It’s Earth Month! Earth Day is tomorrow and I’m so so excited to share this post with you all about upcycling, zero waste food recipes, cleaning out that fridge and pantry and all with delicious recipe ideas! The star of the show is this roasted veggie and rice vegan buddha bowl. It’s drizzled with an amazingly creamy vegan lemon herb sauce, with optional added spice. You’re going to lick the bowl clean with this one, all the while reducing your footprint on the earth, being one step closer to a zero waste home, and cooking up a delicious healthy recipe that can use anything you’ve got on hand! How’s that for celebrating mother nature? Bam. You are awesome.
If you’re anything like me, you get to the end of the week and see those sad left behind vegetables in the fridge that you just didn’t get to. You hate to waste, but you don’t know what to do with them so you look the other way and eventually they rot. Such a sad ending. But this can change! I am here to show you how to take those veggies and give them a makeover! This vegan buddha bowl will bring them to life, upcycle them into something bigger and better! ZERO waste. ALL the taste.
This roasted veggie and rice power bowl recipe works with just about any veggie you have on hand. It can also incorporate any type of bean and any type of rice! Feeling frisky? You can even use quinoa 😉 It’s so simple: roast veggies and beans, cook rice. Then throw them together with this insane lemon herb sauce and you are good to go! My favorite trick to getting this sauce creamy as can be is using one of Silk’s dairy free milks. The sauce is almond based, so the almond milk fits right in. But the cashew adds an extra layer of flavor and creamy too. And if you’re really feeling like mixing it up you can try the coconut milk! The coconut flavor blends so well with the lemon and herb in this sauce. You will never guess it’s vegan!
Speaking of Silk, my love for this company just grows and grows. They are huge Earth Day supporters and promote plant-based living like no other. If you haven’t yet, definitely check them out and you can even sign up for their newsletter to get all things dairy free, including awesome coupons, right to your inbox. All their products are non-GMO, gluten free, and free of all those yucky ingredients you don’t want to put into your body.
PS, see that adorable sign? It was made for me by my amazing friend What Cho Sign because I am sauce obsessed!! I have so many sauces on the blog!!
So who likes the earth?! Who wants to finish the week with zero waste?! The night before I go grocery shopping, if my refrigerator and pantry are practically empty I get giddy inside. Is that weird? Anyone else love the feeling that you used almost every single thing you bought? Well if so, make this roasted veggie and wild rice buddha bowl! The creamy lemon herb sauce is the clincher. So flavorful and the perfect pair to this vegan power bowl. Let’s say it again: ZERO waste. ALL the taste!!!
Here are a few other recipes that can help you use up those sad lonely veggies:
- Roasted Veggies and Pasta
- Vegan Rolled Tacos (use any mix of veggies instead)
- The Original Vegan Veggie Bean Burger
- The Stuffed Veggie Bean Burger
If you try this awesome vegan power bowl recipe (or any of these other ones), please don’t forget to let me know how good it felt to upcycle those sad lonely veggies! Use these zero waste recipes over and over to keep your kitchen clean and help reduce the waste. I promise, it feels so good! Leave me a comment here, find me on Instagram (tag me at veggiesdontbite AND #veggiesdontbite so I don’t miss it) or on Facebook! I absolutely love love love hearing all you have to say!
Sophia DeSantis | Veggies Dont Bite
Yields 1 bowl, sauce makes 2 cups
Celebrate Earth Day with zero waste recipes! Start with this roasted veggies and wild rice vegan buddha bowl topped with a spicy creamy lemon herb sauce.
Save Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of mixed veggies (whatever you have in your fridge)
- 2 tablespoons veggie broth for roasting veggies
- dash of Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper (optional but not necessarily needed since you have sauce to top it off)
- 1 cup rice (I used wild rice but whatever you have or is your favorite)
- 1/2 cup cooked beans (I used garbanzo but any of your favorite beans work)
- 3/4 cup raw almonds
- 1 1/2 cup Silk almond or cashew milk (or use coconut for an added layer of flavor)
- 6 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove raw garlic
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1- 3 teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce (optional for spice)
- 1/4 - 3/4 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt to taste (see note)
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped chives
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Rinse beans if using canned, or cook according to package directions if using dry.
- Wash and chop veggies into bite size pieces. Mix with beans, veggie broth and dash of salt and pepper (if using). Spread onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Even though different veggies bake at different times, I like mixing everything together and baking at that perfect 15 minute mark. This leaves some veggies al dente and some a little more cooked, which gives a great variety of textures to the recipe. The only exception is potatoes that would need to be kept separate and cooked longer.
- While veggies are cooking, cook rice and make lemon herb sauce. Place all ingredients except for herbs into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add herbs and pulse until the herbs are chopped into fine pieces but still visible.
- Once veggies are done put rice in a bowl , top with veggie and bean mix and drizzle as much lemon herb sauce as you desire! Dig in and know you are taking steps to reduce your footprint on this earth.
