During the fall season the Internet explodes with fun desserts, and my practical, health conscious self thinks “What about dinner? We still have to eat dinner!” While I’m not opposed to said desserts, the majority of the time I’m craving hearty, healthy things to keep me going during these busy months. Things like this buddha bowl recipe!
The ingredients list may seem a bit long, but the prep time on this recipe is only a few minutes and while your farro grains are getting nice and plump and your squash and chickpeas are getting toasty you can have the rest of the ingredients gathered and ready to assemble these bowls.
BONUS: This makes an excellent meal prep choice! It’s delicious warm or cold and packages up nicely for meals during the week.
This Buddha Bowl Recipe is perfect for Fall!
I took this buddha bowl for a harvesty (made-up words are my fave) spin with roasted butternut squash, candied pecans, and pomegranate arils. The chewy farro grains and toasted chickpeas give it a bit of a protein boost.
What is a Buddha Bowl?
A buddha bowl is a vegetarian bowl with a configuration of vegetables, grains, protein, and sometimes variations on this delicious meal! If you’re looking for some variation on this recipe I included some ideas below.
Buddha Bowl Ingredients
- Uncooked farro grains: This is an Italian strain of wheat. You can find it in most grocery stores near the packaged grains (oats, barley, etc.). Some bulk departments have it, too. You could also use pearled barley, quinoa, or brown/wild rice in place of the farro if you can’t find it or would rather use something else.
- Butternut squash: Pre-cut squash is a REALLY great shortcut. You can even use frozen cubed butternut squash here.
- Garbanzo beans: Also called chickpeas sometimes.
- Avocado oil or coconut oil
- Dried rosemary
- Granulated garlic
- Sea salt
- Ground black pepper
- Spring greens or other tender lettuce
- Chopped pecans: Candied pecans are delicious here, if you can find them. I included some notes on quickly making candied pecans with some maple syrup in a skillet. See recipe notes below.
- Feta crumbles: Leave this out if you’d prefer this to be gluten free. You could also use goat cheese, Parmesan shavings or your favorite sharp flavored cheese.
- Pomegranate arils
- Balsamic vinaigrette: If you’d prefer to make your own, I included a simple recipe in the card below!
How to make a Grain Bowl
- Cook the farro.
- Toss the squash and garbanzo beans in the seasonings and oil. Roast until nice and toasty.
- To assemble, add some spring greens and farro to each bowl. Top with some of the roasted butternut squash and garbanzo beans, pecans, feta, and pomegranate arils.
- Drizzle with balsamic dressing.
How to make Harvest Grain Bowl Dressing
- Put all of the dressing ingredients into a lidded jar and shake well. You can also whisk it together well in a bowl.
- Store chilled for up to 3 days for best flavor. If the oil clumps up from being chilled, just leave it on the counter for a while until it loosens up or put it in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Harvest Grain Bowl Variations
There are lots of swaps you can make in this recipe! Here are a few suggestions:
- Grains: Brown/wild rice (plan for 45 min of cooking time), quinoa, or barley.
- Vegetables: Sweet potatoes, spaghetti squash, or mushrooms would be delicious roasted.
- Toppings: Dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, pepitas, other types of nuts, goat cheese, Parmesan shavings, diced apples, diced pears.
- Dressings: Red wine vinaigrette or just a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt would keep things simple.
How to serve a Butternut Squash Grain Bowl
Each person can assemble their grain bowl how they like! Add some greens and grains to a bowl with some of the roasted squash and chickpeas, top with cheese, pomegranate arils, nuts, and a drizzle of the dressing.
No need to make any side dishes for this. It’s an entire meal in a single bowl, which is my favorite.
How to store a Harvest Vegetables and Grain Bowl
Store components of this grain bowl separately in lidded containers for up to 5 days.
Alternately, you could assemble single-serving bowls for a great meal prep option! Just keep the dressing separate until right before serving so the greens don’t get soggy.
More Easy Vegetarian Recipes on Perry’s Plate
If you like this recipe, try my other buddha bowl recipe and other vegetarian recipes here:
Vegan Quinoa Bowl: Also features roasted chickpeas and a creamy vegan sauce that you’ll want to put on ALLLL the things.
Lentil Curry: Warm and cozy and fills you up without weighing you down.
Butternut Squash Kale Salad: Roasted squash and apples on a hearty kale salad.
Roasted Chickpea Salad: Yay! More roasted chickpeas with some roasted carrots in a great make-ahead salad.
Egg Curry: A place for extra hard-cooked eggs!
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Harvest Grain Bowl Recipe
While I'm not opposed to fun fall desserts, the majority of the time I'm craving hearty, healthy things to keep me going during these busy months. Things like this buddha bowl recipe!
Ingredients
For the bowls:
- 2 cups uncooked farro grains
- 1 pound butternut squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4-5 ounces spring greens
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup feta crumbles
- 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or another light tasting oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Put the farro in a large saucepan with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-18 minutes until farro is tender. (The water won't cook off like it does with rice.) Drain the water and set farro aside.
- Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 425F. Put the butternut squash and drained garbanzo beans on a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil. Crush the dried rosemary in your fingers as you sprinkle it on the squash and beans. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, then toss everything around with your hands to coat with oil and seasonings. Spread out evenly on the sheet pan.
- Roast on a low oven rack for 25-30 minutes until the squash is cooked through and golden brown in spots and the garbanzo beans start to crisp up. Flip things around halfway through roasting.
- Make the balsamic dressing by combining all the ingredients into a lidded jar and shake well to combine.
- To assemble, add some spring greens and farro to each bowl. Top with some of the roasted butternut squash and garbanzo beans, pecans, feta, and pomegranate arils. Drizzle with balsamic dressing.
Notes
- Farro is an Italian form of wheat. It's incredibly nutritious! You can find it in most grocery stores in the baking aisle or in bulk departments, or online. (Psst... Trader Joe's has it, too.)
- Garbanzo beans = chickpeas.
- If you don't want to make your own balsamic dressing, feel free to use your favorite store bought brand.
- If you're feeling a little extra, use candied pecans or another type of nut. You can easily make them from scratch by putting the nuts in a small skillet with 2 Tablespoons of pure maple syrup and cooking them on medium for a few minutes, stirring often, until no more liquid is in the pan and the nuts are sticky. Remove from the pan immediately and put them in a bowl.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1/4 of the recipeAmount Per Serving Calories 1091Total Fat 48gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 36gCholesterol 17mgSodium 928mgCarbohydrates 147gFiber 30gSugar 31gProtein 34g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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