This vegan sweet potato buddha bowl recipe features roasted sweet potatoes, red peppers and chickpeas. It’s drizzled with a tangy green mojo sauce. Makes a healthy (vegetarian) dinner or lunch.

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First thing’s first:
What is a buddha bowl?
- A Buddha bowl is a vegetarian, one dish meal served from a large bowl or plate that consists of small portions of several foods – usually a grain, vegetable, protein and dressing.
Here’s what I’ve got going on in these bowls:
- Grain – Quinoa. I make my quinoa in the Instant Pot or in my rice cooker.
- Vegetable – Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Red Peppers
- Protein – Chickpeas (I love making chickpeas in the Instant Pot too!)
- Buddha Bowl Sauce – Mojo Sauce (this Garlic & Basil Tahini sauce would be amazing too!). Or, try one of these 15+ Buddha Bowl Sauces.
Why is it called a buddha bowl?
- There are a couple theories on why the name buddha bowl is used. One is that it’s named after the bowl’s round, big shape – like a Buddha belly. The other, which I tend to lean towards as the true basis is that Buddha woke up every morning and carried his bowl through town, picking up little bits of donated food from locals. At the end of the day, he’d eat whatever was in his bowl.
You’ll also see buddha bowls called grain bowls, hippie bowls, power bowls and macro bowls.
Regardless of what you call this roasted sweet potato & chickpea bowl, you are going to love it.
Rick said this was one of his favorite meals that I’ve made… That actually shocked me because he’s definitely a meat eater. I think that because the sweet potatoes, roasted peppers and chickpeas are so hearty, he didn’t miss the meat at all.
Plus, can I just say that the seasoning on the roasted sweet potatoes is amazing…
I tossed them with cumin, chipotle pepper powder and some nutritional yeast. The result was crispy, well seasoned sweet potatoes with a flavor almost reminiscent of a nacho cheese sauce. Yum!
They definitely set the scene for a Buddha bowl that had a bit of spicy, tangy flair. Which is when I decided that my favorite Mojo sauce also needed to make an appearance.
Given the choice, I would have some of this Mojo sauce on hand at all times. It’s a bright green, tangy, spicy sauce that’s flecked with cilantro, garlic and parsley. I love it as a topping for roasted chicken, crispy smashed potatoes, grilled pork, even scrambled eggs.
How to build a sweet potato buddha bowl
Start with a grain base
- Start with a base of quinoa, brown rice, farro, couscous, white rice or barley. I love making my grains in the Instant Pot. Here’s my recipe for Instant Pot Quinoa and Instant Pot Rice.
Pile on the veggies
- I added some roasted sweet potatoes and red peppers to my vegan Buddha bowl. Really, you can pile on whatever you love best. This is also a great opportunity to use up any veggies that have been lingering in your veggie drawer. Or, try adding on these quick pickled onions!
- This Roasted Broccoli with Basil & Garlic Tahini Sauce would also make an amazing topping. Or try this Miso Cauliflower, roasted butternut squash, or Kung Pao Brussel Sprouts.
Add some protein
- To boost the protein, I added in some garbanzo beans. Here’s my recipe for Instant Pot (no soak) Chickpeas. You could also add in some black beans, tofu, or grilled chicken.
Dress it up
- I topped my bowl with a zesty, tangy green mojo sauce. You could also drizzle your bowl with this yumm sauce, jalapeno sesame salsa, tahini sauce, chipotle crema, cilantro lime crema or any creamy dressing that you love. Here’s 15+ Buddha Bowl Sauces!
Pile on the toppings
- Avocado
- Greens – Kale, arugula, spinach
- Seeds – Sesame seeds, pepitas, chia seeds
- Cilantro
- Jalapenos or Serrano Peppers
- Tomatoes
- Radishes
- Lime Wedges
- Sour Cream
- Quick Pickled Onions
Do you eat buddha bowls hot or cold?
- I prefer to eat my Buddha bowls at room temperature, after the quinoa and roasted veggies have cooled just a bit. However, these bowls are also amazing served cold or warm, making them super versatile. They’re perfect for meal prep!
Wine pairings
- Look for lighter-bodied, fruit-focused reds like Beaujolais or Grenache.
- Alternatively, a Malbec or Tempranillo will be a bit heavier, but compliment the smoky-spicy flavors in this dish.
More bowl recipes
- Yumm Sauce Bowls
- Harissa Chicken Bowl
- Poke Bowls
- Lemon Orzo Bowls with Lamb & Tzatziki
- Quinoa Taco Bowls
- Chicken Gyro Bowls with Quinoa
- Shrimp Sushi Bowls
- Shrimp Spring Roll Noodle Bowls
More easy vegetarian recipes
- Vegetarian Sushi
- Indian Butter Chickpeas
- Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan
- Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
- Kung Pao Brussels Sprouts
- Mushroom Parmesan
Did you make this sweet potato chickpea buddha bowl?
