Vegan Tempeh Buddha Bowl
on Mar 06, 2020, Updated Oct 24, 2025
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This vegan tempeh buddha bowl features marinated tempeh, brown rice, edamame, veggies and a delicious, creamy tamari tahini dressing.
Featured Review
Tonya
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is my absolute favorite way to prepare tempeh! The tahini sauce is delicious. I change out the veggies based on what I have. I love this recipe!
Why You’ll Love Tempeh Bowls
This bowl is so delicious and colorful, it’s well worth the effort to prepare! Here are a few reasons why we love these bowls:
- The chewy brown rice and marinated tempeh are delicious paired with fresh veggies and edamame but the best part is the creamy, addictive, umami tahini sauce. You’ll be licking the bowl!
- They’re high in protein and fibre.
- They make a great introduction to the wonderful world of tempeh! You will love the way it’s prepared here.
- It’s 5-star rated.
For more beautiful bowls like this, this Tofu Edamame Buddha Bowl, Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl and Vegan Lentil Nourish Bowl are all nourishing and delicious too.
If you’re new to tempeh, it’s a nutritious, high-protein plant-based food similar to tofu. You can also try it in these Vegan Tempeh Tacos and Vegan Tempeh Stir Fry.
Ingredient Notes
Here is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the bowl.
- Tempeh. You’ll need about 1.5-2 cups cubed plain tempeh, either store-bought or homemade. I used one package of Lightlife Tempeh. If you’re unsure of what tempeh is read my Guide to Tofu and Tempeh.
- Brown rice. The brown rice can be subbed with quinoa, farro or another cooked whole grain.
- Veggies. I used corn, carrots, kale, and red cabbage but the dish is versatile so you can mix and match with other veggies such as beets, spinach, broccoli or bell peppers. Make it fun and colorful!
- Edamame. For even more protein and texture, I added edamame. For a fun swap, try green peas!
- Tamari tahini dressing. The dressing is made from tahini, gluten-free tamari or soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. I used seasoned rice wine vinegar but unseasoned if totally fine. Use gluten-free tamari to keep the recipe gluten-free, otherwise, low-sodium soy can be used in its place.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Mix the tempeh with the marinade ingredients and let sit for 30 minutes. While it’s marinating, prepare the brown rice or other grain you’ll be using according to package instructions.
Step 2: After it’s done marinating, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the tempeh on a parchment paper-lined baking tray until sticky and crispy.
Step 3: Prepare the rest of the ingredients while the tempeh is marinating and baking.
- Red cabbage. I used a mandolin slicer to get the red cabbage nice and thin. If you don’t have one, just slice it as thinly as you can with a sharp knife.
- Carrot. I used a julienne peeler to make thin carrot strips, almost like noodles. If you don’t have one, finely grate the carrot with a box or handheld grater.
- Kale. I lightly cooked the kale stovetop by heating it in a skillet with a few tablespoons of water. You can use a steamer if your prefer or leave it raw and massage it will a little olive oil to soften.
- Corn. I used frozen corn that I thawed in the fridge. You can thaw frozen corn stovetop or in the microwave or use fresh or canned corn.
- Prepare the edamame. I use frozen shelled edamame and cook it stovetop. It can also be made in the microwave.
Step 3: The tahini dressing is easy to make in a bowl or container, no blending required. I like to make it in a sealable jar so it’s easy to shake it up. Add to container and mix or shake until completely smooth.
Step 5: Once everything is prepared, start assembling the buddha bowls. Divide the ingredients between 4 containers or bowls, top each with tahini sauce and sesame seeds and dig in!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! No change to the recipe, just use firm or extra-firm tofu in place of tempeh.
Tempeh bowls can be stored in the fridge for 3 days in a sealed container. Enjoy cold or gently reheat. If you’re making this for meal prep, put the rice, tempeh, edamame and kale on the bottom and the fresh veggies on top. Store the dressing in a separate container until you’re ready to enjoy your bowl.
These bowls are not suitable for freezing.
No, thought I’d suggest letting it sit at least 5-10 minutes so some of the flavour soaks up. You can definetely reduce the 30 minutes though. I don’t recommend it sit much longer as the tempeh absorbs too much of the sauce and it comes out a bit dry.
If you try these Tempeh Bowls or any other recipe on Running on Real Food, don’t forget to leave a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @runningonrealfood so I can see your creation! Thanks for trying my recipes! -Deryn
More Recipes to Try!
Vegan Tempeh Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
For the Marinated Tempeh
- 1 approx. 227 gram package of tempeh, about 1.5-2 cups cubed
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup
- 3 tbsp gluten-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp pepper
For the Tamari Tahini Dressing
- 5 tbsp tahini, 75 g
- 1.5 tbsp gluten-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2-4 tbsp water, start with 2 tbsp and slowly add 1 tsp at a time to reach desired consistency
For the Bowls
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 cups cooked edamame
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage
- 4 medium carrots, grated or julienned
- 4 cups de-stemmed and chopped kale
Instructions
- Add the tempeh marinade ingredients (everything but the tempeh) to a sealable container and whisk until smooth. Add the tempeh, shake, place in the fridge. Flip and shake every 15 minutes for a minimum of 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
- If you don't have brown rice prepared, start that when the tempeh has about 20 minutes of marinating left as it will need 40-45 minutes to cook.
- When the tempeh is nearly done marinating. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the marinated tempeh on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes.
- While the tempeh is baking, prepare the tamari tahini dressing by adding all the ingredients to a container and whisking or shaking until smooth and creamy. Adjust the amount of water used to reach a thick and creamy but pourable sauce.
- Prepare the corn and edamame according to package instructions.
- Chop the de-stemmed kale and place in a large skillet with a few tablespoons of water. Cook for 4-5 minutes until all the kale has darkened in colour and wilted slightly.
- Once everything is ready, start assembling the bowls. Divide the ingredients between 4 bowls or containers and top with the tahini sauce.
Delicious! Beautiful! Easy to create. One of my most favorite lunches to take to work.
This is one of my favorite recipes that I make almost every week. I store all the components separately to take for lunch. It’s easy to change up the veggies with with I have in hand. I like adding broccoli in place of corn. The dressing is so good!
Amazing! So glad you love it.
Terrific! I used the ingredients I had at home – which was everything except edamame. Substituted frozen peas which were fine but next time I’d opt for the edamame. Also, I massaged the kale; thought it worked better in the bowl. The sauce for the tempeh is SOOO tasty. Tahini sauce also good – think I’ll try a little lemon in it next time. And – beautiful presentation!
Thanks for the feedback, Bea! So glad you enjoyed it.
Tempeh was delicious!!!! Great marinade!
This looks so good! … I’m going to make it tonight! Don’t have any kale unfortunately, but I have some homegrown broccoli in my freezer.
No problem, they’re easily customizable to whatever you have on hand! Enjoy.
This was my very first attempt at cooking with tempeh and my very first attempt at a buddha bowl. And wow! I’ve been missing out all these years! This was really easy to prepare and very tasty. I used black GABA rice for the grain and peanut butter for the tempeh marinade. The tahini dressing worked perfectly with the veg and the marinade for the tempeh is sooooooo good! Highly recommended for anyone’s first foray into the world of tempeh.
I make this recipe all the time! It’s one of those rare recipes where I don’t change a single thing. Love it!
Amazing! So glad you love it! Thanks for letting me know.
I’ve made this several times now – absolutely delicious!
One of my new favourites for sure.
Love me some buddha bowls and this one was super fun to make, and eat
This was so delicious and it’s great for meal prep for the week!