Vegan Mediterranean Buddha Bowl (Print Version)

Vibrant bowl with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, fresh greens, and creamy tahini dressing for a satisfying plant-based meal.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Roasted Vegetables

01 - 1 medium zucchini, diced
02 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
03 - 1 small red onion, sliced
04 - 1 small eggplant, diced
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Base and Proteins

09 - 4 cups mixed salad greens such as arugula, spinach, or romaine
10 - 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

→ Toppings

11 - 1 ripe avocado, sliced
12 - 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
13 - 1 cup hummus

→ Tahini Dressing

14 - 1/4 cup tahini
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
16 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
17 - 1 clove garlic, minced
18 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
19 - Salt to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
02 - In a large bowl, toss diced zucchini, chopped bell pepper, sliced red onion, and diced eggplant with olive oil, dried oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
03 - Spread seasoned vegetables in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized at the edges.
04 - While vegetables roast, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, ground cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Adjust water gradually to achieve a pourable consistency.
05 - Divide mixed greens evenly among four serving bowls. Distribute chickpeas, roasted vegetables, avocado slices, and Kalamata olives over the greens. Add a generous portion of hummus to each bowl.
06 - Drizzle tahini dressing over each bowl just before serving to maintain freshness and prevent sogginess.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour once you understand that roasting happens while you prep everything else, so you're never standing around waiting.
  • Every bite tastes different because you're combining so many textures and flavors—creamy, crunchy, tangy, warm—that it never gets boring.
  • You can make it entirely with pantry staples, which means no stressful last-minute shopping trips or wondering if you have the right ingredients.
02 -
  • Toss the vegetables halfway through roasting, which I learned the hard way when my first batch had one side perfectly caramelized and the other side still pale and firm.
  • Don't assemble the bowl until you're ready to eat because the warm vegetables will wilt the greens if they sit together, turning everything into a sad, warm salad instead of a textured experience.
  • The tahini dressing thickens as it sits, so make it closer to serving time and add extra water if needed to get it back to a pourable consistency.
03 -
  • Buy your tahini from a store where it actually sells regularly so you know it hasn't been sitting on the shelf oxidizing—fresh tahini makes the dressing taste lighter and less bitter.
  • Prep all your vegetables the night before and store them in separate containers so assembly takes literally five minutes and you can have this on the table faster than delivery would arrive.
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