Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl

5 from 3 votes

This Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl is a vibrant, nutritious meal! Roasted sweet potatoes are served over fluffy quinoa, paired with black beans, and topped with a refreshing cilantro-parsley sauce.

Prep Time40

Cook Time27

Total Time1 7

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $9.25

Equipment

Large sheet pan (15" x 21") 15 x 21-inch

Ingredients

Herb Sauce

3 to 4 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 lime
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro about 1 full bunch
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley about 1 full bunch
Salt and pepper

Quinoa

1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth or water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Seasoned Roasted Sweet Potatoes

2 pounds sweet potatoes about 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
Toppings as desired see note 1

US - Metric

Instructions

Herb Sauce: In a large mason jar (see note 2), add finely chopped garlic cloves, red wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice. Add olive oil, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and honey. Seal and shake to combine. Finely chop parsley to get a full 1/2 cup (some stems are fine). Finely chop cilantro to get 1/2 cup. Add the 1/2 cup parsley and 1/2 cup cilantro to the jar and stir to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I use 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Seal, shake, and place in the fridge overnight or let stand at room temperature while preparing everything else.
Quinoa: In a medium pot, add quinoa (rinse in a fine mesh sieve first to remove saponin coating), vegetable broth, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover with a lid. Let cook 12–17 minutes or until water is mostly absorbed. Remove from heat, keeping the lid on, and let stand 15–20 minutes. Remove lid and fluff quinoa with a fork.
Sweet Potatoes: Preheat oven to 425°F. Peel and cube sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Add to a large sheet pan (15x21 inches) along with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, cumin, and garlic powder. Season to taste (I add 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Toss to coat sweet potatoes, then spread in an even layer. You don’t want potatoes overlapping or they’ll steam instead of roast. Flip every 10–15 minutes, cooking for a total of 27–35 minutes. Once potatoes are crisp tender, remove from oven and pour drained and rinsed black beans on the pan. Toss to combine.
Divide quinoa evenly among bowls. Top with the seasoned sweet potato and bean mixture. Add 1/4 of a thinly sliced avocado to each bowl, along with some lime wedges if desired. Drizzle sauce generously over bowls (you may not use it all; sauce will keep for 5 days in the fridge). Enjoy!

Notes

Note 1: Toppings: 1 large avocado, 1 fresh lime, optional: additional parsley for garnish).

Note 2: I like the sauce best with hand-chopped herbs, but if you’re looking to save some time, here’s how to make chimichurri in a food processor:

Add all ingredients except the parsley, cilantro, and olive oil to a food processor; use a mini-prep processor if possible.
Pulse to chop—you want ingredients finely minced here.
Add herbs—again pulse to chop, but this time you want the herbs to be a little more coarse (they’ll soften as they sit).
Drizzle in oil—while the processor is running, drizzle in the oil to help thicken the sauce and chop the herbs a little more. Again, you don’t want this sauce to be smooth as it’s best with texture.

Storage: Store the assembled Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl in an airtight container, keeping the sauce separate. Both can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. Add the sauce before serving and reheat if needed.

Nutrition