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Butternut Buddha Bowl with Black Beans

Article written and reviewed by Jenny Gormley, BS
Published April 17, 2021

This quick and easy meal option packs a flavorful punch fit for any occasion. Running out of quick recipes to prep out for your busy week ahead? Look no further. This recipe is full of flavor and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
You can double or triple this recipe and keep it in your fridge for up to 4-5 days if you store your greens separately from the vegetables.

How to Eat Butternut Squash

Butternut squash is edible raw! So if you don’t have the spare time to cook it, feel free to add it to your bowl once you remove the seeds inside. The smaller you chop it, the easier it will be to eat uncooked.
For this recipe, we recommend steaming your butternut squash. The skin of butternut squash is also edible but is softer when cooked. Keeping the skin on the squash makes it easier to prepare, and more fiber dense.

How to Make a Meal out of Buddha Bowls

As a good rule of thumb always start with greens at the base of your bowl. This will allow the greens to condense or slightly wilt when the other toppings are added to the bowl.
Then, add a whole grain of your liking. In this recipe, we didn’t add a grain because of the caloric density of the squash and apples. You are welcome to substitute a grain of your choice in place of the corn for this recipe.
Next, begin topping your bowl with calorie-dense savory foods such as potatoes, squash, beets, onions, bell peppers, or any other savory vegetables you enjoy. Then, you can add fruits such as berries, apples, stone fruits, or tropical fruits like mangoes on top.
Add in protein-rich foods, such as black beans, pinto beans, lentils, or another legume of your liking. To finish the bowl, add spices and toss to combine all flavors.

Sauce Ideas for Buddha Bowls

You can make the sauce you’re using for your Buddha bowl simple, such as using vinegar. For this bowl we kept the sauce simple, using apple cider vinegar in combination with the black pepper and curry powder.
You can also make a more complex sauce by blending up some chickpeas with lemon and spices to make a heartier and more flavorful savory sauce. Any type of legume works well for this type of sauce, be sure to always use cooked legumes!
If you enjoy sweeter flavors, you can blend up different combinations of fruits to create a smoothie-like sauce. The options are endless and you won’t know if you like it until you try it, so we encourage you to experiment in the kitchen.
Fresh herbs such as ginger or dill add another dimension of flavor to sauces or to the bowl when finely diced if you’re looking for an extremely flavorful bowl. We used ginger in this recipe because it goes great with curry.
Have fun experimenting with different types of Buddha bowls!

Photos by: @livemoreraw

Butternut Buddha Bowl with Black Beans

This quick and easy meal option packs a flavorful punch fit for any occasion. Running out of quick recipes to prep out for your busy week ahead? Look no further. This recipe is full of flavor and takes less than 30 minutes to make.
Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 473 kcal

Ingredients
  

Ingredients

  • 8 cup Spinach or Other Greens
  • 4 cup Butternut Squash
  • 2 cup Apple
  • 1 cup Corn
  • 1 cup Black Beans
  • 1 tbsp Fresh Ginger
  • 4 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 4 tsp Curry Powder

Instructions
 

Directions

  • Place the greens at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Cut the butternut squash in half and remove the seeds. Finely chop.
  • Steam butternut squash until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
  • Chop the apple, drain the beans, and thaw the corn.
  • Peel and grate or chop your ginger.
  • Assemble all the ingredients over the bed of greens.
  • Add the apple cider vinegar, black pepper, and curry powder.
  • Toss well to combine all flavors together.

Notes

  • Feel free to substitute a whole grain such as quinoa or buckwheat for the corn in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 473kcalCarbohydrates: 108gProtein: 18gFat: 3g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

About the author 

Jenny Gormley, BS

Jenny Gormley, BS is a Sports Nutrition Coach and founder of the Micronutrient Movement.



Her first job working in a kitchen started more than 12 years ago at the age of 15. Throughout the last decade, she has trained and worked in many different restaurants, all with different chefs and styles.



She is a self-taught chef who discovered a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle throughout her college education and hasn’t looked back since.



Jenny earned a Bachelor of Science in Fitness and Wellness from Northern Arizona University, with an emphasis in Health Education and Human Biology.