Notes
This recipe is made to use up any foods you have in your kitchen as a focus on upcycling, zero waste and earth day. Any combination works great. See recipe for directions on potatoes. This is for one bowl, multiply ingredients by how many bowls you want to prepare. For sauce, you can add more or less milk depending on what you want to use it for. Adding more will make it more of a drizzle or dressing, less makes it more of a dip. Add 1 teaspoon hot sauce for just a touch of flavor and spice, add 3 for a spicier sauce. Feel free to add less or more too, I always love more! The amount of salt you need correlates to the hot sauce type and amount you use. Some have more salt than others, start with no salt after adding the desired amount of hot sauce, then add 1/4 teaspoon at a time until you get the right saltiness. If you don’t add any hot sauce, use 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Tips to prep ahead: Roast veggies, make rice and lemon herb sauce.
Baby/kid food idea: Roast veggies until very soft. Puree with cooked rice and beans for younger baby or cut up into small pieces for older baby. For toddler make sauce mild and use as a dipping sauce for the veggies.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
My biggest “thing”! Never WASTE food! There is a use for every little scrap 😉
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…Chili Lime Plantain Crusted Chicken
There sure is! Right in this bowl smothered in sauce! LOL
This looks fabulous, Sophia! I’m dying over that lemon herb sauce. I want to use it for anything and everything! Stunning pictures too 😉
Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes recently posted…Healthy Vegan Snacks for Kids & Teens (Savory Edition)
Thank you Vanessa! It’s such a good sauce. My mom says it’s her favorite one I’ve made so far!
That’s a great combination of ingredients to celebrate earth day/week. Love that wild rice, it looks great in that bowl.
Thanks Mark! I love wild rice too!
This looks so good, Sophia!
Becky Striepe recently posted…Vegan S’Mores Cream Pie
Thanks Becky!
I love sauces too. They are a great way to complete a dish. Your bowl looks so beautiful and filled with healthy ingredients.
Thanks Christie! Sauces are my favorite!
This is simply stunning! I’m with you – bowls like this one are a great way to use up all of those veggies in the fridge. No veggie left behind 🙂
Alexa [fooduzzi.com] recently posted…Almond Butter Avocado Pesto
Wow, thanks Alexa! No veggie left behind is a perfect mantra!
I totally feel ya on the giddiness of an almost empty fridge and/or pantry. I LOVE the feeling I get when I know I used it all and didn’t waste! I thought I was the only one! 🙂 And this sauce looks so perfect to drizzle over all of the spring dishes I can think of…including this delicious buddha bowl! Yum!
Jenn recently posted…Orange Cauliflower
Isn’t it the best?! You’d love the sauce!! It’s a great add on for so much. Thank you Jenn!
Oh wow, this looks amazing!! That creamy sauce is calling to me! What a great, hearty and filling meal!
Thanks Annie, the creamy sauce is so good! It’s definitely a perfect hearty meal!
This is my kind of meal <3 I just want to drizzle that lemon herb sauce on anything and everything!! I'm thinking it would make a great sweet potato fry dip. And that sign is too cute!
Happy Earth day Sophia!!
Leah M | love me, feed me recently posted…maple soy tofu sushi bowl
OOOH, yes perfect for sweet potato fries!! Thank you so much Leah!
I really like the healthy but more importantly, the textures and the dressing. I have just started using almond milk and really like it. I need more recipes and now I have one.
Thanks Peter! Isn’t having different textures fun? This is perfect for using up that almond milk!
Now this is my kinda sauce! Creamy and tangy–yes yes yes <3 I just used up a sad old head of broccoli and some getting funky mushrooms last night, they would've been better with this sauce though!
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit recently posted…Comment on Strawberry Banana Pop Tarts (vegan + GF) by Celina
Thank you Natalie! Mushrooms are the worst at going bad. I have a kind I buy though that I can slice and put in a glass sealed container and they tend to last me forever! Love it!
Love your zero-waste concept! Yay! I do hate throwing away food, so this is a great idea to keep on hand. That sauce — on pretty much anything — would be amazing!
Thanks Patricia! Yes, I sauce up just about anything. LOL!
Sophia, this bowl looks absolutely divine!!!! Especially with this tangy sauce! I am in love with that handmade sign…so perfect for you! We do that in our house – clean out the fridge salads or veggie bowls, but the wild rice you used for this makes it look a bit fancy…I like it! We already used up our lemons and all I have left are limes, otherwise I’d totally make this to go with our dinner tonight! Great post, my friend! <3
Thank you Mandy! Ha! Fancy me. LOL. I love wild rice. SO nutty and yum. Let me know if you ever try it! The sauce is so yummy!!
Great reminder about food waste! I love these “whatever you have in the fridge” type recipes 🙂 they’re easy and make use of leftover veggies- saving money and the environment! That sauce looks delicious and I love your sauce sign 🙂
Mel @ The Refreshanista recently posted…Caprese Pizza on Naan Bread
Thanks so much! I love these type of recipes too which is why I knew I wanted to post about it!
