Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Buddha Bowl
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Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Buddha Bowl
Indulge in the goodness of our Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Buddha Bowl recipe—an ideal choice for a nutritious lunch, a simple weeknight dinner, or meal prep sessions. Packed with essential nutrients, this bowl features a creamy, garlicky mashed potato base, crowned with perfectly seasoned roasted chickpeas + broccoli. Completely Dairy-free + Vegan.
I'm so excited to share another bowl creation with you all! After the massive hit of my recent Vegan Fall Harvest Farro Bowl and Maple Chili Sweet Potato Bowl I wanted to create another tasty nourishing bowl for y'all---Just keeping it real – this bowl was totally born out of another 'clean out the fridge' moment. But you know what? My family absolutely loved this Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Buddha Bowl-------So, of course, I had to share it with you! This mashed potato bowl is oh-so delicious, trust me.
If you're on the lookout for more delicious bowls like this one, then the Vegan Jamaican Power Bowl, the Jerk Vegetable Farro Bowl, or, of course, the Easy Green Goddess Buffalo Chicken Bowl are excellent options to mix things up.
This Buddah bowl is healthy + flavor-packed-- It's the kind of dish that brings warmth and satisfaction to the table thanks to the creamy mashed potatoes! If you are a potato fan (Who isn't?!? Haha) then be sure to try my Loaded Potatoes with Spicy Beans and the Best Loaded Sweet Potato Mash
Jump to:
- What is a Buddha Bowl/Grain Bowl + It's Components?
- How To Make A Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowl
- Ingredients
- What You’ll Love Most About This Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowl
- Tips For The PERFECT Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Do You Eat Buddha Bowls Hot or Cold?
- The Humble Chickpea's Health Benefits
- Can I Add More More Ingredients to this Bowl?
- Best Sauces + Dressings To Go With This Bowl
- Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Bowl Q + A's
- More Easy Meatless Weeknight Meals
- MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
- Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Bowl
What is a Buddha Bowl/Grain Bowl + It's Components?
Whelp, basically a Buddha Bowl is a nourishing one-dish meal that has a little bit of everything. Generally, it consists of rice or grains, roasted veggies, a dressing, and a protein (usually beans, tofu, lentils, + sometimes meats + fish). In short, Buddha Bowls are made with the main focus on clean eating and was created based on Chinese + Japanese medicine principles.
How To Make A Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowl
Essentially, there is some prep work involved, but once that's done, it becomes super easy to assemble and enjoy this chickpea-loaded bowl. You'll need to boil and mash your potatoes, as well as cook the chickpeas before assembling it all together.
Ingredients
Here's a list of what you'll need when making this delicious Buddha Bowl recipe:
Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
- Potatoes. Peeled + diced. You can use any type of potatoes that your heart desires I love Yukon for its creaminess.
- Vegan butter. Adds creaminess, richness, and a buttery flavor without dairy. I like the brands Miyoko's, Earth Balance, or Country Crock.
- Almond milk. Provides the creaminess and moisture needed to achieve the desired mashed potato texture. Learn how to make almond milk from scratch!
- Sea salt + black pepper. Enhances the overall flavor and helps to season the potatoes
- Garlic powder. For that signature garlicky taste. (Optional)
Roasted Chickpea + Broccoli:
- Chickpeas. Drained + rinsed
- Broccoli heads. Chopped in florets
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I use Primal Kitchen
- Cajun seasoning. You can use either store-bought or homemade!
- Red pepper flakes. To add a little spice, omit if you don't like spice.
- Sea salt + black pepper.
- Herbs + seasonings. Ground cumin, smoked paprika + dried parsley
- pinch of cayenne pepper
SHOP MY FAVORITE TOOLS FOR BAKING, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS BOWL!
Here, I’ve curated a list of baking + cooking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite dishes, especially with this Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowl recipe. Everything from my fave loaf pan, wooden spoons, parchment paper, and more. SEE THEM HERE!
Want to learn more about a plant-based diet? Check out my article on How to Best Transition into a Plant-Based or Vegan Diet, which best explains how to keep your focus and continue on with eating healthy.
What You’ll Love Most About This Chickpea Broccoli Buddha Bowl
- Fully loaded + filling!!!
- It’s super easy to make.
- Makes for a great weeknight meal or a laidback weekend dinner.
- So well seasoned and full of texture---with hints of spicy, sweet, + herby flavors!
- Great for meal prepping + make aheads for the week!
- Super customizable
- Did I mention, it’s just delicious? Both kids + adults approved!
And just absolutely wholesome and perfect for any kind of weather.
Tips For The PERFECT Vegan Mashed Potatoes
Here are some essential tips to ensure your mashed potatoes turn out perfectly:
Mash thoroughly--Use a potato masher or hand mixer. This method will yield creamy and smooth mashed potatoes.
