Dinner Party Idea: Build Your Own Buddha Bowl

I will admit – I am one of those (annoying) people who truly loves vegetables. I could eat a meal like this three times a day. If you follow me on instagram, you know how much I obsess over a bowl like this! But even if you aren’t a veggie lover, THIS is a really fun way to eat them! We had a group of friends over recently, and I made this Make Your Own Buddha Bowl bar for our dinner party. It was a hit! Full of yummy roasted vegetables, some greens, quinoa, toppings, and a delicious cashew cream sauce (like the one I posted yesterday), this setup makes some amazing grain and veggie bowls.

So, if you need to feed a crowd, but want to serve something healthy, or if you want to set up a fun way to feed your family more vegetables, this post is for you!

This could easily be made vegan (just leave out the goat cheese). On the other hand, it can also be served with roasted chicken, if you’d like some extra protein.

Start with Roasted Vegetables

This post has all of the details you need to know about how to roast (almost) any vegetable! I included green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes, baby red-skinned potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, grape tomatoes, and mushrooms.

Add a Grain

I chose to use quinoa. I always cook mine in chicken stock, with a bay leaf. I made a double batch, because I was feeding a crowd. Season with salt and pepper, and any herbs you’d like, after cooking. Squeeze half a lemon on it as well.

Include Some Leafy Greens

Baby kale was my leafy green of choice, but arugula or baby spinach would be wonderful as well.

Add a Crunch

For a healthy crunch, I included a small dish of sliced almonds and raw sunflower seeds. You could use any type of nut or seed. Hemp hearts would work as well!

Cheese as a Topping

I chose to include some crumbled goat cheese, but you could use almost any cheese you like. Parmesan or feta would be lovely. Or, you could omit it completely if you’re serving a plant-based meal.

Cashew Cream is a Must!

This sauce is truly a perfect pair with a Buddha bowl. I posted the recipe yesterday, and I have also included it below.

Salad Dressing, Optional

I put out some balsamic vinaigrette if people wanted a little extra sauce on theirs.

Herb Garnishes

To give the platter something extra and fragrant, I added fresh twigs of thyme and rosemary for garnish.

Assembly

I placed a sheet of parchment paper down on my favorite wooden tray. This one is similar. On one of the sides, I put several large handfuls of kale. Then I added the bowl of quinoa, and the smaller bowls of goat cheese, cashew cream sauce, and nuts and seeds. I placed the vegetables in groups around the rest of the tray. This can easily be made ahead of time, stored in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes before eating, allowing the vegetables to come to room temperature. You could also cook everything right before and serve the vegetables warm.

Enjoy! If you make something similar, I would love to hear about it! You can tag me on instagram, use the hashtag #sevenlayercharlotte, or let me know in the comments on this post!

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