If you enjoy healthy plant-based bowls, then this Asian Buddha bowl is a must-try! It combines savory and chewy Oyster mushrooms with rice, vegetables and a simple Asian Buddha bowl dressing. Perfect for lunch and dinner and makes for a filling meal that's completely vegan.
I just cannot get enough of oyster mushrooms since I discovered them a little while ago. Have you tried them yet? If not, this recipe is a sign to do so!
They have a shocking meaty texture, plus such a deep umami flavor that's wonderful and oddly satisfying. I have featured them in these oyster mushroom burgers and this scrumptious creamy oyster mushroom soup, but now this vegan Asian buddha bowl will show you another way to highlight their amazing uniqueness.
This time, I have prepared the oyster mushrooms a little differently by shredding them before marinating them in a delicious Asian sauce. Then, the mushrooms are oven-baked until chewy, golden brown and slightly crispy. A must-try!
This Asian bowl recipe also combines cooked leafy greens and red peppers with fresh veggies for a touch of lightness, such as avocado, crunchy cucumber and shaved purple cabbage. All served over rice and then topped with the BEST sweet and savory Asian buddha bowl dressing.
Let me know if you give it a try! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Filling meal packed with satisfying textures from combining chewy mushrooms, earthy rice, tender leafy greens, crunchy fresh veggies and creamy buddha dressing.
- Features a super simple Asian sauce that bursts with amazing flavor.
- Easy to make and highly customizable.
- Healthy and rich in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants.
- 100% vegan and dairy-free!
🗒 Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Whole grain: brown rice is my go-to for making Buddha bowls for its chewy bite and impressive nutrition. Plus, I find it easy to cook brown rice using my Instant Pot. But, you can use any whole grain that you prefer, such as basmati rice, quinoa, barley or farro. Asian-style noodles would also be great! Try udon, soba or rice vermicelli.
- Oyster mushrooms: so unique in texture and flavor, oyster mushrooms can be shredded to give this bowl a fun and meaty texture. If you cannot find them, then Shiitake would also be lovely. Simply slice them finely to give them the same shredded effect.
- Leafy greens: I used Gai lan (Chinese broccoli) for this bowl (I find them either at Whole Foods Market or my local Asian grocery store). You can also use mustard greens or Hu choy, but if specialized Asian greens are hard to find where you live, then simply cook kale, spinach or broccoli instead.
- Fresh veggies: buddha bowls are so versatile, you can add any raw veggies that you like to add freshness and a nice crunchy bite. I included cucumber, purple cabbage and avocado, but feel free to swap for shredded carrots, julienned radishes or green onions.
⭐️ See the recipe card down below for the full list of ingredients and quantities!
📝 Variations
Before you get started, here are a few ways you can customize your bowl to your taste:
- Higher-protein: to make your meal more filling, then add a boost of plant-based protein by including some edamame, tofu (hoisin tofu or sticky tofu would be great in this bowl), chickpeas or simple pan-fried tempeh. And remember, using brown rice as opposed to white rice also elevates the protein content of your bowl!
- Spicy: add some sriracha to the buddha sauce and/or the marinade to add some heat! Also, for a punch of flavor grate some fresh ginger into the buddha sauce or garnish with spicy kimchi when serving.
- Other veggies: more vegetables you can include are sweet potatoes, cauliflower and zucchini. And as mentioned above, you can use other mushrooms than oyster mushrooms if you cannot find them, especially Shiitake mushrooms.
🍴Step-by-step instructions
➡️ Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Prepare the oyster mushrooms
Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a medium-large bowl (tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, maple syrup and sesame oil).
Then, use your hands to "shred" the oyster mushrooms right over the bowl with the marinade. To do this, simply tear the mushrooms into thinner pieces (see video).
Use your fingers to uniformly coat the mushrooms with the sauce, then let them marinate for about 10 min.
Transfer the marinated mushrooms over the prepared baking sheet and bake them for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown.
Make the Asian Buddha bowl dressing
While the mushrooms are cooking, make the Buddha sauce by combining the dressing ingredients in a bowl (tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil and garlic). Whisk well until smooth, then add 1-2 tablespoons of water or enough for desired consistency. Set aside.
Cook the vegetables
Slice the red pepper and then, slice and remove the tender leafy green part from the Chinese broccoli. Chop both the leaves and stem parts separately so you can cook them at different times. First, chop the tender green in bite-size. Then, slice the thicker stems lengthwise, then in smaller bite pieces.
Warm up a large non-stick pan, then add pepper, stem pieces and a pinch of salt. Cook on high-medium heat for 5-7 minutes or until softer (but not completely done) and then, add the leafy green part. Stir and keep cooking until wilted and soft.
Assemble and serve
When ready to eat, add the cooked rice to your serving bowls and then layer with the cooked vegetables, Asian oyster mushrooms, cucumber, avocado and purple cabbage.