Looks great. The sauce sounds tasty, thanks a lot
Keith @ How’s it Lookin? recently posted…Chocolate Mousse Tart Recipe
Thanks Keith!
This looks like my dream lunch! I love big billowing veggie bowls at lunch and that dressing looks like the perfect topper.
Alisa Fleming recently posted…Spring Quinoa Bowl with Healthy Hollandaise Sauce
Thanks Alisa! It’s a great veggie and sauce goodness filled bowl!!
That sauce. HOLYYYYYYYYYYYY deliciousness!
I am all for avoiding food waste as much as possible – and using edible bit of your veggies!
Kristy @ Southern In Law recently posted…Recent Things: DIY-ing, Tall Girl Problems and Deliciousness
Ha! Thanks so much Kristy!!
Such a lovely idea to celebrate earth day with a zero waste dish. And it looks SO good. Pinned!
Aimee / Wallflower Kitchen recently posted…Tropical Fruit Smoothie Bowl from ‘Superfood Breakfasts’ + Giveaway!
Thank you Aimee! I hate waste and clutter so I love cleaning out the fridge!
I’m all for not wasting food..this sauce is quite rich with nuts And nut milk…and so flavorful!! Looking fwd to try it out.
Thanks Pragati! It’s a great creamy sauce!
As lovely as rice and veggie bowls are they need a killer sauce to really take them to the next level. it looks like you delivered! It sounds great and I would happily devour any bowl of food with that drizzled over!
[email protected] recently posted…Chocolate Tahini Crunch Bars
Thank you Mel! Totally agree, sauce makes the world go round!
That sauce looks amazing! I’m all about easy, healthy bowls, and not wasting. That sign is fabulous! Love the color.
Linda @ Veganosity recently posted…What I Ate Wednesday & Training for a Marathon on a Vegan Diet
Thanks so much Linda! Easy is where it’s at right now. Isn’t the sign amazing?!
That looks heavenly. In fact it’s nearly dinner time, so if I could just have one of those bowls that would be excellent!
Thanks so much! Wish I could have given you one!
This is such a perfect meal for the coming weekend. I love that you used wild rice and the lemon-herb sauce looks delicious.
Molly Kumar recently posted…Microwave Besan Ladoo (Indian Chickpea Fudge)
Thanks Molly! I love wild rice, such a great texture!
Okay, I want to put that sauce on everything!!! I love that you drizzled it so beautifully over those veggies! Such a simple and lovely meal 🙂
Ceara @ Ceara’s Kitchen recently posted…Buttermilk Vegan Cornbread Muffins
Thank you Ceara! I had the leftover sauce in a tub and literally dipped so much in it! Leo ate it with a spoon, LOL!
This is TOTALLY my kind of meal! Loads of green veggies and a lemon cream sauce! That’s all I need for a happy lunch and a filling one, at that! I love the fresh herbs, yum. I had a HUGE salad today for lunch with some falafel with Olivia…we spent the day out on the town just having fun and while the salad was good, this would have been even better…and without the oil, LOL! It looks absolutely perfect for the warm weather too!
The Vegan 8 recently posted…Creamy Vegan White Wine Sauce with Peppers & Pasta
Thanks lady! You’d love the sauce. SO flavorful! Your salad sounds amazing, but yes homemade feels a little better on the belly. And homemade that you don’t have to make is the best! LOL! Wish you were here and so I can make you one!
This looks amazing! I love that you are promoting zero waste for earth day (and forever), we try so hard to use everything up, so it is always good to have more recipes to use up leftover veggies in the fridge at the end of the week.
Donna recently posted…Spicy Chipotle Tofu Burrito Bowl
It’s the best feeling! Look out for more zero waste ideas coming!
This looks so good and healthy, Sophia! And that sauce! Yummy! 🙂
Vegan Heaven recently posted…Vegan Risotto with Asparagus and Mushrooms
Thank you Sina! The sauce is delish!!
OMG, what a delicious looking buddha bowl!! I’m totally sold 😀
Thanks Howie!!
Love bowls like this! It’s my lunch at least once a week. The sauce sounds delicious!
Thanks Anjali! The sauce is awesome.
Yummy! I made this for dinner last night with brown rice, broccoli, brussels sprouts, mushrooms and garbanzos! I only had cashews on hand for the sauce. It turned out a little sweet but we just added more hot sauce. Our hot sauce of choice was Cholula! Thanks for the delish recipe and the great idea for zero waste eating!
Awe thanks Lisa!!! So glad you liked it and the extra hot sauce definitely works to help that sweetness. And plus, hot sauce rocks. Love you friend!
Love bowls like this that come together so easily…and the sauce always makes it, right? This lemony sauce sounds amazing!!! Perfect for spring!
Caroline recently posted…Toasted Coconut White Russian
Thank you Caroline!! Sauce for days over here….