Vegan Tempeh Buddha Bowl
on Mar 06, 2020, Updated Aug 16, 2024
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This vegan tempeh buddha bowl features marinated tempeh, brown rice, edamame, veggies and a delicious, creamy tamari tahini dressing.
This bowl is so delicious and colorful, it’s well worth the effort to prepare.
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! 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 wonderfully 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
- 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. For a low-carb option, you can use cauliflower rice or omit the brown rice entirely for a lighter meal.
- 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: Prepare the tempeh.
There are two parts to making the tempeh, marinating and baking. The tempeh can be marinated as little as 30 minutes but I recommend 1-2 hours if possible.
It can also be left overnight, just keep in mind it will be a bit drier since the tempeh will absorb most of the marinade.
After it’s done marinating, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and bake the tempeh on a parchment paper-lined baking tray.
Step 2: Cook the brown rice and prepare the veggies.
When the tempeh is about done marinating, start preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Make brown rice. If you don’t have cooked brown rice prepared, make it now. Keep in mind it may need up to 45 minutes to cook depending on the type of rice you use.
- 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: Make the tahini sauce.
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.
Step 4: Assemble the Bowls
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!
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.
More Vegan Bowls
- Baked Tempeh Brown Rice Bowls
- Vegan Quinoa Power Bowls
- Veggie Power Bowls
- Cauliflower Chickpea Potato Bowls
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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Tempeh Buddha Bowl
Ingredients
For the Marinated Tempeh
- 1 approx. 227 gram package of tempeh, about 1.5-2 cups cubed
- 2 tbsp almond, peanut or cashew butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave
- 3 tbsp gluten-free tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (seasoned or un
- 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 wine 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, 1/2 cup per bowl
- 2 cups cooked edamame, 1/2 cup per bowl
- 1 cup corn, 1/4 cup per bowl
- 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage, 1/4 cup per bowl
- 4 medium carrots, grated or julienned
- 4 cups de-stemmed and chopped kale, 1 handful per bowl
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!