Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower Buddha Bowls make such a colourful healthy meal! This vegan and gluten free recipe is really easy to make and is very flexible, it can accommodate whatever veggies you have around.
I love throwing together a bright buddha bowl for lunch or dinner, and often have a few bits and pieces pre-prepped in my fridge ready for a speedy assembly. You can pile just about any veg in, though some combinations are just especially good. Like this turmeric cauliflower buddha bowl. It’s the perfect balance of veggies, grains and healthy fats.
Roasted turmeric cauliflower is just so delicious, guys. Brassica veggies (cauliflower, broccoli, kale, etc.) are some of my favourites, and I’m keen on them in many shapes and forms. But for cauliflower and broccoli, roasting is possibly my most adored cooking method. Roasting cauliflower, especially with a good coating of spices, gives it the most wonderful flavour and texture, with just the nicest crispy edges. It works for broccoli too – check it out in my Roasted Broccoli and Guacamole Salad!
Right, back to these turmeric cauliflower buddha bowls. Roasted veggies, warming nourishing spices, brown rice, and all topped off with a sesame oil-tahini drizzle. Seriously divine! I’ve suggested a set of vegetables to use in the recipe below, but please know you can definitely mix this up to use whatever you’ve got in the kitchen. That’s the great thing about a buddha bowl; load it up and make the most of what you’ve got, it’s not a strict recipe. Just aim for a rainbow of colour, I say!
And, if you’re not sharing this turmeric cauliflower buddha bowls recipe with anyone, lucky you – it makes two so you’ve got one for lunch or dinner the next day.
ps. RECIPE UPDATE June 2017: I’ve updated the ingredients for the dressing for the buddha bowls. (1) I realised I left off an ingredient for the dressing – maple syrup! A few people have given me feedback they didn’t like the dressing – it is quite tangy! Using the maple syrup will give you a milder, sweeter dressing. You can also use honey. (2) I’ve cut the sesame oil down to just one tablespoon instead of two – sesame oil is quite powerful and aromatic, and I’ve made this a few more times and think it works better with just one spoonful!
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower Buddha Bowls
Ingredients
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
- 300-350 grams cauliflower
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- coconut oil for roasting
- salt and pepper to season
Rest of the Buddha Bowls
- 1/2 cup brown rice measured uncooked
- 1 cup edamame beans
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1-2 carrots
- 1 zucchini
- 2 handfuls kale or other leafy greens
- coconut oil for roasting
- salt and pepper to season
- fresh coriander, sunflower seeds and chilli flakes - OPTIONAL, to garnish
Buddha Bowls Dressing
- 3 tbsp tahini (hulled or unhulled will work)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Instructions
- Put the brown rice on to cook according to packet instructions. I usually do this on the stove by the absorption method (1 part rice to 2 parts water, simmered covered for 35-40 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 180 C and line two trays (or one large tray) with parchment paper.
- Chop the cauliflower into small florets. Place in a bowl. Pour over 1 tbsp melted coconut oil plus the sesame seeds, turmeric, cumin and about 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated, then spread out on an oven tray.
- Dice the zucchini and the carrot, and halve the cherry tomatoes. Spread out on an oven tray, drizzle with a tiny bit of melted coconut oil, and toss around so the vegetables are coated.
- Pop all of the vegetables into the oven to roast. This should take about 20 minutes, depending on how small you chopped everything.
- While the rice and roasted vegetables are cooking, prepare the remainder of the buddha bowls. Defrost the edamame beans (I usually do this by soaking in boiling water for a few minutes). Blanch the kale so it's a bit softer and easier to eat (if you're using salad greens like baby spinach, no need).
- Make the dressing by whisking together all of the dressing ingredients listed above. You can add some water to thin out the dressing as needed.
- Once the rice and vegetables are cooked, assemble the buddha bowls. Divide the rice and all of the vegetables evenly between two bowls. Drizzle over the dressing, and then garnish with coriander, chilli flakes and seeds as desired.
Notes
Great recipe! We doubled the dressing as suggested and I would recommend a little less honey as it was sweet for us. However, the measurements and instructions were spot on!
Thank you!
Thank you so much for this positive feedback Taryn! Haha, I feel like I should just tell people they must make double the dressing, it’s mandatory. It’s so much better with extra sauce!
Loved this, made a really fresh and quick weeknight supper! My partner was a bit sceptical that it would be a bit thrown together and mismatched but it worked so well as an Asian infusion style dish with a delicious mix of textures. Will definitely make again, thank you for this recipe!
Thank you so much for this positive and thoughtful comment Maddie 🙂 I love making buddha bowls and this one really is a favourite of mine, haha not all of them always come together so well!
Delish….I didn’t have any tahini so I added rosemary onto the courgettes and tomatoes, and a drizzle of sesame oil + garlic onto the rice, spinach (instead of kale) and edamame. I didn’t cook the carrots either. Amazing combo, and the colours were beautiful! Thanks
Thank you for this lovely feedback Fran! I love that you utilised everything that you had at home and substituted different herbs and vegetables. That’s my favourite way to cook! 🙂
We found this a bit bland. I’m going to add some currants to the leftovers and maybe some roasted nuts. We barely noticed the dressing, so maybe more was needed?
Hi Kelly, thank you for taking time to leave feedback. I usually add the garnishes of chilli, seeds and coriander, so personally I find the dish has enough flavour for me but I’m not sure what you added. (I think currants would be really yum though! I love currants and cauliflower together). I think you have a valid point on the dressing though, it is more of a dipping sauce so I might make a note on the recipe that it can be doubled for a bit more of a “saucy” bowl. Thanks! 🙂
Yum! This was delicious. Everything worked really well together. SO glad I found your blog!
Thank you so much Jean! I’m so pleased to hear these worked out for you 🙂
After reading these salad recipes I want to try the benr …