Please leave a comment and rating below, if you loved this buddha bowl with sweet potatoes. Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
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MORE → 100+ Vegan Dinner Ideas
Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 pound sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 4 cups))
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 red bell peppers (sliced)
- 1 15 oz. can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- Zest of 1 lime
- Mojo Sauce (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Rinse quinoa and add to pot with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand 5-10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, toss potatoes with 3 Tablespoons olive oil, nutritional yeast, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Arrange in single layer on baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.
- Add peppers to baking sheet and toss with remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until potatoes are tender and peppers are slightly charred.
- Remove from oven and toss with chickpeas and lime zest. Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.
- While vegetables are roasting, prepare the Mojo Sauce.
- To serve, top cooked quinoa with sweet potato-chickpea mixture, mojo sauce and additional toppings, as desired. Enjoy.
Notes
- I prefer to eat my Buddha bowls at room temperature, after the quinoa and roasted veggies have cooled just a bit. However, these bowls are also amazing served cold or warm, making them super versatile and perfect for a grab and go lunch.
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2019. It was updated in 2025 to add new information. The sweet potato power bowl recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
Buddha bowls are my go-to meals! I love that they’re healthy, easy, and are great for leftovers. That’s so crucial for me so I can eat well even when I’m super busy.
I love that they can be eaten warm or cold too!
I love Buddha bowls and this one looks AMAZING! So filling and full of flavor – and pretty, too! I love this recipe.
Thanks Marlynn!
Grain bowls like this are my absolute favorite!! I can’t wait to make this yummy cilantro mojo sauce.
That sauce is the best!!!
This looks crazy tasty! I’ve been having mad food aversions to most meat sources lately (yay pregnancy) so I’m trying to figure out how to get more protein without relying on meat. I really want to try this out.
I hope you enjoy this one Cindy!
Yum! I always love a good bowl, and this one looks especially full of flavor! Looks gorgeous in all the photos too.
Thanks Waz!
Such a great combo! We are all about Buddha bowls, especially as the weather starts to warm up. They’re such an easy go-to on weeknights, and a great way to use up leftovers, too.
I totally agree Renee!
I made this but subbed the sweet potatoes for marinated, pan-fried tofu and added sauteed collard greens. It was a huge hit! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe.
That sounds delicious Jen – Thanks for sharing your variations!
This looks amazing, I can’t wait to try this out for the fall! I was wondering if your calorie approximations are per serving or for the entire meal/recipe? Thanks!
The calorie approximation should be per serving – Hope that helps Christine!
Does the calories include the sauce ?
Hi Veronica – It does!
I made this as is the first time and it turned out great. For each additional time I added more jalapenos to the mojo sauce because I found it to bland. I didn’t add nutritional yeast and it turned out exactly the same. I actually been using this as a meal prep for lunches which makes 4 servings. Therefore I started adding 1.5 cups quinoa to make it more filling for me. Overall, great receipt!
I’m so happy to hear that you liked it!
5 stars!!!! This was delicious! My 3 year old ate his whole bowl… even my carnivore husband said “oh man, this has great flavors.” I was unsure of the sauce at first because I’m not the biggest fan of cilantro, but wow! It was so bright and tangy and full of flavor! This will definitely be added to the dinner rotation. Only element I was missing was a little bit of crunch, so maybe I’ll add some fried tempeh next time. Thank you.. time to check out your other recipes 🙂
I’m so happy to hear this Chevas – Thanks so much for the review!
Love this recipe, I could eat this every day!
Thanks Natasha!
Delicious and easy peasy. The aroma of the roasted sweet potato with all its seasonings was *chef’s kiss.
Thank you Khava!
Made this once and even my picky husband said we should have more meals like this. So I’m making it again. I want some crunch and I have some corn on the cob to use up so I’m going to barbeque it and add it as another element.
Thank you Aileen! I’m so glad you liked it!
SUCH a yummy meal!! I whipped this up, pretty much as written, and enjoyed it THOROUGHLY. I used my finger to gather up every last drop of the mojo sauce!! My only mods- I used ancho chili powder because I didn’t have chipotle. And I upped the garlic because I always do. 😉
I topped with diced avocado and chopped kale (massaged with olive oil). Dear me, this was delicious.
OH~ and I am NOT a fan of cilantro…I was bold, however, and decided to use it (albeit, about 1/3 of what was called for) and I didn’t even taste a hint of soap!!! It must have blended perfectly with the other flavors; glad I stuck with it. 🙂
Thanks Natalie! I love the idea to add kale in there!