Plant-based Veggie Bowls with Fresh Farmer’s Market Findings & Braised Red Cabbage, on a bed of Curried Green Lentils, 7 Grain Salad & Raw Greens, topped with a Lemony Hemp Tahini Dressing, Super Seeds & Fresh Herbs
DAIRY-FREE/OVO-PESCATARIAN/PLANT-BASED/VEGAN
Total: 50 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 40 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
Allergens: gluten (from barley), sesame seeds, tree nuts
Vegan Hemp Heart Buddha Bowl
Buddha bowls are essentially grain bowls topped with different vegetables, various proteins, and a dressing to finish. These bowls feature a contrast of temperatures, a spectrum of colors, and tons of balanced flavors that make it a truly unique concept of a dish. This recipe is fully vegan and features a plethora of different homemade sides and veggies to make this non-carnivorous fiber rich meal an absolute delight!
Curried green lentils with caramelized onions, sweet and tangy braised red cabbage, a seven grain and chickpea salad with herbs, and a lemon tahini hemp dressing are four individual recipes featured in this post. Put them together with your favorite vegetables and seeds and you have yourself an easy, delicious and highly nutritious vegan meal. This customizable recipe can adapt to anything your fridge and pantry has to offer!
Ingredients
BRAISED CABBAGE
- ½ a head of red cabbage, thinly sliced as possible
- 1 small white onion, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup of agave nectar
- 2 teaspoons of salt
- 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup of water
7 GRAIN SALAD
- 1 package of seeds of change 7 whole grain mix
- 1 cup of canned garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
- ¼ cup of parsley and/or mint
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ¼ teaspoon of ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon of ground cumin
CURRIED LENTILS
- 1 teaspoon of hemp oil
- ½ cup of white or yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup of cooked green or red lentils
- 1 tablespoon of curry powder
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup of vegetable stock
- ½ teaspoon of salt
HEMP TAHINI DRESSING
- 1 teaspoon of hemp oil
- 1 tablespoon of hemp hearts
- ⅓ cup of tahini
- ½ teaspoon each of smoked paprika, garlic powder and cumin
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 teaspoon of agave nectar
- 2-4 tablespoons of water
TOPPINGS
- 1 avocado, quartered and sliced
- ¼ cup of snap or snow peas, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
- 2 radishes, thinly sliced
- ½ a bell pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced
- 1-2 handfuls of baby spinach or greens mix
- 2 teaspoons of hemp hearts
- 2 teaspoons of black sesame seeds
- Optional: herbs
Steps
1.) First, start the braised cabbage by slicing your cabbage and onions as thinly as possible (i used a mandolin), add them in a pot with the vinegar, agave, salt, hemp hearts, minced garlic and water. Bring this to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium low and cook the cabbage covered with a lid for 10 minutes. Turn the heat up to medium high, take off the pot lid, and then cook for another 10 minutes or until all the liquid is gone. Set aside to cool.
2.) Next, microwave the seeds of change packaged grains as per instructions, and then drain and rinse your canned garbanzo beans. Chop your mint and/or parsley (I used both), and add them into a mixing bowl with the hot grains, garbanzo beans, lemon juice, salt, pepper, hemp hearts, olive oil, cumin and white wine vinegar. Toss to combine, cover the bowl with plastic film and store them in the refrigerator to let all the flavors marinate.
3.) Cook about ¾ of a cup of dry green lentils as per instructions on a package; they usually take about 30 minutes.
4.) While you wait for the lentils and cabbage to cook, process all your vegetables and set them aside, covered, in the fridge to keep them cool and crisp. Keep your hemp hearts and sesame seeds at bay so your all set for the assembly step!
5.) Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a blender. Blend away until the texture is smooth. Adjust the viscosity to your liking with less or more water.
6.) For the curried lentils, add the hemp oil and diced white onions into a small pot. Caramelize the onions on medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Add one cup of the cooked lentils, curry powder, vegetable stock, minced garlic and salt to the pan and cook on medium high for about 5 more minutes or until most of the liquid is gone. Turn off the heat.
7.) Now it is time for the assembly of your very own homemade buddha bowls! You divide everything into 4 bowls for 4 portions, except for the cabbage and the dressing which in each bowl, place ¼ cup of the red cabbage and a tablespoon of the hemp tahini dressing. Enjoy!
Bottom layer: curried lentils (hot), raw greens and 7 grain salad (cold)
Second layer: braised cabbage (warm), avocado, snap peas, carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers and radishes (all veggies cold)
Top garnishes: a drizzle of hemp tahini dressing (room temperature), hemp hearts, black sesame seeds and soft herbs
Tips
- Using a mandolin for slicing your vegetables is a fast and easy way to get identical thin cuts instead of using your knife. Careful though because you can injure your fingers accidentally by cutting them with the sharp blades if you’re not using the tool properly. You can find mandolins at your local chef store or you can buy one online.
- Combining the hot grains straight into its salad dressing is a good way of speeding up the flavor infusing process for the 7 grain salad.
- There are cooked lentils available to minute rice. Buy this if you want to skip the lentil cooking process.
- This salad can be eaten all cold as well as a leftover meal prep dish. Assemble your leftover buddha bowls in airtight containers as shown above and enjoy the next day.
Q&A
- Can I use white cabbage instead of red cabbage? You can but having the dynamic of a bright purple colored braised cabbage looks so much better, tastes much sweeter and has anthocyanins which are phytonutrients deriving from the purple color of the vegetable itself!
- Can I use a different grain mix, specifically a gluten-free one? This highly customizable recipe can be fully up to you and your dietary restrictions. Use a brown rice and quinoa for a nice healthy substitute.
- I don’t have a blender, how do I make the dressing? Microwave your tahini for 10-15 seconds or until melted. Mix everything except the hemp in a bowl and whisk together to combine (a little elbow grease can be applied). Fold in the hemp hearts for a slightly chunky dressing.
