Japanese Buddha Bowl Meal Prep
This Japanese Buddha bowl meal prep guide is here to help you work more Japanese flavors and textures into your plant-based meals. The example bowl features tofu, sweet potato, mixed grains, and seaweed salad, It includes a tangy, nutty toasted sesame dressing that is really versatile.
Servings: 5
Calories: 473kcal
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet potato roasted
- 3/4 cup mixed grains
- 1 pound tofu baked
- 1 Tablespoon fueru wakame rehydrated and drained
- 3 cups lettuce romaine, chopped
- 2 carrots shredded
- 1 cucumber sliced
- 2 avocados sliced
- 2 red radishes sliced
- 1 cup corn kernels canned, drained
Sesame dressing
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 4 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- 3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Cook mixed grains according to the instructions on the package or per your preferred recipe.
- You may buy the tofu pre-baked or cook it according to the recipe listed in the notes. Slice the tofu once baked.
Make the sesame dressing
- Toast the sesame seeds for 2 minutes in a 425-degree oven, just enough so that the seeds start to release their oil. You can do this while the sweet potato is cooking.
- Grind the sesame seeds in a coffee grinder or spice grinder. Be sure to clean any coffee residue out of the grinder beforehand.
- Combine the ground sesame seeds and other ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Mix well.
Assemble the meal prep bowls
- If you intend to use meal prep containers, divide each of the cooked ingredients (sweet potato, grains, and tofu) and the raw ones (lettuce, fueru wakame, cucumber, corn, carrot, and avocado) evenly among the containers. Divide sauce into small cups and store the cups inside the meal prep containers.
- Alternatively, you can wait until just before you plan to eat. Prepare a bowl with sweet potato, grains, and tofu. Reheat in the microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. Add the cold ingredients, then top with sauce.
Notes
You can find the recipe links for the sweet potato and tofu here:
Easy Baked Tofu
Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes
If you need to roast sweet potatoes with minimal active cooking time, preheat oven to 425F, prick potato several times with a fork, and bake for 50 minutes.
The portions provided in the recipe are given as an example, for five meals for one person. Based on your own eating habits and nutritional needs, feel free to tweak the quantities.
If you make the bowl for meal prep and want your veggies (including the avocado) to be as fresh as possible, you should cut the same day you plan to eat them.
The fueru wakame comes dehydrated and a small amount goes a very long way. Be careful when portioning this out for the first time.
You can substitute cooked spinach for the fueru wakame.
The bowl can be served cold. If you do want to reheat, remove the raw avocado, lettuce, and cucumber before doing so, and add it back afterward.
Packaged salad greens make a good substitute for the lettuce.
If you can get your hands on some umezuke plums, try a few slices of one with the Buddha bowl. It’s a garnish unlike any other.
Nutrition facts do not include the sauce.
The recipe will likely produce more sauce than you need. It will keep for a week in the fridge and can be used on practically anything.
Nutrition
Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 473mg | Potassium: 1378mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 170mg | Iron: 7.7mg