I can’t say enough good things about this bowl. It combines a few things that are near and dear to my heart: avocados, roasted chickpeas, and quinoa.

I like the color combination going on in the bowl, too. I’m a big proponent of making food pretty (even though it doesn’t have to be). It just makes me that much more excited to eat it…which is almost impossible, but you’d be surprised.

The standout in this dish is the red pepper sauce. It’s easy to make in a food processor or blender, and it pairs well with the paprika chickpeas and the avocado. It looks nice drizzled over the quinoa, too.

I took a long walk today during lunch and was jamming out to this song. It’s good for sunny days when you’re walking down the sidewalk, staring at flowers and trying to find the nearest drugstore to buy iced tea. I like how she keeps saying, “Are you busy? Could you meet me for a lemonade?” Even though it made me thirsty.

Vegan Buddha Bowl with Avocado (slightly adapted from Well and Full)

Ingredients

For the quinoa:
1 Cup Quinoa, rinsed
2 Cups Water

For the chickpeas:
1½ Cups Cooked Chickpeas
Drizzle Olive Oil (or other neutral oil)
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Smoked Paprika
1 Tsp Chili Powder
⅛ Tsp Turmeric
½ Tsp Oregano

For the red pepper sauce:
1 Red Bell Pepper, ribs and seeds removed
2 Tbs Olive Oil (or other neutral oil)
Juice from 1 Lemon
½ Tsp Pepper
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Paprika
¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro

For everything else:
Mixed Greens
An Avocado
Black sesame Seeds for Garnish

Directions

Start by cooking the quinoa. Bring 2 cups water to a boil, then add quinoa. Simmer for about 15 minutes until all water is absorbed. When done, remove from heat and keep covered for about 10 minutes so quinoa can absorb any excess water.

Preheat oven to 425. In a bowl, toss chickpeas, oil, and spices until chickpeas are evenly coated. On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake chickpeas for 15 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let cool.

To make red pepper dressing, add all dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.

Finally, assemble the buddha bowls. In two bowls, add quinoa, mixed greens, avocado, and chickpeas. Drizzle everything with red pepper sauce, and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Enjoy!