Potato selection--The type of potato you choose makes a difference. For classic mashed potatoes, opt for russet potatoes. Yukon gold or red potatoes can also work well.
Milk matters--Make sure to use unsweetened, unflavored plant-based milk. You definitely don't want vanilla-flavored mashed potatoes! Warm the milk before adding it to the potatoes. This keeps the potatoes hot and helps them absorb the milk more effectively.
Quality vegan butter-- Choose a high-quality vegan butter that you enjoy, like Miyoko's, Earth Balance, or Country Crock. The right vegan butter can make a significant difference in the flavor and texture of your mashed potatoes.
Do You Eat Buddha Bowls Hot or Cold?
Either way works! There is really no right or wrong way to have a buddha bowl, that is the beauty of them they are so versatile and can be changed to suit your preferences. This particular one I would recommend enjoying warm with the creamy potatoes but it would be just as nice cold straight out of the fridge!
The Humble Chickpea's Health Benefits
For those of you who aren’t aware, another name for Chickpeas are Garbanzo Beans. Despite the most recent craze, chickpeas have been around for thousand of years and originate from the Middle East.
Chickpeas have such a great texture and nutty flavor, which allows them to successfully pair well with a lot of other ingredients, especially in vegan and/or vegetarian recipes.
When it comes to the health benefits of Chickpea, here a few awesome reasons why you should probably add this simple ingredient to your diet more often:
- Packed with Nutrients + have a moderate amount of calories!
- Rich in Plant-Based Proteins!
- Support Blood Sugar Control.
- Full of Fiber + might aide digestion.
- May protect against Chronic Diseases (such as heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, etc.)
- May Help keep your appetite under control (Think about how protein + fiber helps to slow down digestion, therefore keeping you full longer!).
Can I Add More More Ingredients to this Bowl?
Definitely! While the ingredients in this chickpea bowl recipe are perfect as is, I wanted to share a few more ideas of ingredients that you can add in case you make this bowl more than once and want to switch things up!
This is a great recipe to mix and match the ingredients/toppings. For added nutrients, fiber, and color, add your favorite veggies + protein.
Here are some additions that would go well in this bowl:
- Greens (i.e. spinach, lettuce, mixed greens, arugula, mustard greens, etc.)
- Shredded chicken, shrimp, steak, and salmon (if you're a meat eater)
- Tofu, mushrooms, tempeh, etc. (Great meat alternatives)
- Homemade croutons, baked tortillas, or pita chips
- Roasted veggies (i.e. asparagus, sweet potatoes, zucchini, brussel sprouts, etc.)
- Boiled or poached eggs
- Roasted herb tomatoes
- Candied bacon (if you're a meat eater)
Best Sauces + Dressings To Go With This Bowl
I'm a fan of adding delicious sauces or dressings to my bowls, and here are a few favorites that would perfectly complement this plant-based bowl.
- Creamy Honey Mustard Dressing
- Creamy Chipotle Dressing
- Homemade Green Goddess Dressing
- Homemade Pesto
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Dressing
Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Bowl Q + A's
Leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Re-heat when ready to serve.
Absolutely! If you’d like to switch things up with the type of plant-based milk that you use for the mashed potatoes—–that’s totally fine! The world of plant-based milk is constantly expanding. From the classics like coconut milk, cashew milk, soy milk and almond milk, we now have delicious options like oat milk, and even potato and quinoa milk.
Absolutely! You can easily adjust the level of spiciness by adding hot sauce, more chili flakes, or your favorite spicy seasoning (Try my Traditional Jamaican Green Seasoning) to the chickpeas or mashed potatoes. Feel free to customize it to your preferred heat level!
Yes, it's perfect for meal prep. You can make a batch ahead of time and store it in the fridge for quick and convenient meals throughout the week.
More Easy Meatless Weeknight Meals
If you enjoyed the Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Bowl, definitely throw these mouthwatering meatless vegan + vegetarian recipes onto your "must-make next" list:
- BBQ Cauliflower Tacos
- Cajun Sweet Potato Grits with Crispy Chickpeas
- Spicy Jamaican Vegan Patties
- Easy Spicy Curry Chickpea + Potatoes
- Meatless Buffalo Ranch Kettle Chip Nachos
- Vegan Jamaican Jerk Walnut Tacos
- Best Vegan Chickpea Meatball Subs
- Sheet Pan Roasted Garlic Buffalo Chickpea Pizza
- Loaded Potatoes with Spicy Beans
- Easy Weeknight Creamy Tuscan Ravioli
MADE OUR RECIPE(S)?
If you tried this Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Bowl recipe or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. And don't forget to tag @orchidsnsweettea_ on Instagram and hashtag it #orchidsandsweettea! I love hearing from you!
