We are so lucky, this past weekend we got to spend the Holiday with my in-laws and most of the family got to meet our daughter for the first time. It was so great, and the perks of spending time with Indian family is all the delicious foods. Bhindi, dal, chana masala, chai, halwa, kheer, and many others. While delicious, unfortunately when traveling through airports, you cannot find foods like these, however there are more natural restaurants popping up. We were lucky enough to find mediterranean vegetarian buddha bowls at the airport.
These buddha bowls were my jam. I downed mine in less than 5 minutes and I knew I needed to recreate it at home, so fast forward one day and I did just that. Mediterranean style vegetarian buddha bowls are super easy, satisfying, and packed full of different nutrients like fiber and antioxidants. The nice thing with recipes like this is they make a bulk amount so the remaining can be placed in the refrigerator and eaten the next day.
Why you’ll love these Mediterranean vegetarian buddha bowl?
- They’re great for meal prepping. Throw together your quinoa pilaf, brown rice, and dressing on Sunday and you can chop fresh veggies at eat this throughout the week.
- Diversity. Can you say a well rounded meal? There are so many different types of food in this you’re getting a great mix of different nutrients.
- Vegan friendly. Omit the feta (or get creative and make vegan tofu feta) and use a dairy-free yogurt alternative you have a vegan dish.
- Satisfying. Need I say more? They keep you full and not craving the bad stuff.
How to make Mediterranean vegetarian buddha bowl?
- Start brown rice – this step takes the longest so start it right away. If you want to save time, use the instant brown rice. Bring water and rice to boil on stovetop then reduce heat to a simmer and leave for 60 minutes. Confirm all water is absorbed by tilting the pot. If any liquid remains, place back on burner and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Next start quinoa pilaf. In small pot heat olive oil. Add onion and brown until it is translucent. Mix in dried basil. Next add quinoa and mix well. Pour water and seasoned salt and mix to ensure all quinoa is wet and no clumps form. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Leave for 15 minutes. It should be done at this point, but confirm that it is firm prior to removing from heat. Fluff with a fork and it is ready to serve.
- After you have the grains cooking, rinse and roughly chop parsley and chives. Add to a food processor, along with yogurt, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grind for about 30 seconds until consistent texture. It will also turn green. Place in an airtight container and cool for 30 minutes prior to serving.
- Slice vegetables. Once the sauce is done, the onion and cucumber can be sliced. I sliced up a whole onion and cucumber and placed in separate containers in the fridge, but you can also cut fresh for each bowl.
- Assembly: Once the brown rice and quinoa pilaf are done, place 1/2 cup of each on the bottom of a bowl. Next place 1/4 of the sliced onion and cucumber on the top along with 1 cup of romaine lettuce. Following that, add the feta and olives. Lastly drop the yogurt dressing on top. I mix mine together when eating to get the full range of flavors.
The nice thing with these bowls is they’re very versatile. If you don’t like red onion, use white or even omit it completely. Don’t have kalamata olives? Use black olives instead. They really can work for you.
Looking for a delicious salad instead? Check out this Copycat Panera Modern Greek With Quinoa Salad
Mediterranean Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
Quinoa Pilaf
- 1 cup Quinoa
- 2 cup Water
- ½ Red Onion, small, diced
- 1 tsp Basil, dried
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ tsp Seasoned Salt
Brown Rice
- 1 cup Brown Rice
- 2 ½ cup Water
Herb Yogurt Dressing
- ¾ cup Plain Greek Yogurt (coconut yogurt for vegan)
- ½ cup Chives (roughly chopped)
- ½ cup Italian Parsley (roughly chopped)
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- ½ tsp Minced Garlic
- Salt and Pepper To Taste
Remaining Bowl Ingredients
- 1 Cucumber, sliced
- 1 Red Onion, sliced
- 3 oz Kalamata Olives, halves
- 4 cup Romaine Lettuce
- 4 tbsp Feta (optional – omit for vegan)
Instructions
Brown Rice
- Rinse brown rice until water runs clear.
- Mix rice and water in pot on stove. Bring water to boil. (Instant rice cooks up much faster than regular brown rice).
- Reduce heat to simmer. Cook covered for about 1 hour.
- Check for doneness – there should be no liquid remaining in the pot. If it is not done, return to burner for 5 minutes. If it is done, remove from heat.
Quinoa Pilaf
- Heat olive oil in pan
- Add onion and cook until it begins to brown and turn translucent
- Add dried basil and mix well. Remove from heat.
- In a small pot, mix together quinoa, seasoned salt, and onion mixture.
- Bring to boil with the pot covered. Then reduce heat to low and remove lid.
- Cook on low heat for 16-17 minutes. When you tilt your pot, the cooked quinoa should stay firm in place.
Herb Yogurt Sauce
- Wash herbs and chop roughly.
- Scoop yogurt into food processor.
- Add chopped chives, chopped parsley, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and vinegar to food processor.
- Process until it forms a green sauce (about 30 seconds)
- Scoop into small bowl and place in refrigerator for about 30 minutes prior to serving.
Assembling the Bowl
- Slice onion and cucumber finely.
- Place about 1/2 cup brown rice and 1/2 cup quinoa in the bottom of a bowl
- Next add 1/4 cucumber slices and onion slices.
- Add 1 1/2 tbsp kalamata olives and 1 cup of romaine lettuce to bowls.
- Add 1 tbsp feta and 2-3 tbsp yogurt sauce on top
- Mix up and enjoy!
Nutrition
If you made this dish, let me know what you thought. Modify at all – I’d love to hear your changes in the comments below!
-Cassie:)