Sophie Leaver
Health & Wellbeing Writer

With all the delicious, fresh fruits and vegetables that are in season throughout summer, it’s the perfect time to experiment with recipes that are bursting with colour and flavour. It’s often said that to get the full range of nutrients that our bodies crave, we should eat the colours of the rainbow. Buddha bowls are a great way to create delicious meals that are light and energising yet seriously satisfying. They can be varied to suit your tastes, they’re a fun excuse to get creative in the kitchen, and they’re a perfect balanced meal to take along to your summer BBQs. Follow these recipes directly, or use them as inspiration and play around with the combinations. These vibrant, tasty meals are filled with an abundance of fresh and healthy ingredients, and can be tailored to suit the meat-eater, vegetarian, vegan, or anyone in between. The combination of vegetables, grains, fats and proteins will leave you feeling great, and you can load them up with super foods. These bowls do not require culinary genius, obscure ingredients, or hours spent in the kitchen. Buddha bowls derive their name from being pure, simple food that you can eat with gratitude.

 

Creamy Tahini and Chickpea Buddha Bowl

Ingredients:

1 handful kale

¼ of a whole broccoli

1 cup brown rice

1 sweet potato

1 cup tinned chickpeas

3 teaspoons tahini

Squeeze of lemon

½ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Coconut oil

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

  1. 1.) Wash the sweet potato, then chop into small pieces, place on a baking tray, and drizzle with coconut oil. Bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until well cooked. (keep the skin on the sweet potatoes for extra fibre and nutrients!)
  2. 2.) While the sweet potato is in the oven, boil and drain the rice, and steam the kale and broccoli.
  3. 3.) In a bowl, mix the maple syrup and paprika, then add the drained chickpeas and mix to coat them. Next, lay them on a baking tray and add to the oven for 10 minutes.
  4. 4.) Once all ingredients are cooked, assemble in a bowl, with the rice forming the base.
  5. 5.) Whisk together the tahini, lemon, and salt and pepper to taste. Add water or coconut oil to thin into a dressing consistency.
  6. 6.) Pour the tahini dressing over the bowl, serve, and enjoy!

Green Superfood Buddha Bowl

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

½ cup tinned broad beans

1 handful tender stem broccoli

1 courgette

3 handfuls baby spinach

1 avocado

1 handful fresh mint

1 handful pumpkin seeds

Salt and pepper

Avocado oil

Instructions:

  1. 1.) Slice the courgettes into thick slices, place on a baking tray, and drizzle with avocado oil, and salt and pepper. Bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
  2. 2.) Cook and drain the quinoa, and steam the broccoli.
  3. 3.) Baby spinach can be wilted, or left raw depending on your taste.
  4. 4.) Halve the avocado. With one half, slice into long thin slices. In a bowl, mash the other half and set aside.
  5. 5.) Use a blender or food processor to blend the mint leaves, or chop very finely. Mix this in with the mashed avocado, a drizzle of avocado oil, and salt and pepper to taste.
  6. 6.) Remove the courgettes from the oven. Use the quinoa as a base, and assemble the remaining ingredients around. Serve with a generous spoonful of the avocado-mint dressing and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.