Tempeh Buddha Bowl

This Vegan Tempeh Buddha Bowl features high-protein, marinated and baked tempeh, roasted purple sweet potatoes and broccoli, and a sweet and tangy peanut sauce served on top of steamed Jasmine rice.

I’ve always been more of a tofu fan over tempeh, until I started marinating my tempeh before cooking it. This marinated and baked tempeh is full of umami flavor. It’s chewy, but crispy on the outside, and it has a nourishing, satiating sensation. Paired with roasted veggies, avocado, and peanut sauce, this Vegan Tempeh Buddha Bowl feels like a warm, comforting hug!

In addition to being the perfect, wholesome meal for a chilly evening, this Tempeh Buddha Bowl is high in protein and makes the ideal post-workout meal.

There are a handful of different components to this Buddha Bowl. But don’t worry! You can prep much of this dish ahead of time if you’re short on time during weeknights. If you’re cooking for one or two people, there will be plenty of leftovers for the next couple days. There’s nothing worse than spending a lot of time preparing a dish only to have it last you one meal!

What is a Buddha Bowl?

Simply put, a Buddha Bowl usually starts with a healthy whole grain, like rice or quinoa. It features a variety of different nutrient-dense components, including lots of vegetables and usually a plant-based protein. A Buddha Bowl is typically vegan or vegetarian and features some raw veggies. In this recipe you’ll notice the bowl is topped with diced avocado and chopped microgreens.

Create Your Own! Customizable Ingredients:

The fun part about Buddha Bowls is that they are easily customizable. You can create your own version using whatever ingredients you have on hand. This is a breakdown of what I’m including in this Tempeh Buddha Bowl recipe, along with a few suggestions of other ingredients you could add to this bowl—or your own creation!

Keep in mind, if you have some of the other ingredients listed here, you can always swap them out for what’s listed in the recipe below. For example, if you have brown rice on hand, you can always use that instead of Jasmine rice.

• Grains: Jasmine rice, brown rice, black forbidden rice, quinoa, farro, barley, bulgur, millet
• Cooked vegetables: Sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, butternut squash, eggplant, mushrooms
• Raw vegetables: Avocado, microgreens, darky leafy greens, sprouts, bell peppers, carrots, tomato
• Protein: Tempeh, tofu, beans, edamame, peas, nuts, seeds
• Sauce: Peanut sauce, sriracha, tahini, hot sauce, vinegar, oil, citrus, pesto

What is Tempeh?

Originating from the Island of Java in Indonesia, tempeh was created well before the 1800s and is a common staple in Indonesia where it is typically fried and served with spicy sauces.

This high-protein plant-based food is essentially fermented soybeans. Just 4 ounces of tempeh equates to 19 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber. Tempeh is gluten-free and is available at most standard grocery stores.

How to Make Tempeh Buddha Bowls

Let’s break down how to make the Tempeh Buddha Bowls. Some components of the bowl are easy to make ahead of time if you like to meal prep! The recipe calls for steamed rice, so make sure your grain is already prepared and ready to go when you assemble this dish. You can also marinate the tempeh ahead of time, roast the veggies the day before if needed, and prep the sauce whenever!

Marinate and Bake the Tempeh

There are three key parts to preparing the tempeh. First, you steam the tempeh for 10 minutes. This method helps the tempeh absorb more of the marinade, resulting in richer flavor.

The tempeh requires at least 30 minutes to marinate, but for even more flavor, you can marinate for longer. I marinated mine for 45 minutes, but you could do this for 1-2 hours if you make it in advance. When the tempeh is nearly done marinating, preheat the oven to 425F.

Once the tempeh is done marinating, bake it in the oven to get a crispy texture on the outside. The tempeh maintains its umami flavor within. Halfway through baking, I like to brush additional marinade onto both sides of the tempeh, flipping each piece. Then, when the tempeh is done baking, I brush additional marinade on to maximize the sweet and tangy flavor.

Roast the Broccoli and Purple Sweet Potato

I chose purple sweet potatoes for their antioxidant rich benefits, but you can easily swap them out for regular sweet potatoes if you prefer. Not to mention, their purple color is fun and adds a bit of brightness to the bowl!

With the oven preheated at 425F, mix the broccoli and sweet potato in a large bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, ginger powder, salt, and pepper.

In order to be done at the same time, I make sure my broccoli pieces are a bit larger, and the dice of the sweet potatoes is a bit smaller since they take a little longer to roast. The potatoes should be fork tender, and the broccoli should be slightly charred when ready.

Make the Peanut Sauce

I have made so many different variations of peanut sauce, and this one is by far my favorite. It’s not overly thick, which is nice for soaking some flavor into the rice, but it’s creamy enough to add a burst of flavor to each bite.

As soon as you have some downtime—perhaps while the tempeh is marinating or while the tempeh and veggies are in the oven—mix all of the sauce ingredients together.

I love sauce, and this recipe worked well for 4 servings. If you think you’ll need more than that, go ahead and make double while you have the ingredients out!

Assemble the Tempeh Buddha Bowls

Start by placing a large scoop of rice into each bowl. Layer on the tempeh pieces (about 4 per bowl). Scoop the desired amount of broccoli and sweet potato onto the bowl, and add the diced avocado, microgreens, and sesame seeds. Squeeze some fresh lime on top and drizzle on the peanut sauce and sriracha, if using.