Buddha Bowl with Tahini Miso Sauce

A Buddha bowl, also known as a hippie bowl, is a hearty dish made of a combination of various veggies (raw or roasted), protein sources like beans, tofu, nuts or seeds and healthy whole grains like quinoa, brown rice or bulgur. Last week, my friend and fellow dietitian, Chelsea Allan and I made Buddha Bowls for dinner.

This celebrated my first time making a bowl and using miso as an ingredient. For some background information, Miso is used in Japanese cooking and is a paste made from fermented soybeans and barley or rice malt. We also used tahini in our sauce, which is a Middle Eastern paste made from ground sesame seeds.

• Serves: 2
• Prep time: 20-30 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients for Buddha Bowl:

• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 3 cups kale, chopped
• 1 large carrots, shaved or sliced
• ½ avocado
• 3 Tbsp sunflower seeds, roasted
• pea sprouts for garnish
• Extra firm tofu (approx. 200 grams) or half package
• ¼ cup low sodium soya sauce
• 1.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp miso
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 Tbsp water (more if desire thinner sauce)
• ½ tsp lemon juice

Directions:

1. On a stovetop, cook brown rice according to package instructions.
2. Remove tofu from the liquid and press on a towel to remove excess liquid. Cut tofu into bite sized pieces and place in flat dish.
3. Whisk together soya sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and ginger and pour over tofu. Allow to marinade for 20 minutes.
4. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Bake tofu on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for total of 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
5. On medium-heat sauté kale with butter or oil and sprinkle of salt. Sautee until tender and slightly crisp. Set aside.
6. Prep veggies by grating carrots, and slicing avocado for toppings. Clean pea sprouts.
7. Whisk together ingredients for sauce. Set aside.
8. Combine rice, tofu, kale and carrots into a bowl. Top with sliced avocado, pea sprouts and roasted sunflower seeds. Pour sauce over top.

Buddha Bowl with Tahini Miso Sauce

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Hearty Buddha Bowl with various veggies, plant source proteins, and healthy whole grains, topped with a Japanese-Middle Eastern Tahini Miso sauce.

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Ingredients

Bowl Contents

• 2/3 cup brown rice
• 3 cups kale, chopped
• 1 large carrots, shaved or sliced
• ½ avocado
• 3 Tbsp sunflower seeds, roasted
• pea sprouts for garnish
• Extra firm tofu (approx. 200 grams) or half package
• ¼ cup low sodium soya sauce
• 1.5 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger

Sauce

• 1 Tbsp miso
• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 Tbsp water (more if desire thinner sauce)
• ½ tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. On a stovetop, cook brown rice according to package instructions.
2. Remove tofu from the liquid and press on a towel to remove excess liquid. Cut tofu into bite sized pieces and place in flat dish.
3. Whisk together soya sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar and ginger and pour over tofu. Allow to marinade for 20 minutes.
4. Pre-heat oven to 400F. Bake tofu on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for total of 30 minutes, stirring halfway through.
5. On medium-heat sauté kale with butter or oil and sprinkle of salt. Sautee until tender and slightly crisp. Set aside.
6. Prep veggies by grating carrots, and slicing avocado for toppings. Clean pea sprouts.
7. Whisk together ingredients for sauce. Set aside.
8. Combine rice, tofu, kale and carrots into a bowl. Top with sliced avocado, pea sprouts and roasted sunflower seeds. Pour sauce over top.