Drizzle the Asian Buddha sauce over and sprinkle some sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
💡 Helpful tips
- Meal-prep tips: you can make the Buddha sauce and marinate the mushrooms up to 24 hours ahead of time. Also, you can batch-cook some brown rice and use it to make bowls and add to salads throughout a busy week to save some time.
- Time-saving tips: start with marinating and baking the mushrooms. That should give you plenty of time to cook the veggies and whisk the buddha sauce together. This bowl can be made as quickly as under 30-35 minutes, especially if you already have cooked rice ready to go!
- Pre-made rice: when in a pinch, you can simply reheat frozen brown rice or pantry-stable rice. Keep them in your house at all times, they can be such a meal saver on busy weeknights!
- Make sure to adjust the flavor of the marinade and Buddha sauce to your preference by adding more sweetener, soy sauce or garlic if desired.
- Watch the mushrooms as they cook so they don't burn! You want them chewy with crispy edges without burnt corners.
❓ FAQs
Yes! Simply swap the soy sauce for a GF tamari sauce and also, make sure you use a certified GF grain.
Or you may wonder: What is the difference between poke bowls and Buddha bowls? Buddha bowls are made by combining healthy and simple vegetarian ingredients (no meat), such as grains, vegetables, leafy greens, plant-based protein and a flavorful sauce. Poke bowls are a classic Hawaiian dish including raw fish tossed in a light soy sauce and served with rice, raw veggies and fruit, such as pineapple and mango. Check out this vegan edamame poke bowl for inspiration!
🌱 More vegan Buddha bowls to try!
- Beet buddha bowl
- Greek tofu Buddha bowl
- Baked tofu teriyaki Buddha bowl
- Peanut butter tofu Buddha bowl
- Falafel Buddha bowl with spicy tahini sauce
- Mexican Buddha bowl
- Harissa tofu avocado Buddha bowl
I hope you like this Asian Buddha bowl recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Asian Buddha Bowl with Oyster Mushrooms (Vegan)
Ingredients
For the oyster mushrooms
- 8 oz oyster mushrooms - or shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 clove of garlic - crushed
- 1 tsp sesame oil
For the Asian buddha bowl
- 1½ cup cooked rice - or enough for 3 bowls
- 8 stalks of Chinese broccoli (Gai lan) - sliced, broccolini works too
- 1 red bell pepper - sliced
- 1 cup cucumber - finely sliced
- ½ cup purple cabbage - shaved
- 1 avocado - sliced
For the Asian buddha bowl dressing
- ⅓ cup tahini paste
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp sesame oil
- 1 clove of garlic - crushed
- water - optional, to thin out the sauce if necessary
Instructions
- If not using pre-cooked rice, then start by cooking your grain.
Prepare the Asian mushrooms
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium-large bowl (tomato paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, maple syrup and sesame oil). Then, use your fingers to "shred" the mushrooms right over the marinade. You can also slice them using a knife. Coat the mushrooms with the sauce and let them marinade for about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the marinated mushrooms over the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
Cook the vegetables
- Meanwhile, slice the red pepper and chop the stems of the Chinese broccoli into bite-size. Also, slice the tender leafy green part (but keep them separated from the stems, they will be added to the pan later).
- Warm up a large pan with a little oil and then add the red pepper, chopped stems and a pinch of salt. Cook on medium-high heat until tender and softer (but not completely done), about 5-7 minutes. Then, add the tender leaves and keep stirring and cooking until wilted.
Make the Asian Buddha bowl dressing
- While the vegetables are cooking, whisk together the Buddha sauce ingredients (tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, garlic and sesame oil). Then, add 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed to reach the desired consistency.
Assemble
- Add the cooked rice to your serving bowls and top with the cooked vegetables, baked oyster mushrooms and fresh veggies (cucumber, purple cabbage and avocado). Drizzle the Asian sauce over and garnish with sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Storage and meal-prep tips: you can marinade the mushrooms and make the Asian Buddha sauce up to 24 hours ahead of time. I also recommend batch-cooking rice and keeping it in the fridge ahead of a busy week to make healthy bowls like this one quickly. If you have leftovers, then keep the cooked ingredients, raw veggies and sauce apart in the fridge.
- Watch the mushrooms as they cook! You are looking for tender and golden brown mushrooms with crispy edges, but without any burnt corners!
- This bowl is highly customizable. You can tweak the sauce ingredients to your taste, add different veggies (such as cauliflower, carrots, lettuce and green onion) and garnish with spicy ingredients, such as sriracha and kimchi. You can also swap the rice for quinoa or Asian-style noodles if you prefer!
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
This was a delicious meal - I don't usually stray from the regular mushrooms so I tried the oyster ones. So good and full of flavor. The sauces were easy to make and tasty. Thanks for another great recipe!
Great! So glad you liked it!
Oh wow, this was so good! Such a fun way to enjoy oyster mushrooms...
Thanks for your comment! 😊