner, lunch

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword buddha bowl, grain bowl

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 1 bowl

Author Kare

Ingredients

1/2 cup grain base (choose one)

• rice white or brown
• farro
• quinoa not a grain but a seed that acts like a grain
• bulgur
• couscous a pasta, but behaves like a grain
• buckwheat

3/4 cup protein (choose one)

• tofu baked tofu, pan-fried tofu, or air-fryer tofu
• edamame
• chickpeas
• black beans
• white beans like navy beans or cannellini beans
• cooked lentils
• peas
• chopped hard-boiled eggs

1 cup veggies (1/2 cup roasted or fresh veg + 1/2 cup greens)

• roasted sweet potatoes
• roasted butternut squash
• roasted cauliflower
• roasted broccoli
• roasted carrots
• sliced cucumbers
• shredded raw carrots
• cherry tomatoes
• sliced bell peppers
• baby arugula
• baby spinach
• shredded kale
• shredded cabbage
• shredded romaine lettuce
• mixed spring greens

1/4 cup garnish/toppings (choose one or more)

• avocado
• pickled red onions
• fresh herbs
• cheese if dairy is ok
• micro-greens
• pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• sesame seeds
• hemp seeds
• chopped nuts
• olives

3 tablespoons sauce/dressing (choose one)

• lemon tahini sauce
• green goddess dressing
• cilantro lime sauce
• pesto
• peanut sauce
• vinaigrette

Instructions

• Place the grains in a medium-size serving bowl. Arrange the protein, veggies, greens, and garnish/toppings over the grains. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Notes

Cooking time is basically just for assembly, not for cooking individual components. 

The post Grain Bowl Formula (How to Build a Perfect Buddha Bowl) appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

It’s been pretty well shown that it’s actually difficult NOT to get enough protein when you’re eating a vegan or vegetarian diet. But some of us (myself included) do operate better on more protein. It helps us feel satisfied, keeps us fuller longer, and perhaps (again speaking for myself) makes us less likely to reach for empty carbs.

I’m always on the hunt for (mostly) plant-based, protein-rich recipes – in fact, I love creating them so much, I have an entire category dedicated to it on this here blog!

For the new year, I thought I’d round up some of my favorite high-protein vegetarian and vegan recipes – featuring many from my blog, and a ton more from blogging friends (okay, and one from Martha Stewart, who I would like to be my friend).

But first, let’s talk about the protein sources. What are they, exactly?

Well, first and foremost, we’ve got lentils. Every day I fall a little more in love with lentils. There are so many delicious ways to prepare them, and I’m blown away by the protein, fiber, and overall nutrition in these things. 1/2 cup cooked lentils is only about 170 calories, yet contains 14 grams fiber, 12 grams protein, and 20% of the recommended daily allowance of iron. And they’re so filling.

And then beans, of course – black beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas …  beans are a powerhouse of protein, and they can be delicious to boot. Also falling into the legume category are peas and peanuts – personally I always think of peas as a vegetable so I have a bit of an “oh yeah!” moment when I think of peas as a protein source. But one cup of peas boasts nearly 8 grams of protein. Not too shabby!

And soy – edamame and tofu. If you’re worried about GMOs when it comes tofu, reach for Nasoya brand organic tofu – my go-to brand, and non-GMO. I adore both tofu and edamame. Tofu is so unbelievably versatile. Edamame is great to have cooked in the fridge so I can reach for it when I need a protein-packed pick-me-up.

What else? Well, nuts and seeds (chia seeds are my fave – 2 tablespoons have 4 grams protein). And some grains out there are steadily gaining attention for being high in protein – quinoa (technically a seed) has been around for awhile; farro and sorghum are gaining momentum.

And then, of course, if you’re a lacto-vegetarian (lacto = dairy), you probably know dairy, too, can be an excellent source of protein. 1 cup of Greek yogurt contains around 25 grams of the stuff!

Yup, protein can be found everywhere – not just in meat. And these 100+ recipes are proof! Shall we get to it?

Click through to a specific category or browse by scrolling … your choice!

• Soups & Stews
• Chilis
• Curries
• Pastas & Pasta Sauce
• Rice & Grains
• Salads
• Bowls
• Burgers & Sandwiches
• Stir Fries
• Shepherd’s Pie
• Scrambles
• Loafs
• Fritters, Falafel, & Bites
• More, More, More!

Soups & Stews

From Kitchen Treaty:

• Simple Lentil Vegetable Soup (vegan)
• Our Very Favorite Black Bean Soup (vegan)
• Jalapeno Black Bean & White Bean Soup  (vegan)
• Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew (vegan)

From other blogs:

• Vegan Red Lentil Stew (vegan) – Vegan Chickpea
• Easy Red Lentil Soup (vegan) – In Fine Balance
• Turmeric Lentil Stew (vegan) – Running to the Kitchen
• Lentil Stew with Artichokes (vegan) – Deb’s Pots
• Pumpkin Chickpea Stew (vegan) – Occasionally Eggs

Chilis

From Kitchen Treaty:

The post 100+ High-Protein Vegetarian & Vegan Recipes appeared first on Kitchen Treaty.

I guess you could say I’m a carb girl. Pasta, bread … why does it all have to be so delicious?! I’ve been working on losing weight, however, and most carbs don’t necessarily serve me well.

My doctor, who I’ve been working with on my diet, conceded my need for carbs and suggested I try working in grains with 5 grams of fiber or more per serving. Barley, steel-cut oats, sorghum berries, and, yep, farro make that list. Steel cut oats,  no problem. I’ve loved those for years. Barley, I do now and then. And then sorghum and farro – yeah, while I’d heard of both, I had yet to try them at home.

So I bought some farro, and I went on the hunt for a recipe. This One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes from the venerable Smitten Kitchen caught my eye pretty quickly. It’s a spin on the famous one-pot pasta with tomatoes, onions, and basil. And it was a delicious introduction to farro.

But while slicing up the onions, I couldn’t help but think about what would happen if I went another direction with this one-pot farro. Like, maybe oodles of onions. Cooked down to sweet caramelized perfection. A deglaze of white wine, a few pinches of fresh thyme, a little garlic … yep. I took this farro to French onion town and I never want to come back.

Farro is a grain somewhat like wheat, but it’s not – it’s its own plant, its own thing. It’s not gluten-free, though it is lower in gluten than many other grains. It’s high in fiber and high in protein (more than quinoa)! It’s really kind of glorious, health-wise.

Cooked, it sort of reminds me of a cross between brown rice and orzo al dente. It’s larger than a grain of rice – probably about twice the size – with a tender yet chewy texture that holds its shape when cooked.

Farro definitely has personality, but the taste itself is rather mild, taking on the flavors of whatever else you put in the dish.

This One-Pot French Onion Farro reminds me of a cross between French onion soup and a hearty risotto. It works equally well as a hearty side dish or a main dish. Alone, it makes for a satisfying dinner alongside, say, a lightly dressed green salad.

This dish does takes awhile from start to finish, but most of it is hands-off, so don’t be fooled – it’s remarkably easy. And if you plan ahead just a tad, it makes for a great weeknight meal. Heck, you could even caramelize and deglaze the onions the night before, stick the pot in the fridge, and then proceed the next evening for a faster meal.

Served out of the pot, this recipe is vegan – and perfectly delicious without the cheese that you usually find on French onion soup. What I like to do is make the crostini two ways – a few have melty Gruyere for my cheese-eating guy, and a few stay naked for me.

If carbs can taste this delectable and help me stay healthy, well, I’m all for it.

(more…)

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