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Tempeh Buddha Bowl with Lime Tahini Dressing

This vegan tempeh buddha bowl is a delicious harvest grain bowl with whole grains, plant protein and roasted vegetables and topped with a creamy tahini lime dressing. 

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I love eating meals in a bowl. There’s just something about a big, deep harvest fall bowl filled with comforting foods.

It’s a good thing we have so many bowls in our kitchen because we use them so much, like for this plant based power bowl. Thanks, wedding registry.

This tempeh buddha bowl stars a slew of fall, starchy veggies with wheatberries and a tantalizing lime tahini dressing.

The nutrition in this tempeh bowl is very well rounded.

It’s high in fiber and antioxidants, thanks to the veggies and whole grains, and tempeh adds protein as well as micronutrients, like iron and calcium.

Tempeh is one of my favorite vegetarian proteins for that reason! A 3-ounce serving of tempeh provides about 12% iron, making it a great source of iron for runners.

I make air fryer tempeh often, and throw it over this quinoa power bowl recipe too.

tempeh peanut sauce in small white bowl to put on bowl of tempeh cubes

Vegan Tempeh Bowl Ingredients

Making a buddha bowl is easy. You typically combine a grain of your choice, veggies, a protein source and/or beans and legumes, and a sauce or dressing.

All of my favorite things come together in this buddha bowl with tempeh.

  • wheatberries (I buy them in bulk!) – Farro is a good replacement. Read more about grains with gluten vs gluten free grains.
  • parsnips – Parsnips sweeten when baked and are a delicious starchy veggie!
  • carrots – The carrots pair nicely with the parsnips and also provide a subtle sweetness.
  • brussel sprouts – Brussel sprouts round out the starchy veggies and provide a deeper flavor that combine perfectly with the other ingredients.
  • kale – I like the sturdiness of kale, but spinach or arugula or chard are other greens options!
  • tempeh – You could also use tofu or another protein source if you’d like.
  • pomegranate seeds – These may also be called aerils in stores. Since pomegranates are a seasonal fruit (fall thru early spring), if you can’t find fresh, using frozen works great as well!

I love using starchy vegetables, like oven roasted parsnips and carrots, to give the bowl some staying power and extra fiber, like these roasted brussels sprouts and carrots.

You could also add nutritional yeast for a boost in protein and fiber.

Roasting the carrots and parsnips creates a natural caramelization and sweetness.

The Science of Cooking describes caramelization as the oxidation of sugar (ie – breaking down of sugar) that creates a browning and characteristic caramel flavor.

wheat berries topped with roasted parsnips, carrots, kale and pomegranate seeds with tahini lime dressing pour over

Gluten Free Grains

I get a lot of questions about gluten vs gluten-free for health benefits.

If you do not have celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity, grains with gluten can be very healthy for you! Gluten free does not equal healthy, as a reminder.

I wrote this post about gluten myths back in 2015 – it’s a good read about how diet culture makes gluten out to be this villain. 

The Best Tahini Lime Dressing

One of the best parts of this roasted veggie bowl is the lime tahini dressing – it’s so creamy and delicious, and I LOVE tahini!

I’m actually surprised I don’t have more tahini recipes on this blog since it’s a staple for us. We often make this lemon tahini lentil hummus and throw it on toast or rice.  

For this lime tahini sauce, we combine:

Clear prep bowl with lime tahini dressing pre mixed

Method of Preparation

To make this tempeh grain bowl, you will first roast your winter medley vegetables.

Start by cutting the carrots, parsnips and brussel sprouts. Add these starchy veggies to a bowl, and marinate with olive oil and spices.

clear bowl with brussel sprouts, carrots and parsnips

Next, place the veggies in the oven to roast.

While the parsnips and carrots and brussel sprouts are roasting, dice your tempeh.

tempeh on cutting board before adding to air fryer

Then, we will cook your grain of choice and your protein. You can also mix the tahini sauce with lime together ahead of time.

This is efficient cooking at its finest, and multi tasking is one of my favorite ways to encourage athlete meal prep.

I like to dice and pan-sear my tempeh while I’m boiling my grains and roasting my veggies. That’s how we have this meal ready so quickly with a few different parts. 

skillet with roasted and cubed tempeh

Then, you’ll layer everything into your bowl. No one wants to eat only a bowl of brussel sprouts or roasted veggies.

The wheatberries, tempeh and tahini dressing add all of the flavor and texture!

Once you have the dressing prepared, pour it over the tempeh buddha bowl, or save some for later. It works great over other veggie recipes too!

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FAQs and Tips

Is a tempeh buddha bowl gluten free?

As long as you use a gluten free grain, this bowl will be gluten free. Wheatberries have gluten.

Some gluten free grains include:
– quinoa
– sorghum
– buckwheat
– amaranth
– brown rice

Can you cook tempeh in the air fryer?

Yes, you can cook tempeh in the air fryer or oven, or you can pan sear it. It’s so versatile and quick to cook, which is why it’s great for vegan runner diet.

Substitutions

Not a tempeh fan? You could also use tofu, chicken, chicken sausage, garbanzo beans, etc. Use your favorite protein topper!

If you can’t find wheat berries (they may be difficult to find in some areas), I would also recommend farro, barley, kamut or sorghum as great replacements because all are thick enough to hold their own in this veggie harvest bowl and they are chewy. 

You can also add any other veggies you want – squash, sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach instead of kale, etc. This harvest bowl recipe is so lovely because it’s versatile and so many different combinations can work!

Yield: 4

Winter Roasted Vegetable Bowl

two white bowls with roasted vegetables and topped with pomegranate seeds and tahini dressing next to blue counter cloth

This vegan winter roasted vegetable bowl is a delicious autumn bowl recipe, with whole grains, plant protein and roasted vegetables topped with a creamy tahini lime dressing. 

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the Harvest Bowl

  • 2 medium parsnips, chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, chopped
  • 1/2 lb brussel sprouts
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic
  • ½ tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup wheatberries (or farro)
  • 1 block tempeh
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 bunch of kale, washed and massaged with olive oil
  • ½ cup pomegranate seeds

For the Lime Tahini Dressing

  • ¼ cup tahini
  • 2 Tbsp lime juice (juice of ½ lime)
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup or sugar (or honey if not vegan)
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Cut up parsnips, carrots, and brussels sprouts and add to medium bowl. Marinate with 2 Tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning. Bake for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway.
  3. While vegetables are roasting, cook wheatberries according to directions. Sautee tempeh with 1 Tbsp olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
  4. Next, make lime tahini dressing. Combine tahini, lime juice, maple syrup and sea salt. You may need to add a little water to thin it out to your desired consistency.
  5. Once vegetables are done roasting, add them to bowl with kale. Add wheatberries and tempeh. Top with pomegranate seeds and tahini dressing

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 554Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 207mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 13gSugar: 17gProtein: 15g

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  1. Just made this! Had to substitute turnips for parsnips and tofu for tempeh, only because the grocery store was out of both. But regardless, SO GOOD! It was a big hit in my house, thank you!

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