This Healthy Salmon Buddha Bowl with Roasted Vegetables is an easy recipe using flavorful ingredients to make a balanced meal! These Salmon Buddha Bowls are topped with a tangy peanut butter dressing, adding a flavorful, protein-packed twist that pairs perfectly with the roasted vegetables and flaky baked salmon.
Balanced meals and easy weeknight dinners are always popular with New Year's resolutions and diets. This Buddha bowl is a meal that you can make and enjoy all year long! The main ingredients are cooked together on a sheet pan for simple meal prep and cleanup. The quinoa and tangy peanut butter sauce are cooked on the side and can be used for more simple weeknight meals! In my opinion, this is the best way to prepare meals!
Looking for more simple dinners? Try this Honey Butter Old Bay Salmon. This sheet pan dinner cooks together for a simple and flavorful dinner in less than 30 minutes! Or, try this Curry Shrimp Quinoa Bowl. This power bowl recipe uses a similar tangy peanut sauce to this recipe and is another great meal prep option!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Meal
- Easy dinner for busy weeknights! Spare yourself the cleanup by making this one-pan wonder of a dinner!
- Nutritious and balanced meal! This bowl is packed with healthy ingredients like salmon, chickpeas, and quinoa. These ingredients are paired with wholesome Brussels sprouts and butternut squash for a complete meal in one bowl!
- Bursting with flavor! Who says healthy has to taste bad? This tangy peanut butter dressing elevates the bowl by pairing perfectly with the salmon, nutty chickpeas, and earthy quinoa.
Ingredients
Grab these wholesome ingredients and get ready to make an easy weeknight dinner recipe!
- Salmon is used as the lean protein in this bowl. Salmon is a great option because it is rich in fatty acids and is simple to cook.
- Quinoa is the grain base. This grain is a complete protein but is also light and absorbs the flavor of the salmon, vegetables, and peanut sauce.
- Butternut squash and Brussels sprouts are roasted together to release their natural sweetness and add a deep, savory flavor to the bowls.
- Chickpeas add a subtle crunch and a plant-based protein source.
- The peanut butter sauce is made from smooth, natural peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey.
- Salt and black pepper are used to season the vegetables, salmon, and chickpeas.
See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
Substitutions
- Replace the salmon with another lean protein such as shrimp or chicken.
- Substitute the quinoa for brown or white rice to make salmon rice bowls! Cauliflower rice can also be used.
- Use your favorite vegetables in place of the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. Roasted sweet potatoes, broccoli, bell peppers, and kale would pair well with the salmon and quinoa.
- Instead of using chickpeas, top your bowl with crunchy peanuts!
- For an easy option, replace the homemade peanut butter sauce with a store-bought teriyaki sauce.
Variations
- As written, this recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
- For a low carbohydrate option, use cauliflower rice.
- To make this recipe vegan, remove the salmon and add more chickpeas.
- Add toppings such as sesame seeds or green onions for extra crunch!
- To make this into a salad, add leafy greens and lightly top the salad with the quinoa.
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Spatula
- Small pot
- Small food processor
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the Brussels sprouts and butternut squash to a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 20 minutes.
Step 2: White the vegetables are roasting, cook the quinoa according to package directions.
Step 3: To make the peanut butter sauce, add all of the sauce ingredients (peanut butter, water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and honey) to a small food processor. Pulse until the sauce is smooth and combined. If the dressing appears too thick, add a teaspoon of water and pulse until smooth and desired consistency is reached.
Step 4: Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pour chickpeas onto a clean dish towel and dry them.
Step 5: After 20 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Use a spatula to toss the vegetables. Add the salmon pieces and chickpeas to the sheet pan. Drizzle with remaining EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes until the salmon reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 6: Build your bowl! To a small bowl, add quinoa, salmon, Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and chickpeas. Drizzle with peanut butter sauce and enjoy!
Top tip
Use frozen butternut squash! This butternut squash is already chopped for you. By using frozen squash, eliminate peeling, removing the seeds, and chopping the squash!
For more flavorful quinoa, cook in vegetable broth instead of water.
Storage
Allow any leftovers to cool completely to room temperature. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Enjoy leftovers cold or reheat them in the microwave. If quinoa appears dry, add a splash of water before microwaving.
FAQ
A Buddha bowl is a nutritious meal made from 5 key elements: protein, grain, vegetables, dressing, and toppings.
To meal prep this Buddha bowl recipe, roast the vegetables, chickpeas, and salmon. Cook the quinoa. Blend the dressing. Store the vegetables and chickpeas in one container and the remaining ingredients (salmon, quinoa, and peanut butter sauce) in separate airtight containers. When ready to serve, assemble the Buddha bowls!
Yes, a Salmon Buddha Bowl is considered healthy! Lean salmon, protein-rich quinoa, healthy vegetables, and fibrous chickpeas are combined with a tangy peanut butter dressing on top to create a well-balanced meal that everyone will enjoy!
To make this Salmon Buddha Bowl spicy, replace the peanut butter sauce with spicy mayo! You can also add some heat by adding a little chili paste to the bowl.
Because the salmon is chopped and cooked in bite-size pieces for this recipe, I prefer to remove the skin. However, you can keep the skin on the salmon and cook the entire salmon filets. Cook the salmon skin side down and peel the skin off after cooking. Be sure to check the internal temperature as the cooking time may be slightly longer.
Related
Looking for other simple dinner recipes? Try one of these!
Pairing
These are my favorite side dishes to pair with Buddha bowls:
📖 Recipe
Healthy Salmon Buddha Bowl with Roasted Vegetables
Equipment
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Parchment Paper or Aluminum Foil
- Rimmed Baking Sheet
- Spatula
- Small pot
- Small Food Processor
Ingredients
Buddha Bowl
- 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 pounds Salmon Filets cut into bite size pieces
- 1 pound Brussels Sprouts stems removed and sliced in half
- 1 Butternut Squash chopped into bite size pieces
- 1 cup Quinoa
- 2 cups Vegetable Broth
- 14 ounces Chickpeas
- ⅓ cup Peanut Butter
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 4 tablespoon Warm Water
- 1 Garlic Clove- Minced
- ½ tablespoon Minced Ginger
- 2 tablespoon Honey
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Place the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts on the baking sheet. Toss with 2 tablespoons EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Use vegetable broth in place of water if possible.
- While butternut squash and brussels sprouts are roasting, drain and rinse chickpeas. Spread chickpeas out on a clean towel to dry.
- After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven. Using a spatula, toss the butternut squash and Brussels sprouts. Add chickpeas and salmon to the pan. Toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of EVOO and season with salt and pepper. . Cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the peanut butter dressing by combining the peanut butter, soy sauce, warm water, minced garlic, minced ginger and honey to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- To assemble bowls, put quinoa in bowl. Place brussels sprouts, butternut squash, chickpeas and spinach on top of quinoa. Drizzle with Peanut Butter Dressing. Serve hot or cold.
Leave a Reply