Vegan Mediterranean Bowl

Building the best bowl is all about pulling together the proper ratio of colors, textures, and flavors. As a classically-trained chef, I’ve perfected the art of building a bowl that will satisfy your mind, body, and heart.

When it comes to plant-based meals, you need more than just a bowl of lettuce. I incorporated hearty quinoa, rich olives, roasted chickpeas for crunch, and a dollop of hummus to top it all off. This bowl is big enough to share or divide into meal prep containers for tasty lunches all week long.

If you see something you don’t love, swap it out for something you do. The best part about bowls is the ability to customize it to your own taste, and I’ve got all my best tips below for bringing the bowl of your dreams to life.

You’ll Love This Healthy Mediterranean Bowl Recipe

We all have different definitions of healthy, but this Buddha Bowl hits a lot of the right notes! Packed with plant-based protein from quinoa, roasted chickpeas, and hummus, you’ll feel full all morning long. The peppers, lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes are packed with fiber, and the fat from the olives add a welcome richness to your meal. If you’re craving even more flavor, add a drizzle of olive oil or red wine vinaigrette or top with salty chunks of feta cheese.

Mediterranean Bowl Ingredients

At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

• Chickpeas: To remove the skin, pour drained and rinsed chickpeas on a clean, dry kitchen towel. Rub vigorously until dried and the paper skins start to fall off (It is not required to remove all skins, but roasted chickpeas taste better if you do).
• Hummus: My favorite homemade hummus starts with dried chickpeas, not canned. Add classic flavors like lemon and garlic, and blend with plenty of tahini and olive oil.

How to Make a Mediterranean Bowl

To roast the chickpeas:

1. Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup. In a small bowl, combine chickpeas with olive oil, basil, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.

2. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the chickpeas and rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

To make the bowl:

1. Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave for 4 minutes on high. Remove from microwave, stir, and heat again for 2 minutes longer. Stir and let stand 1 minute in the microwave.

2. Layer greens in the bottom of a bowl or on a platter. Arrange the grape tomato halves, cucumbers, bell pepper, olives, chickpeas, and quinoa in sections around the bowl.

3. Spoon the hummus in the middle of the bowl and serve.

Buddha Bowl Tips and Variations

• Yield: This recipe makes one large Buddha bowl, enough for 2 main-dish sized servings or 3-4 servings when accompanied by other foods such as pita bread or fruit salad.
• Make ahead: The bowl can be assembled in advance, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.
• Go bigger: Buddha Bowls remind me of Mezze Platters, and you can certainly scale up the quantities here to feed a crowd.
• Customize your Buddha Bowl: When building your bowl, get creative! Instead of quinoa, cook some brown rice. Farro tastes great, too. Add a spoonful of Tabbolueh, Fattoush, or Roasted Eggplant Dip. Instead of Kalamata olives, try Olive Tapenade, an olive and anchovy spread. Maybe toss your greens in some Red Wine Vinaigrette. And instead of the roasted chickpeas, try a scoop of easy Chickpea Salad.

How to Serve Your Vegan Mediterranean Bowl

Serve your Mediterranean Buddha Bowl with plenty of soft pita bread or some homemade pita chips. Toasted baguette slices are always tasty, too.

Storing Buddha Bowl leftovers

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chickpeas will soften in the first hours after coming out of the oven.

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Mediterranean Bowls

By Meggan Hill

This vegan Mediterranean Buddha Bowl is full of colorful veggies and plant-based protein like quinoa, roasted chickpeas, and hummus.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 2 servings

Course Salad

Cuisine Mediterranean

Calories 574

5 from 59 votes

ReviewPrint

Equipment

• Baking sheet

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

For the roasted chickpeas:

• ▢ 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 can chickpeas drained, rinsed, and dried, skins discarded (see note 1)
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the quinoa:

• ▢ ½ cup uncooked quinoa rinsed
• ▢ 1 cup water

For the bowl:

• ▢ 2 cups lettuce torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1 cup grape tomatoes halved
• ▢ 2 cucumbers peeled, halved lengthwise and chopped
• ▢ 1 yellow bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
• ▢ 1/2 cup hummus (see note 2)

Instructions 

To roast the chickpeas:

• Move an oven rack to the middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
• In a small bowl, combine chickpeas with olive oil, basil, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Spread in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the chickpeas and rotating the baking sheet halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

To make the bowl:

• Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Cover; microwave for 4 minutes on high. Remove from microwave, stir, and heat again for 2 minutes longer. Stir and let stand 1 minute in the microwave.
• Layer greens in the bottom of a bowl or on a platter. Arrange the grape tomato halves, cucumbers, bell pepper, olives, chickpeas, and quinoa in sections around the bowl. Spoon the hummus in the middle of the bowl and serve.

Recipe Video

Notes

1. Chickpeas: To remove the skin, pour drained and rinsed chickpeas on a clean, dry kitchen towel. Rub vigorously until dried and the paper skins start to fall off (It is not required to remove all skins, but roasted chickpeas taste better if you do).
2. Hummus: My favorite homemade hummus starts with dried chickpeas, not canned. Add classic flavors like lemon and garlic, and blend with plenty of tahini and olive oil.
3. Yield: This recipe makes one large Buddha bowl, enough for 2 main-dish sized servings or 3-4 servings when accompanied by other foods such as pita bread or fruit salad.
4. Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The chickpeas will soften in the first hours after coming out of the oven.
5. Make ahead: The bowl can be assembled in advance, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the refrigerator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 bowlCalories: 574kcalCarbohydrates: 79gProtein: 25gFat: 21gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gSodium: 3736mgPotassium: 1215mgFiber: 20gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1352IUVitamin C: 123mgCalcium: 184mgIron: 7mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @culinaryhill on Instagram so we can admire your masterpiece! #culinaryhill

Meggan Hill

Website |  + postsBio

Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.

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