Mediterranean Buddha Bowl Meal Prep (Print Version)

Nutrient-packed bowls with roasted vegetables, bulgur pilaf, chickpeas, kale, and tangy tahini dressing. Ideal for make-ahead lunches.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Bulgur Pilaf

01 - 1 cup bulgur wheat
02 - 2 cups vegetable broth
03 - 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Roasted Vegetables

08 - 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
09 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
10 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Kale and Chickpeas

14 - 4 cups kale, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
15 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
16 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
17 - Pinch of salt

→ Tahini Dressing

18 - 1/3 cup tahini
19 - Juice of 1 lemon
20 - 1 garlic clove, minced
21 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
22 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
23 - Salt to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F.
02 - Toss eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden and tender.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallot until translucent. Stir in bulgur and cumin; toast for 1 minute. Add vegetable broth, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 12 to 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork, stir in pistachios, and season to taste.
04 - Steam kale for 2 to 3 minutes until just wilted, or sauté with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
05 - Warm chickpeas in a small skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt for 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup or honey, and salt. Add water gradually until smooth and pourable.
07 - Divide bulgur pilaf among meal prep containers or bowls. Arrange roasted vegetables, steamed kale, and chickpeas on top. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's genuinely delicious cold from the fridge, so meal prep feels less like a chore and more like setting yourself up for success.
  • You control every element—roast the vegetables however you like them, adjust the tahini sauce to your taste, swap grains based on what you have.
  • It's naturally vegan and vegetarian without tasting like you're missing anything.
02 -
  • Don't skip toasting the bulgur in cumin-infused oil—this one minute transforms it from bland to actually flavorful and prevents mushiness when the broth hits it.
  • If your tahini dressing is too thick, add water very gradually and whisk constantly; a lumpy dressing is fixable, but an over-thinned one is harder to recover.
  • The vegetables will continue to soften slightly as they cool, so remove them from the oven when they still have a tiny bit of resistance—they'll be perfect by lunch.
03 -
  • The pistachios are your secret weapon for texture and flavor—don't skip them, and don't chop them too fine; you want little nuggets of crunch.
  • Make the tahini dressing first and let it sit while you prep everything else; it thickens slightly as it rests and the flavors marry together beautifully.
  • If your eggplant tastes bitter after roasting, it means the oven temperature was too low or you didn't get enough color on it—go hotter next time and don't skip that halfway stir.
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