Veggie‑Loaded Rice Bowls with Simple Homemade Sauce

On today’s menu, I’m going to tell you about a delicious and easy recipe everyone will be rooting for: an earthy nourish bowl, also called a Buddha Bowl or Veggie-Loaded Rice Bowl. Join me as we make a dish that is earthy, full of flavor, and packed with variety.

This is definitely one of those versatile recipes that you can put together with practically any veggies you have on hand, making it easy to create a different bowl every time. It’s fresh, earthy, and absolutely delicious—perfect for a weeknight repeat.

Earthy Veggie Loaded Bowl

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 40 minutes
• Total time: 1 hour
• Servings: 2-3 portions

Ingredients

The Roasted Base

• 1 (15oz/400ml) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2 medium Japanese sweet potatoes, washed and cubed (skin on is fine)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• Generous pinch of salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp avocado oil

The Grains

• 1 cup (approx. 185g) uncooked brown rice
• 1 ½ cups (360ml) water

The Golden Miso Dressing

• ⅓ cup (50g) raw cashews
• ¾ cup (180ml) water
• ¼ cup (60ml) tahini
• 1 tbsp miso paste (white or yellow)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp olive oil

The Fresh Vegetables

• 40g black kale (lacinato), stems removed and chopped
• 120g purple cabbage, shredded thinly
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1 purple carrot, peeled into ribbons
• Small bunch of broccoli sprouts

First, Let’s Get Roasting

We start with the roasted elements because they bring that deep flavor. Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

For the protein, grab one 400ml can of chickpeas. You can keep the aquafaba (the chickpea water) to make a thick mayonnaise if you like, but for this recipe, just rinse and drain the chickpeas with some water.

Pairing with the chickpeas are Japanese sweet potatoes. These are absolutely one of my favorites. They are so incredibly sweet—literally nature’s candy. If you can’t find these at an Asian grocery store, you can definitely just sub these out for any other potato.

Place the cubed potatoes and chickpeas together in a bowl. Then, season with:

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• A generous pinch of salt
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Give it a toss to coat everything evenly. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spreading them out so they cook evenly. Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Perfecting the Brown Rice

While the veggies roast. Place one cup of brown rice in a small saucepan. Rinse and drain it to get rid of any excess starch.

Add one and a half cups of water and put it on medium-high heat. Brown rice is a little bit heartier, but of course, you can switch that out with whatever grain you have on hand. When the water starts to bubble, turn the heat to medium-low. Give the rice a stir, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Here is the trick: After 15 minutes, turn the heat off but leave the lid on. Let it steam further for another 15 minutes. This makes it perfect.

The Golden Miso-Tahini Dressing

Now for the sauce! This beautiful golden dressing just grabs onto everything. Get out your blender. You’ll need:

• ⅓ cup cashews (if you don’t have a high-power blender, soak them overnight to soften them up)
• ¾ cups water
• ¼ cup tahini
• 1 tablespoon miso paste
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Blend on high until liquefied. It adds sweetness, saltiness, and just so many dynamic textures.

The Fresh Crunch

While everything finishes cooking, let’s prep the fresh stuff.

• Kale: Remove the leafy parts from black kale and roughly chop about 40 grams worth. If you cannot find black kale, substitute it with arugula or Swiss chard.
• Cabbage: Thinly shred about 120 grams of purple cabbage for a delicious crunch.
• Avocado: Cube one avocado for that buttery texture.
• Carrot: Using a vegetable peeler, shave down one purple carrot into ribbons. You definitely don’t have to go out of your way to get a purple carrot—any carrot will do—but look how gorgeous that is.

Assemble and Enjoy

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Assemble the bowl by plating the brown rice, a little bit of the fresh black kale, and a couple of those delicious Japanese sweet potatoes (any potato can do). Generously spoon over those roasted chickpeas. Add the crunchy cabbage, those beautiful carrot ribbons, the buttery cubed avocado, and a small bunch of broccoli sprouts.

Finally, pour over some of that delicious dressing.

Boy, that is so packed with flavor, just delicious. The fresh kale and carrot add this fresh crunchiness, the chickpeas have nice smokiness, and the Japanese sweet potato brings rich sweetness. And there’s that little bit of salty umami from the miso paste that just shines through.

You can now enjoy this delicious nourish bowl with absolute confidence!

If you like this recipe Explore more recipes

Earthy Veggie Loaded Rice Bowls with Japanese Sweet Potato

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: Main CourseCuisine: VeganDifficulty: Easy

Servings

2-3

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

580~

kcal

Total time

1

hour 

Earthy Nourish Bowl with Japanese Sweet Potato & Miso Dressing

Ingredients

• For the Roast:

• 1 (400ml) can chickpeas

• 2 medium Japanese sweet potatoes (approx. 300g)

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• Pinch of salt

• Black pepper to taste

• 2 tbsp (30ml) avocado oil

• For the Rice:

• 1 cup (185g) brown rice

• 1 ½ cups (360ml) water

• For the Dressing:

• ⅓ cup (50g) raw cashews

• ¾ cup (180ml) water

• ¼ cup (60g) tahini

• 1 tbsp (15g) miso paste

• 1 tbsp (15ml) maple syrup

• 3 tbsp (45ml) lime juice

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp (5ml) olive oil

• For the Bowl:

• 40g black kale

• 120g purple cabbage

• 1 avocado

• 1 purple carrot

• Small bunch broccoli sprouts

Directions

• Preheat & Prep: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Season the Roast: In a mixing bowl, combine the drained chickpeas and cubed Japanese sweet potatoes. Add the smoked paprika, generous pinch of salt, pepper, and avocado oil. Give it a toss to coat thoroughly.
• Roast: Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet in a single layer so they cook evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes.
• Cook the Rice: Rinse the brown rice to remove excess starch. Place in a small saucepan with 1.5 cups of water over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, reduce heat to medium-low, stir once, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Steam the Rice: Turn the heat off but keep the pot covered. Let the rice steam for another 15 minutes (don't peek!).
• Make the Dressing: While the rice and veggies cook, combine cashews, 3/4 cup water, tahini, miso paste, maple syrup, lime juice, turmeric, salt, and olive oil in a blender. Blend on high until completely liquefied and smooth.
• Prep Fresh Veggies: Shred the cabbage, chop the kale, cube the avocado, and use a peeler to make ribbons out of the carrot.
• Assemble: Divide the rice into bowls. Arrange the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas on top. Add the fresh kale, cabbage, carrot ribbons, avocado, and broccoli sprouts.
• Serve: Pour the dressing generously over the top and enjoy immediately.

Notes

• Potatoes: Japanese sweet potatoes are "nature's candy," but if you can't find them, regular sweet potatoes or any potato will work.
• Cashews: If you don't have a high-speed blender, soak the cashews in water overnight (or in hot water for 30 mins) to soften them up first.
• Greens: Can't find black kale? Arugula or Swiss chard are great substitutes.
• Aquafaba: Save the chickpea liquid from the can to make vegan mayo later!
• Make Ahead: This is a versatile recipe perfect for meal prep. Store the dressing separately to keep everything fresh.

Read more:

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• Veggie Egg Muffin Cups for Grab‑and‑Go Breakfast
• 8 Vegan Freezer-Friendly Dinners for Easy Meal Prep