Packed full of flavour, healthy fats and tasty vegetables, this spiced cauliflower buddha bowl is a delicious mid-week meal that is great when you need to use up ingredients lurking in the back of the fridge. This dish is just as great fresh as it is packed up for lunch, and the versatility of the dish means that you can easily swap ingredients out to suit your taste. A general rule we like to go by when building our buddha bowl is that the more colour we can get in there, the better!
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Whether you’re trying out a few plant-based dishes a week or just fancy skipping the meat today, this tasty recipe is easy to whip up at short notice and is a real crowd pleaser. We think that cauliflower is a completely underrated ingredient, but when roasted with spices and coated with a delicious tahini-based dressing you’ll see this simple vegetable in a whole new light.
One of our favourite things about buddha bowls is that they are a great dish to customise to your taste, and you really can chuck anything in. Don’t have any cauliflower? Swap it for broccoli. No tomatoes? In goes some spinach! You can fill your buddha bowl with all your favourite flavours, but we truly love the combination of the spiced roasted cauliflower, healthy fats and tasty grains that go into this dish. This recipe makes enough for two, so whether you choose to share this with someone or keep it for tomorrow’s lunch – there’s plenty to go around.
This recipe makes lots of sauce, but if you’d prefer a drier dish that resembles more of a salad with dressing then all you need to do is half the dressing ingredients. It’ll still have all the great taste but reduces the amount of fat in the dish and is a great option for those who find tahini overpowering.
You will need
Spiced Cauliflower Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
For the roasted spiced cauliflower
- 1 cauliflower
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 pinch black pepper
For the tahini dressing
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp water
For the rest of the buddha bowl
- 1 handful cherry tomatoes
- 1 carrot
- ½ courgette
- 1 handful leafy greens
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 500 g brown or wild rice
For the garnish
- 1 handful fresh coriander
- 1 handful sunflower seeds
- ½ tbsp smoked paprika
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C and cook the rice as per packet instructions
- Chop the cauliflower into small florets and place in a mixing bowl. Melt 1½ tbsp of coconut oil and pour 1 tbsp over the cauliflower before adding the sesame seeds, turmeric, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated and spread evenly on a non-stick baking tray
- Chop the carrots and courgettes into thin sticks and halve the cherry tomatoes. Spread out onto a non-stick baking tray ensuring the cut side of your tomatoes are facing up, and drizzle ½ tbsp of melted coconut oil. Toss the vegetables so that they're evenly coated
- Place both trays into the oven and roast for approximately 25 minutes. Time will vary depending on how small you chop your vegetables so keep an eye on them and take them out once they're beginning to brown and wrinkle
- Whilst the rice and vegetables are cooking add all the dressing ingredients to a bowl and mix together. Add more water if you prefer a thinner sauce
- Once everything is cooked, divide the rice between two bowls and top with the roasted vegetables and leafy greens. Drizzle with tahini dressing and top with a handful of fresh coriander, a handful of sunflower seeds and ½ tsp of smoked paprika
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