Black-Eyed Pea Buddha Bowl (Printable version)

Vibrant bowl with black-eyed peas, roasted vegetables, quinoa, and tahini dressing

# Ingredient list:

→ Grain Base

01 - 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Roasted Vegetables

04 - 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
06 - 1 small red onion, sliced
07 - 1 small zucchini, sliced
08 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
09 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
10 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Black-Eyed Peas

11 - 2 cups cooked black-eyed peas or 1 can drained and rinsed
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
13 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

→ Fresh Ingredients

14 - 2 cups baby spinach or kale
15 - 1 avocado, sliced
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped

→ Tahini Dressing

17 - 1/4 cup tahini
18 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
19 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
20 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
21 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
22 - Salt to taste

# Step-by-step guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
02 - Toss sweet potato, bell pepper, red onion, and zucchini with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and golden brown.
03 - Rinse quinoa under cold water. Combine quinoa, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
04 - In a small skillet over medium heat, warm black-eyed peas with cumin and garlic powder for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through.
05 - In a bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, water, minced garlic, and salt until smooth. Add additional water as needed to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Divide quinoa between four bowls. Top with roasted vegetables, black-eyed peas, and fresh spinach or kale.
07 - Drizzle tahini dressing over bowls. Garnish with avocado slices and chopped herbs. Serve immediately.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks on parallel timelines, so you're genuinely done in under an hour without standing over the stove.
  • The tahini dressing is so creamy and rich that no one misses dairy, and honestly, it's addictive straight from the bowl.
  • You can prep components ahead and assemble in minutes, making it perfect for meal prep or surprising yourself with a restaurant-quality lunch.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa—it has a coating called saponin that tastes bitter and soapy if not removed, a mistake I only made once.
  • The tahini dressing gets thicker as it sits, so make it right before serving or thin it out again with a splash of water.
  • Avocado oxidizes quickly, so slice it as close to assembly time as possible, or toss it gently in lemon juice to slow browning.
03 -
  • Prep your vegetables the night before and store them in the fridge; roasting them fresh in the morning takes minutes and your kitchen smells incredible during breakfast.
  • Cook a double batch of quinoa and freeze it in portions—you'll have the hardest part done and lunch becomes genuinely simple.
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