Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls (Gluten-Free & Vegetarian)

Name: Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls (Gluten-Free, Vegetarian)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 batch Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower (see notes); 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 cups cooked brown rice; 4-5 cups romaine lettuce (chopped); 19 oz. can chickpeas (drained and rinsed); 1/3 cup green onion (chopped); 3/4 cup cheddar cheese (grated); fresh parsley (roughly chopped); ranch dressing (store bought or homemade)

by Hannah Magee, RD on Feb 22, 2021 (updated Apr 20, 2023) 0 comments »

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These Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls are loaded with buffalo cauliflower, smoky roasted chickpeas, crisp lettuce, and of course: ranch! A simple, nourishing meal for any day of the week!

If you know me, you know I love all things buffalo. When I was in grade school, my dad owned an Applebee’s restaurant (yup, he did), and I loved the boneless buffalo wings and the crispy buffalo chicken sandwich there.

I’m still a buffalo wing fan, and I love making my own Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Wings at home. In fact, my buffalo cauliflower recipe is one of the most popular recipes here on the blog. We probably make them once every couple of weeks, and recently I’ve been adding the leftovers to nourish bowls. Alas, these Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls were born!

Ingredients for Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls:

To make this recipe, here’s what you’ll need:

1 batch of Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower
Romaine lettuce
Brown rice (optional)
Canned chickpeas
Green onion
Cheddar cheese
Fresh parsley
Your favourite Ranch dressing

Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower:

To make the star of this recipe, the cauliflower, just follow my recipe in this post. You will need:

Medium head of cauliflower
Cooking oil
Buffalo sauce (I like Frank’s Red Hot)
Almond flour (can sub. for all-purpose flour)
Garlic powder
Salt

Steps to Make Buffalo Cauliflower Bowls:

Step 1: Make the Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower

Follow the instructions in this recipe to make the cauliflower. If you make them in the oven (versus the air fryer option), you can roast the chickpeas at the same time!

Step 2: Smoky roasted chickpeas

To make the smoky roasted chickpeas (originally from my plant-based snacks blog post), drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then spread them on a paper towel and pat to dry. Drizzle them with olive oil and season with paprika, chilli powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 400F for 30 minutes, tossing after 15 minutes. Or, air fry them at 390F for 10-15 minutes until crisp and crunchy, tossing every 5 minutes.

Step 3: Prep remaining ingredients

While the cauliflower cooks, you can prep the remaining ingredients for the bowls. Cook the brown rice, chop the lettuce, green onion and parsley, and grate the cheese.

Step 4: Assemble the bowls

Once the buffalo cauliflower and smoky roasted chickpeas are ready, it’s time to assemble the buffalo cauliflower bowls. Layer the lettuce and brown rice in a bowl, followed by the cauliflower, chickpeas, green onion, and cheese. Lastly, garnish with chopped parsley and add your ranch dressing.

Then, enjoy!

Substitution Suggestions:

You can use these swaps for…

Romaine lettuce: use chopped baby spinach.
Brown rice: use quinoa or white rice.
Green onion: use chives.
Cheddar cheese: if vegan, swap for a vegan cheddar cheeze option or omit the cheese all together.
Fresh parsley: use another fresh herb like cilantro or omit.
Ranch dressing: if you prefer to make your own ranch dressing, this Healthy Homemade Ranch is great. If vegan, swap for your favourite vegan ranch!

More Plant-Based Meal Ideas for You: