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Hearty and nutritious, this Chickpea and Greens Buddha Bowl has it all! Perfectly roasted chickpeas and beets, mixed with vibrant collard greens, fluffy quinoa and topped with lemony basil pesto. This is a bowl of goodness you will want to try today!
Fall is in full swing and so are the abundant and beautiful fruits and veggies that are now in season and a bargain as well! Seasonal produce was definitely my inspiration for this incredibly delicious Chickpea and Greens Buddha Bowl.
Crunchy, seasoned roasted chickpeas, perfectly roasted beets matched with the most amazing and easy sautéed collard greens. It reminds me so much of this chickpea sweet potato buddha bowl that you all love so much!
Add in some fluffy hearty quinoa or rice and my favorite homemade basil pesto and this is the perfect lunch or dinner any day of the week.
Why you will love this buddha bowl
- So satisfying, you won’t even miss the meat, lol.
- Everything can be made ahead of time so you can have this buddha bowl for any meal of the day!
- Nutritious and packed with lots of fiber and vitamins.
- It’s both vegan and gluten-free!
Ingredients to make this buddha bowl
You cannot go wrong with this Chickpeas Buddha Bowl recipe!
The ingredients can also be made ahead for a quick weeknight dinner and you all know I am a fan of that.
Plus you can use quinoa or brown rice or even golden beets instead of red beets. Kale also works in place of the collard greens.
What is a buddha bowl?
A Buddha Bowl is a one-dish meal consisting of various elements of nutritious ingredients like cooked and raw veggies, grains, and starches and proteins. Usually topped with some type of creamy tahini or avocado sauce.
They are pretty trendy nowadays and absolutely one of my most favorite ways to eat! You can layout whatever you have and let the whole family “build their own”. Such a fun family dinner idea!
Nutrients in this buddha bowl
- Plant-based protein (thank you chickpeas and greens)
- Iron
- Vitamins, A, B, C and E
- Fiber
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Amino acids
Wow! That is a mouthful, so many good for you ingredients. Immune boosting and heart-healthy and oh by the way did I mention that it is delicious! I love this dish!!!
How to make this chickpea and Greens Buddha Bowl
- Roast the beets. Just dice them up, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper, toss, place onto a baking sheet, and roast at 375 degrees F for 20-25 minutes. Yummy! While the beets are cooking you can get the rest of the ingredients ready.
- Sauté the collard greens: Heat a pan with some olive oil and add in the garlic. Then toss in the collard greens and a little veggies stock or water. Toss and sautéed until wilted. Season everything with a little bit of salt and pepper for taste.
- Season and pan roast the chickpeas. Add the chickpeas to a small mixing bowl and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle the chickpeas with the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and some salt and pepper and toss well. Let them sit on the counter for 7-10 minutes to allow the chickpeas time to absorb all of the spices. Heat up a medium-size skillet or cast iron pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas to the pan and cook until brown, tossing frequently. It takes about 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
- Cook the quinoa. Cook according to package instructions. Set aside.
- Make the pesto. So easy, just add all ingredients to a food processor and pulse until fully combined. Here is my Homemade Pesto Sauce post noted in the recipe card below.
- Build the buddha bowl. Choose a rounded bowl and add some of the collard greens, chickpeas, beets and quinoa. Drizzle with the pesto sauce, toss and ENJOY!!!!
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- Roast the Beets
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- Sauté the greens
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- Cook the chickpeas
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- Make the pesto
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- Build the buddha bowl
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- Top with the pesto sauce
The quinoa gives you some more protein and all nine essential amino acids. Win!!!!! You could also use cooked brown rice or any grain really.
This Chickpeas Buddha Bowl recipe really has it all!
The best topping to add some bold herby flavors and creaminess to this dish or any dish for that matter. My 3-year old loves to put pesto on EVERYTHING. He knows its good!
This recipe may seem like a lot of steps (so worth it by the way!) but each step takes only a few minutes and can be done while the beets are cooking so it’s really like any quick 30-minute meal. You can also make all of the components as part of you’re weekly meal prep and assemble for a quick and healthy meal any day of the week!
What to serve with this buddha bowl
This recipe is a complete meal all on it’s own but here are a few meal additionas that would pair great with this recipe.
- Kale and Squash Quinoa Patties
- Easy Green Beans
- Sweet and Spicy Baked Cauliflower Wings
- Easy Baked Eggplant Fries
- Incredible Roasted Vegetable Dip
Here are some other recipes using chickpeas and beets that you may also enjoy!
- Healthy Baked Beet Chips
- Butternut Squash and Beets Salad
- Taco Seasoned Crispy Chickpeas
- Simple Roasted Beet Pesto
- Easy Oven Roasted Chickpeas
- Best Humus Recipe
- Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Recipe Tips and Possible Variations
- Use any green you like in this recipe. Spinach and kale are great substitutions in this recipe if you cannot find collard greens. I live in the south so collard greens are easy to find but I have tried other greens and they were just as delicious in this buddha bowl.
- Use roasted zucchini in place of the beets and then top the bowl with a roasted beet pesto to switch it up.
- Switch up the grains. Cooked quinoa, rice or even cauliflower rice would be great for the grains in this recipe.
- This recipe is already both vegan and gluten free!
- To save time you can roast the beets and chickpeas in the oven in the same pan. Check out this post for easy oven roasted chickpeas.
- All of these ingredients can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a quick meal any day of the week. Cook and store each component (chickpeas, collard greens, beets, quinoa, pesto), place separately into airtight containers and store for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Did you make this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below.
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Chickpeas and Greens Buddha Bowl
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 2 people 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Perfectly roasted chickpeas and beets, mixed with hearty collard greens, fluffy quinoa and topped with lemony basil pesto. This is a bowl of goodness you will want to try today!
Ingredients
For the roasted beets
- 3 medium size beets (peeled and diced)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
For the sauteed collard greens
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 bunch of collard greens (rinsed, chopped, and thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup vegetable stock (white wine or water)
For the chickpeas
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas (drained and rinsed well)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- salt and pepper
For the Pesto
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- ⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese – use vegan for vegan version
- 3 cloves of garlic (minced)
- 1 tbsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 3 tbsps pistachios
Other
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
Instructions
Roast the beets
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or just spray it with cooking spray. Add the diced beets to a small mixing bowl, drizzle in the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.
- Pour the seasoned beets onto the baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes until they are nice and tender and slightly crispy on the edges.
Saute’ the collard greens
- Heat up a skillet to medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add in the collard greens and toss them in the garlic oil. Season with salt and pepper.Pour in the vegetable stock or water, stir and let the greens cook until slightly wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Cook the chickpeas
- Add the chickpeas to a small mixing bowl and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and toss to coat. The oil will help all of the spices stick to the chickpeas. Sprinkle the chickpeas with the garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, and some salt and pepper and toss well. Let them sit on the counter for 7-10 minutes to allow the chickpeas time to absorb all of the spices.
- Heat up a medium-size skillet or cast iron pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil to medium-high heat. Add the chickpeas to the pan and cook until brown, tossing frequently. It takes about 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
Cook the quinoa
- Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions.
Make the pesto sauce
- Add all of the peso ingredients to a food processor and pulse to combine while streaming in the olive oil.
Assemble the buddha bowl
- Choose a rounded bowl and add some of the collard greens, chickpeas, beets and quinoa. Drizzle with the pesto sauce, toss and ENJOY!!!!
Notes
- Use any green you like in this recipe. Spinach and kale are great substitutions in this recipe if you cannot find collard greens. I live in the south so collard greens are easy to find but I have tried other greens and they were just as delicious in this buddha bowl.
- Use roasted zucchini in place of the beets and then top the bowl with a roasted beet pesto to switch it up.
- Switch up the grains. Cooked quinoa, rice or even cauliflower rice would be great for the grains in this recipe.
- This recipe is already both vegan and gluten free!
- To save time you can roast the beets and chickpeas in the oven in the same pan. Check out this post for easy oven roasted chickpeas.
- All of these ingredients can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for a quick meal any day of the week. Cook and store each component (chickpeas, collard greens, beets, quinoa, pesto), place separately into airtight containers and store for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: roasted
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
Amy, I have nominated you for the sunshine blogger award!
Thank you !