Mediterranean Buddha Bowl Meal Prep (Print version)

Nutrient-packed bowls with bulgur, roasted eggplant, kale, chickpeas, and tahini dressing.

# 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, plus more as needed
22 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
23 - Salt to taste

# How-To Steps:

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 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, 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, cover, and simmer on low for 12 to 15 minutes until liquid absorbs. Fluff with fork, stir in pistachios, and season to taste.
04 - Steam kale for 2 to 3 minutes until just wilted, or sauté with 1 tablespoon olive oil and pinch of salt for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside.
05 - Warm chickpeas in small skillet with drizzle of olive oil and pinch of salt for 2 to 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, kale, and chickpeas on top. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing.

# Tips from the pros:

01 -
  • It's the rare meal prep that genuinely improves as it sits—flavors meld together into something better than day one.
  • Four containers ready to grab means you've outsmarted the 6 p.m. hunger panic before it even arrives.
  • Every component can be customized or swapped without breaking the whole thing, so picky eaters and adventurous ones sit at the same table.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the baking sheet with vegetables—they'll steam instead of roast, and you'll lose that caramelization that makes them taste like themselves but better.
  • The bulgur will seem slightly underdone when you first fluff it, but it continues absorbing moisture as it cools, so resist the urge to add more liquid.
03 -
  • Toast the bulgur with the shallot and cumin before adding liquid—those 60 seconds of dry heat transform the grain from bland to nutty.
  • The tahini dressing is thinner than you think it should be, but it thickens slightly as it sits and the lemon juice continues working on the sesame, so start conservatively with the water and add more if you need it.
Go back