How to Make a Beetroot Hummus Buddha Bowl
Most of this is hands-off — the oven does the heavy lifting while you blend the hummus and cook the quinoa.
-
1Get the Vegetables Roasting
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the broccoli and butternut squash with a little olive oil and salt on a baking tray, spreading them out so they roast instead of steam. Slide the tray in.
Roast for 25 minutes -
2Get the Chickpeas Crisping
Pat a second batch of chickpeas completely dry with a towel first — that's what actually gets them crisp instead of just soft. Toss with oil, cumin, smoked paprika, and salt, then spread on their own tray. Add them to the oven alongside the vegetables for the last stretch, giving the tray a shake halfway through.
Roast for 20 minutes -
3Cook the Quinoa
While everything's in the oven, rinse the quinoa well under cold water. Add it to a pot with water or broth, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down low, cover, and let it simmer until the water's gone and it's tender. Take it off the heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Simmer for 15 minutes -
4Blend the Beetroot Hummus
In a blender or food processor, combine cooked beetroot, chickpeas, tahini (a smooth paste made from ground sesame seeds — sold at most big supermarkets, or in the international/Middle Eastern aisle), lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, cumin, and salt. Blend until mostly smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add water a splash at a time until it loosens to a texture you can scoop with a spoon. Taste it — it should be tangy and a little earthy from the beet.
-
5Whisk the Sesame Drizzle
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, and a touch of maple syrup. It'll look grainy and weird for a second when the lemon hits the tahini — keep whisking and adding water bit by bit until it turns silky and pourable.
-
6Build the Bowls
Divide the quinoa between bowls as your base. Arrange the roasted vegetables, roasted chickpeas, spinach, avocado, and cucumber around it. Add a generous spoonful of beetroot hummus in the center, drizzle the tahini sauce over everything, and finish with a scatter of seeds.
A Few Things I've Learned Making This
Stuff that isn't obvious the first time around.
Questions People Actually Ask Me
Real ones, from real comments.
Yes, and honestly that's what I use most weeks. Just check the label — some are pickled in vinegar, which changes the flavor of the hummus a bit. Plain cooked beetroot works best.
Nope, that's completely normal — tahini does that. Keep whisking and add water a little at a time and it'll smooth right back out.
Definitely. Brown rice, farro, or couscous all work fine as the base — just note that farro and couscous aren't gluten-free if that matters to you.
The hummus, quinoa, roasted veg, and chickpeas all keep separately in the fridge for about 4 days. Just assemble the bowl fresh each time so the greens and avocado don't wilt.