This halloumi buddha bowl will become a regular on your lunch rota

Not only is a buddha bowl a tasty option, but it’s also a healthy and nutritionally balanced dish. There’s such a colourful variety of ingredients you can bring to the table too, so feel free to change it up with food that you like, maybe some chopped fresh beetroot or grated carrot, or swap the halloumi for some diced feta or crumbled goat’s cheese.

The key to bringing it all together is a delicious yet simple dressing. This green dressing uses chicory root syrup from Irish brand Homespun instead of honey, as it has 70% less sugar and is vegan-friendly. It’s available at SuperValu nationwide. It can be whizzed up in a matter of minutes using a hand blender, mini chopper or NutriBullet.

Halloumi buddha bowl
Serves 2

Ingredients

For the Dressing

• 3 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt (or plain coconut yoghurt for dairy-free)
• ½  cup fresh basil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp Homespun Chicory Root Syrup
• Pinch of sea salt to taste

Everything Else

• 3 – 4 slices of roast sweet potato, per bowl
• 1/2 cup cooked grain of choice per bowl, we love quinoa
• 3 to 4 slices of fried halloumi per bowl for serving*
• 1 large handful of sauteed or steamed greens per bowl; here we used kale
• 1- 2 spoons of pickled onions per bowl
• ½ an avocado per bowl to serve
• 1- 2 tbsp of nuts or seeds to serve

Method

1 Place all ingredients for the dressing into a jug if using a hand blender or into your mini chopper or blender base. Blend for a few minutes until smooth and beautifully bright and green. Season to taste with salt. This will keep in the fridge for up to three days.
2 Load up bowls with sweet potato, quinoa, halloumi and greens. Top with avocado, pickled onion, seeds and/nuts and drizzle with dressing.
3 Serve with ample extra dressing on the side!

Note: To make pickled onions, thinly slice 2 -3 red onions, place into a glass container, cover with apple cider vinegar and add 2 – 3 tbsp of Homespun Chicory Root Syrup to taste. Mix everything up and leave to sit for at least 20 minutes or overnight. This will keep in the fridge for up to one week in a sealed container!