Mediterranean Buddha Bowl Meal Prep (Printable Version)

Nutrient-packed bowl featuring bulgur, roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and tahini dressing. Ideal for meal prep.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bulgur Pilaf

01 - 1 cup bulgur wheat
02 - 2 cups vegetable broth
03 - 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Roasted Vegetables

08 - 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
09 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
10 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Kale and Chickpeas

14 - 4 cups kale, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
15 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
16 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
17 - Pinch of salt

→ Tahini Dressing

18 - 1/3 cup tahini
19 - Juice of 1 lemon
20 - 1 garlic clove, minced
21 - 2 tablespoons water, or more as needed
22 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
23 - Salt to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F.
02 - Toss eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread on baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and tender.
03 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Sauté shallot until translucent. Stir in bulgur and cumin, toast for 1 minute. Add vegetable broth, bring to boil, then cover and simmer on low for 12-15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with fork, stir in pistachios, and season to taste.
04 - Steam kale for 2-3 minutes until just wilted, or sauté with 1 tablespoon olive oil and pinch of salt for 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
05 - Warm chickpeas in small skillet with drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt for 2-3 minutes.
06 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup or honey, and salt. Add water gradually until smooth and pourable.
07 - Divide bulgur pilaf among meal prep containers or bowls. Arrange roasted vegetables, steamed kale, and chickpeas on top. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better on day three when everything has cozied up together and the tahini dressing seeps into every corner.
  • You can prep it once and eat like you tried on five different days.
  • The tahini dressing is so good you'll want to pour it on literally everything else in your fridge.
  • It's substantial enough to silence the mid-afternoon hunger demons without making you feel heavy.
02 -
  • Don't stir the tahini dressing too much after adding water—a few patient whisks is all it needs to become silky, and over-mixing makes it grainy and sad.
  • The bulgur-to-liquid ratio is genuinely important; use 1 cup bulgur to 2 cups broth and don't get creative here unless you enjoy the texture of wet sand.
03 -
  • If your tahini seizes up and gets grainy when you add lemon juice, you went too fast—whisk in the water more gradually and it'll smooth out like silk.
  • Roast your vegetables on a crowded sheet so they steam slightly and get creamy inside while the edges get crispy; don't spread them too thin or they'll just dry out.
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