Chickpea Buddha Bowl with Spinach and Easy Guacamole

Name: Chickpea Veggie Bowl with Spinach and Easy Guacamole
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 tsp olive oil; 12 oz cauliflower rice; ½ tsp salt; 1 cup chickpeas, (drained & washed); 2 cups spinach; 2 cloves garlic, (minced); ½ cup microgreens; 1½ avocados, (peeled & pitted); 1 tsp salt, (or more to taste); 1 pinch black pepper; 1 jalapeno, (seeds & ribs removed, chopped); 1 Tbsp water; 2 Tbsp lime juice, (lemon works too); ½ cup cilantro, (without stems, leaves only)

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Lately, my new favorite meals have been the healthy, refreshing, and satisfying Buddha bowls. This quick and easy Chickpea Buddha bowl is loaded with nutrition and bursts of flavor. This vegetarian meal is so versatile that you can have it any time of the day.

chickpeas with cooked spinach and cauliflower rice in a white bowl topped with guacamole on a wooden board.

Table of Contents

What is a Buddha Bowl?

A Buddha bowl is a one-bowl meal also known as a veggie bowl, nourish bowl, rainbow bowl, grain bowl, hippie bowl, macro bowl, power bowl, and yoga bowl. So where does the name Buddha come from? According to the Urban Dictionary, a Buddha bowl is packed so full that it has a rounded belly appearance on the top much like the belly of a Buddha.

Others say it’s a way Buddhist monks emulated the way Buddha used to eat. He would wake up before dawn and walk among the local people with his big bowl and they would put what they could spare on his plate. The result was a mix from his one-bowl meal-a small quantity of curry perhaps, a few different vegetables, grains, and so on.

At the end of the day, despite where the name originally came from, these healthy meals are simple to make, colorful, nourishing, and kid-friendly too! You can have the delicious vegan bowl for breakfast, lunch, or dinner making them quite versatile. Because very minimal cooking is involved, the nourishing bowl conserves the loss of nutrients in the food.

Why you need to try the Chickpea Veggie Bowl

There is no wrong way to make this veggie bowl. You can customize a vegan bowl and add your favorite combination of favorite vegetables and other nutritious ingredients. If it’s your first time making a veggie bowl this is an easy recipe to try out. This light meal is a great way to load up on healthy veggies and plant-based protein and the best part is it’s filling too.

In this particular recipe, I use chickpeas. l use them quite often, whether in soups or even salads. I have been trying to incorporate less meat into my diet, so I have also been looking into other options to replace that protein source and chickpeas have been a good alternative.

I’ve also included cauliflower rice, a superfood that has also been in my meals quite recently. It’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant-rich and could boost your brain and heart health.

Next, I added spinach to this vegan Buddha bowl recipe. Like various leafy green vegetables, spinach is a superfood loaded with potent antioxidants, which are important for normal skin cell development and encourage a healthy skin tone. The vitamin A in spinach could also help your skin lose dryness and acne.

And of course for the guacamole in this particular buddha bowl, I’ve added avocados. There are not enough words to write out all the benefits of avocados. So I will tell you one-way these healthy fats have personally benefitted me: I have struggled with digestion ever since I can remember, but I have noticed that eating one avocado a day, has helped my digestive system. Go Avocado!

Key ingredients for the Chickpea Buddha Bowl

buddha bowl ingredients in separate bowls cauliflower rice chickpeas spinach garlic lime avocado salt and pepper olive oil microgreen jalapeno water cilantro.

Cauliflower rice: Or regular white rice or brown rice.

Chickpeas, drained & washed: Precooked.

Spinach: Regular or baby spinach.

Garlic cloves: Fresh, don’t use the pre-minced one.

Microgreens: This is optional, but adds great nutritional benefits.

You will also need salt to taste and olive oil.

Easy Guacamole Ingredients

Avocados: Make sure it’s ripped.

Jalapeno: Jalapeńo gives a kick to the guacamole so use less of it, or not at all.

Lime juice: Helps prevent the avocados from turning brown.

Cilantro leaves: Use fresh cilantro.

You will also need salt, to taste, a pinch of black pepper, and water.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.

How to make the Chickpea Veggie Bowl with Spinach and Easy Guacamole

Step 1: Sauté ingredients

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, cauliflower rice, and salt. Sauté and stir occasionally until soft (about 5 minutes.)

Step 2: Set aside

Remove from the skillet onto a large bowl.

Step 3: Prepare the chickpeas

In the same skillet, add chickpeas and sauté until they begin to turn golden (about 3-5 minutes). Take out the crispy chickpeas and add to the cauliflower.

Step 4: Sauté spinach and garlic

Using the same skillet, sauté spinach, and garlic until the spinach wilts, then add to the serving bowl with cauliflower.

How to make the Guacamole:

Step 1: Place ingredients in a food processor

Scoop the flesh of the avocado into a food processor (or blender). Add lime juice, jalapeńo, water, salt, pepper, and cilantro.

Step 2: Add the guacamole and micro-greens to the plate

Combine guacamole and the micro-greens on the serving plate containing the combined cauliflower and chickpeas.

Serve and Enjoy!

Expert Tips

If you don’t have lime juice, lemon juice works too.
Use fresh vegetables and not frozen ones for this recipe.

How to store the Chickpea veggie bowl?

You can store this delicious recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Store the guacamole separately as it can brown quickly.

Recipe FAQ

What goes into a Buddha bowl?

The main ingredients of a power bowl are leafy greens, whole grains, protein, toppings, and dressing. They include healthy grains such as brown rice or quinoa. Then you have fresh vegetables like red peppers and purple cabbage and plant-based proteins such as chickpeas, black beans, and seeds. Seeds like sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, or sesame seeds are a good idea for this bowl. Toppings include microgreens or red onion. For added texture and flavor, you can include sauces, dressing, spices, or fresh herbs.

What is the difference between a salad and a Buddha bowl?

Unlike ordinary salads, veggie bowls contain whole grains and they have a balance of different food groups. In a salad all the ingredients are mixed, whereas the items in a Buddha bowl remain independent and separate.

What can l substitute with chickpeas?

If you don’t have chickpeas, you can add other legumes such as black beans or white beans.

Veggies are super easy to incorporate into your daily meals with these recipes:

This Chicken Cobb Salad has a Dairy-Free Ranch Recipe that combines these amazing ingredients into a nutritious salad!
You can make a Simple Apple Salad with a Honey Vinaigrette and Cheese and enjoy fruits with vegetables in one salad!
Low-Carb Roasted Radishes are delicious and easy to make at home. They cook just like potatoes and are a great low-carb side dish!

Other Tasty Cauliflower Recipes

If you tried this Chickpea Buddha Bowl with Spinach and Easy Guacamole or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you enjoyed it in the📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!