This tempeh Buddha bowl is packed with plant-based protein, vitamins and fibre. It features marinated tempeh, a rainbow of veggies, edamame, and quinoa, drizzled with creamy peanut butter and miso sauce.
What Is a Buddha Bowl?
Buddha bowls first appeared in 2013 and quickly gained popularity in the vegan and vegetarian communities. The meal typically includes whole grains, such as quinoa or brown rice, plant-based protein, such as chickpeas (check out this Buddha bowl with sweet potato and chickpeas), tofu or tempeh, and plenty of vegetables.
Here’s why you’ll love this tempeh Buddha bowl:
- Vegan and gluten free
- Packed with plant-based protein, with 26g of protein per bowl
- Excellent source of fibre, with 10g of fibre per bowl
- Perfect for meal prep
- Easy to customise and use up whatever veggies you’ve got in the fridge
Is This Tempeh Buddha Bowl Healthy?
Yes, this tempeh quinoa bowl is a perfectly balanced, highly nutritious meal that will fuel your body with plant-based protein, fibre, vitamins A and C, potassium, and iron.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Tempeh Buddha Bowl
Marinated tempeh (recipe below)
Quinoa
Edamame
Green beans
Red cabbage
Carrots
Broccoli florets or broccolini
Peanut butter miso sauce (recipe below)
What Is Tempeh?
Tempeh or tempe is a traditional Indonesian soy product that is made from fermented soybeans. It’s similar to tofu in that it’s made from soybeans, but it’s a whole soybean product with a different nutritional profile, texture and flavour.
Personally, I prefer tempeh to tofu because of its firm texture and earthy flavour. Plus, because it’s made with whole soybeans, tempeh has a much higher content of protein, dietary fibre and vitamins than tofu.
You can read all about the difference between tempeh, tofu and seitan here, including their protein content, taste and use.
How to Make Tempeh Buddha Bowl
With a long list of ingredients and quite a few components, this recipe can seem a bit daunting at first sight. It’s actually very easy to put together – there are no special skills needed, no special equipment, and it actually takes no more than 30 minutes of prep time! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Prepare the Tempeh (day 1)
- Estimated time: 15 minutes of preparation + 10 minutes of cooking + up to 24 hours of marinating
- Ingredients: tempeh + marinade (sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup)
- Cook the tempeh for 10 minutes to remove the bitterness.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the marinade.
- Slice the tempeh and coat it in the marinade.
- Let it marinade in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Cook the Quinoa and Veggies (day 2)
- Estimated time: 5 minutes of preparation + 10 minutes of cooking
- Ingredients: quinoa, edamame, green beans, broccoli florets
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions, or follow this simple tutorial.
- Boil edamame (3-5 minutes until tender), green beans (2-4 minutes) and broccoli florets (6-8 minutes).
Make the Peanut Butter Sauce (day 2)
- Estimated time: 10 minutes of preparation (you can do this while the quinoa and veggies are cooking)
- Ingredients: peanut butter, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, white miso, maple syrup, plant-based milk
- Prepare the sauce by combining the peanut butter, vinegar, olive oil, miso, maple syrup and milk in a small blender or food processor. Pulse until well-combined and smooth
Assemble the Bowls (day 2)
Once you have all the components ready, assemble the bowls:
Quinoa
Broccoli
Green beans
Carrots
Edamame
Tempeh
Red cabbage
Peanut butter sauce
How Many Servings Does This Recipe Make?
This recipe makes 4 Buddha bowls that serve as a complete meal.
Can I Make It Ahead?
Yes, Buddha bowls are perfect for meal prepping. You can bake the tempeh ahead and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce, stored in an airtight container, will also keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
You can either cook the veggies and assemble the bowls right before you serve them, or assemble the bowls ahead of time, cover them with plastic wrap (or keep in an airtight container) and keep the assembled meal in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More High Protein Vegan Dinners
Tempeh Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
Marinated Tempeh
- 8 ounces (225g) tempeh
- 1 ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Peanut Butter and Miso Sauce
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon plant-based milk (I used almond milk)
To Assemble the Bowl
- 2 cups (370g) cooked quinoa (~⅔ cup dry)
- 1-2 cups (155g) cooked edamame
- 1 cup (110g) cooked green beans
- 1 cup (90g) finely shredded red cabbage
- 4 medium carrots, grated or julienned
- 1-2 cups (90g) broccoli florets
Instructions
Marinate the Tempeh
- Add the tempeh to a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Steam tempeh for a total of 10-12 minutes, flipping once at the halfway point. This will remove the bitterness. Then rinse, pat dry, and slice into bite-size pieces. The smaller the pieces, the better they can soak up the marinade. Set aside.
- Mix the marinade by whisking together sesame oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice and maple syrup.
- Add the tempeh pieces to the marinade and toss to coat. Then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 24 hours. I strongly recommend leaving it in the fridge for about 24 hours – you can prep it the night before if you plan to make this for dinner the next day.
- Once marinated, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the tempeh pieces and reserve any leftover marinade to brush/coat the tempeh once baked.
- Bake for 22-30 minutes or until caramelised and deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush/coat with any remaining marinade.
Prepare the Peanut Butter and Miso Sauce
- Prepare the sauce by combining the peanut butter, vinegar, olive oil, miso, maple syrup and milk in a small blender or food processor. Pulse until well-combined and smooth. Add enough plant-based milk (I used almond milk) to thin to a pourable consistency. Set aside.
Assemble the Bowls
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions.
- Cook or steam the edamame, green brands and broccoli.
- Assemble the bowls. Start with quinoa, then layer on the vegetables and tempeh, and finally drizzle with peanut butter sauce, or serve with the sauce on the side.
- You can store any leftovers in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Storing Instructions: Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, the bowls will keep for up to 3 days.
- The tempeh recipe is adopted from this Marinated Peanut Tempeh
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