Cauliflower Buddha Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas and Chard
A spring-inspired Buddha bowl featuring roasted cauliflower, crispy chickpeas, quinoa, chard, avocado and strawberries topped with a citrus-Dijon vinaigrette. Great for meal prep or a simple spring lunch!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time45 minutesmins
Course: Dinner, main dish, Vegetarian, weeknight meal
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
Roasting: In a large bowl, combine cauliflower florets and chickpeas. Add one tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes. We’ll roast for another 15 minutes after we add the chard stems.
Cook quinoa: Make sure to rinse quinoa in a mesh strainer. Then combine quinoa and 1 ½ cups water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 20 minutes. Then remove from heat, fluff with a fork and set aside.
Prep chard stems: Slice chard stems and toss with 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the baking sheet (with cauliflower and chickpeas) from the oven. Add the chard stems to the baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes.
Prep chard leaves: While the cauliflower/chard mixture is roasting, chop the chard leaves into large pieces and toss with 1 ½ teaspoon olive oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Remove the baking sheet with cauliflower, chickpeas and chard from the oven.
Add the chard leaves and garlic to the baking sheet and roast for a final 5 minutes. I usually just add the leaves right on top of the vegetables. Once the leaves are wilted, remove the baking sheet from the oven and sprinkle with lemon zest.
Prepare the dressing: While the veggies are roasting, combine the orange and lemon juices, Dijon mustard, honey, olive oil and salt in a small bowl or jar and whisk or shake to combine.
Serve: Divide the quinoa and vegetable mixture between four bowls. Top with sliced avocado, sliced strawberries and the citrus-Dijon dressing. Garnish with parsley, mint and sunflower seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
PREP AHEAD: This Buddha bowl is great for meal prep and can be prepared in advance and reheated in the microwave or eaten cold. LEFTOVERS/STORAGE: Store the dressing and vegetable mixtures separately to help this cauliflower bowl from going bad too fast.NUTRITION NOTES: This cauliflower bowl is incredibly nutrient-dense. It’s high in vitamin C, folate, iron and vitamin A. It’s a good source of fiber, and it’s vegan, gluten-free and full of plant-based proteins. VARIATIONS: Feel free to make this your own! Use broccoli instead of cauliflower, spinach or kale instead of chard and raspberries instead of strawberries. Use what you have on hand!