Vegan Chickpea + Broccoli Mashed Potato Bowl
Ingredients
Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
- 2 lbs. Yokun potatoes, peeled + diced (See Notes!)
- 2-3 Tbsps vegan butter
- 2 Tbsps Almond milk
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Roasted Chickpea + Broccoli:
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained + rinsed
- 2 medium broccoli heads, chopped in florets
- 1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I use Primal Kitchen)
- 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
For Garlic Mashed Potatoes:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add diced potatoes. Cook for about 30 minutes or so, until potatoes are soft + tender. NOTE: See Notes for Slow Cooker + No-Boil options.
- In the meantime, prep your chickpea + broccoli.
For Roasted Chickpea + Broccoli:
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, add chickpea, broccoli, olive oil, and seasonings, stirring them together until well coated.
- Add chickpea and broccoli to baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing them mid-way until golden brown and crisp.
- Remove from oven and set aside.
- Once fully cooked, drain potatoes and add them to a large bowl, mashing them with a stainless steel potato masher (or fork) until fully broken down. NOTE: I also find it easier to add potatoes to the bowl of an electric mixer, which does wonders!
- Once mashed, add milk, and vegan butter, stirring them together until potatoes become smooth and creamy.
Assembly:
- To assemble, spoon mashed potatoes in your favorite bowl(s) and top with roasted chickpeas and broccoli. Garnish with dried parsley and red pepper flakes, if desired. Wallah.
- Bon Appetit!
Tips & Tricks
- STORAGE: Leftovers can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Re-heat when ready to serve.
- POTATOES: Instead of Yokun potatoes, you can also use baby red potatoes or russet potatoes.
- MAKE AHEAD: All ingredients can be made and individually stored as meal prep and assembled + heated when ready to serve.
- NO-BOIL MASHED POTATOES: To cook them alternatively without boiling---place red potatoes on a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) and lightly dress them with olive oil. Bake in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 25-30 minutes, until tender and knife goes through each potato smoothly. Once done, remove from oven and continue recipe.
- SLOW COOKER OPTION (MASHED POTATOES): Just place the peeled + diced potatoes, veggie broth, and garlic powder into your slow cooker. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours, stirring every hour or so or until tender. Then using a hand masher, mash potatoes until smooth and then stir in vegan butter and milk.
Nutrition
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Just wanted to mention that you forgot the Extra Virgin Olive Oil in the instructions on the chickpea and broccoli part of the recipe. I’m assuming it goes in with the chickpeas broccoli and seasonings in the bowl that is tossed. Hope this helps! Thank you for all you do!
Hi Elliot! Ahhh, yes! I do apologize for any confusion with it being missing in the instructions! Thanks so much for pointing that out! 🙂
So so good!! Easy and quick recipe for such a yummy and healthy result. Thank you!
Hi Michelle! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this! It really is an easy go-to for dinner! 🙂
Has anyone tried the chickpea/broccoli combo in a crock pot? I need to make this for 25 people and that’s way too much time at the stove for me!
Hi Melinda! You can definitely cook the mashed potatoes in a crock pot to help reduce the craze of making such a large quantity! Just place the peeled + diced potatoes, veggie broth, garlic powder and (about 1 tsp; optional) into your slow cooker. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-7 hours, stirring every hour or so or until tender. Then using a hand masher, mash potatoes until smooth and then stir in vegan butter and vegan mozarella cheese. When it comes to the chickpea, you can definitely cook those in a slow cooker as well---just add the seasonings from the recipe. Just be sure to keep out the broccoli (cooked separately by lightly boiling them for 4-5 minutes) until the chickpeas are cooked so that you can just toss them in the sauce with the chickpeas. I hope that this helps!
Awesome thank you!
Anytime! Hope you enjoy!
This is soooooo delicious! Somehow the combo of bbq sauce & spices elevated these simple ingredients to a next-level experience! This is definitely going into our regular dinner rotation 🙂
Hi Bianca! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it! It definitely is a favorite in our house as well! I hope that you find some other great recipes to try! 🙂
I dont understand how the total time is 15 minutes but the very first instruction says boil potatoes for 30 minutes.
Hi! Thanks so much for pointing that out! Updated! Enjoy! 🙂
I really do love mashed potatoes and this looks yummy!
Thanks so much, Immaculate! I really love mashed potatoes also so this dish was perfect for me! Haha!
I love everything about this bowl! Especially the "good for you" ingredients
Thanks so much, Mila! Yes, I love eating my faves with a good healthy twist!
Nothing like good mashed potatoes and this one looks delicious. Love the healthy twist!
Yes, I love mashed potatoes too, Jazz! It's a Southern thing! Haha! But I definitely wanted to keep it healthier for sure!