Don’t lie. When you make a salad, it’s mostly an array of whatever vegetables you have on hand. Maybe you’ll throw in a piece of chicken or a hard-boiled egg if you’re feeling fancy, but that is the extent of your culinary expertise when it comes to salads. That’s where the philosophy of the Buddha bowl comes in.

A Buddha bowl is a meal in which the bowl you’re eating from is so full that it has the appearance of a “rounded belly,” similar to Buddha’s. It also requires that you fulfill three ingredient requirements: veggies or fruits, a starch and a protein. Buddha bowls are often vegetarian or vegan, but it’s not a requirement.

Not sure where to start on your journey to inner (food) peace? This Asian-inspired Buddha bowl recipe can help.

Medium

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 1

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

Ingredients:

1 cup spinach
1 baby sweet pepper
4 grape tomatoes
1/3 cup cucumbers
¼ cup carrots cut in long strips
½ cup frozen edamame
1 egg
1 cup rice noodles
1 salmon filet, skin removed
Ginger and sesame salad dressing

Directions

1. Start boiling water in two pots for the egg and noodles.

2. While the water is starting to boil, grease a pan and start cooking salmon on medium heat. Flip the salmon once it is cooked halfway through.

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

3. Once water in both pots is boiling, add egg to one and turn down to medium heat. Cook the egg for 10 minutes.

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

4. In the other pot, add rice noodles for two to three minutes.

5. Drain noodles and place in a bowl in the refrigerator to cool.

6. While the egg and salmon are cooking, rinse and cut vegetables then place in bowl.

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

 

7. Place frozen edamame in a microwave safe bowl, add a little water and cook for 3 minutes.

8. Remove edamame from pod and add to salad.

9. Drain hot water from egg, then peel, slice and add the egg to salad.

Photo by Justin Shannin

10. Add chilled rice noodles on top of salad.

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

11. Cut salmon and add to salad.

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

12. Add desired amount of dressing.

buddha

Photo by Hannah Cather

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How to Make a Buddha Bowl

 

 

Get the hang of this one, and soon, you can create any zen-like concoction with whatever is in your fridge.

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