Soooooooooooo Northstar Cafe.
Heaven. Delicious. Foodgasmic. Incredible. Droolworthy. I die. Go way too often.
Need I say more?
Northstar has no flaws. But if I had to think of one, or if my wallet had to think of one, it would be the prices. They are totally justifiable given the huge portions, but I easily walk out of there fifteen dollars lighter every weekend. I mean the coffee…the big burrito….the veggie burger….the village salad….the Buddha bowl–THE BUDDHA BOWL.
I just can’t.
The Buddha bowl is quite simple. It’s freshly steamed organic broccoli florets, cabbage and carrots over a bed of brown rice with your choice of tofu or chicken. I go with the ‘fu of course. The big deal with the Buddha bowl is the sauce. I mean it really should be on the drink menu with the rising star juice and blueberry smoothie. Yes, that darn sauce, in all it’s perfectly sweet, peanut buttery glory….it gets me. That darn sauce gets me good. It really should be illegal.
So whaddayaknow, my frugal self and I decided to recreate the Buddha bowl. I steamed broccoli and carrots in the microwave, heated up my pre-cooked frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s, whisked together some peanut butter and friends and voila…the copycat Buddha bowl was birthed.
Copycat Northstar Buddha Bowl
Prep Time:
Yield:
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PinIngredients
- 1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (or chicken)
- 1–2 heads of broccoli, chopped
- 3 large carrots, chopped
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (I used Trader Joe’s frozen)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp agave/pure maple syrup/honey
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cube drained/pressed tofu and place on a sprayed baking sheet in an even layer. Sprinkle with salt and spray again. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Meawhile, steam broccoli and carrots and cook rice according to package directions.
- Whisk together sauce ingredients (peanut butter through soy sauce).
- Layer rice, vegetables and tofu and drizzle liberally with sauce
That Buddha guy knew what he was talking about.
Matt @ The Athlete's Plate says
Sadly I can’t eat this :( I’m majorly allergic to soy!
Alexis says
Wahhhh how unfortunate! But have no fear, you could easily use chicken instead :)
TJ says
I have a soy free alternative for the sauce… Use fish sauce instead. Same saltiness and no soy.
Alexis says
Glad it worked out!
Stephanie @ Legally Blinde says
Oh my gosh, I’m so excited to try this out!!! I got the Buddha Bowl last time I was at Northstar and I completely agree with you – that sauce is to.die.for. YUM! I am going to the store today and getting the ingredients I need to make this!
Alexis says
I’m so happy that you’ve had the real thing, Stephanie! This is definitely a great at home replacement. Enjoy!
Stephanie @ Legally Blinde says
I made this for dinner tonight and inhaled it!! It was really delicious. I had a hard time putting the leftover sauce in the fridge instead of just slurping it down :) I’ve got the leftovers all packed up and ready to take to school for lunch – can’t wait to devour it again.
Alexis says
Woo hooo! It’s pretty much impossible not to inhale that sauce :) Perfect for lunch-packing!
Lauren says
This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever had! I am eating it right now and I am already sad for when it is gone.
Alexis says
Ahhhh yay!!! Peanut butter makes everything taste perfect. So yummy!
jen says
Thanks so much for posting this recipe! I, too, spend way too much money at Northstar, and when you add in a Third & Hollywood (NS’s pricier cousin) habit, it gets embarrassing. Was wondering if you would take a stab at copying the dressing on the Crispy Thai salad. I swear I ate this everyday when I was pregnant…and it hasn’t stopped in four years. I’m slightly ashamed to admit that I tried to weasel the dressing recipe out of an unassuming staff member one time over the phone and got a few of the ingredients before a manager intercepted the call and kindly informed me that they don’t give out recipes…I kind of figured as much but had to try anyway. I felt like a bonafide junkie. Anyway, if you haven’t tried it, hurry up and get to NS before they take it off the menu for the fall…always a sad time.
Any ideas you have on the dressing would be much appreciated…I didn’t get much further than peanut butter, lime juice and olive oil…and maybe coconut milk. Thanks!
Alexis says
You’re so welcome, Jen! That thai salad is UNREAL. So funny that you called and asked for the ingredients! I would totally do the same thing. I’m so obsessed with their regular salad dressing that comes on the village salad that I ask for extra just so I can take it home and eat it for the rest of the week. No shame! I think you’re right on point with the ingredients…my guess would be coconut milk, lots of honey/sugar/maple syrup and peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil!
Fed says
Hi Alex,
Just curious about the kind of peanut butter you use. Thanks!
Alexis says
I use natural peanut butter but any kind will do!
Skylar says
Made this tonight! I cooked the tofu with some virgin coconut oil & ginger for a little extra flavor! It was so delicious! Definitely will be making this again :)
Alexis says
Fabulous! Love the ginger addition.
Kayla says
Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting this recipe! My addiction to this at North Star has become quite expensive and I have been searching the web for a good alternate recipe. Love reading your blog! :)
Alexis says
Awww I’m so glad to hear that, Kayla! PS–did you go to OSU? Your name sounds familiar!
Kayla says
Yes, I did! I was in Kappa so that’s probably why it sounds familiar. I stumbled across your blog through Nikki Roholt.. and now I am a loyal follower! :)
Alexis says
Awwww that’s awesome! Nikki and I have been roomies for years :) Thanks so much for reading!
Tiffanie says
This recipe is what originally led me to your website, as I was actually looking for nutritional information about NorthStar’s Buddha Bowl and I found a link to this recipe.
I made the sauce today, to go on top of shredded cabbage (grown in my garden!) and a Spicy Peanut Cilantro Luna Burger. It was delicious and the sauce definitely brought it all together!
Jenn says
I live in CO and we don’t have Northstar….but now I’m wishing we did…..anywho….I am making this tonight for dinner and can’t wait!! Thank you so much, I am sure it will be phenomenal! (Anything with peanut butter in it has me sold!)
Feel free to check out my blog at http://earthzenmama.com
:) Jenn
★★★★★
Alexis says
OMG you would adore it! I hope you love the bowl :)
Jenn says
It was wonderful! The husband and I gobbled it up and wished for more :)
Amy says
Definitely use coconut milk. Helps get the same flavor from NS.
Rachel Amanda says
I made this for dinner tonight with fish, quinoa and a list of veggies that is embarrassingly long. The sauce was delicious and I can imagine it fast becoming a standard dipping sauce/dressing around here. I added a bit of sriracha for a little heat.
★★★★★
Molly says
Hi! This is probably a dumb question, but when you say, “spray the tofu”, what are you spraying it with? Also, do you marinate it in anything beforehand? I’m new to making things with tofu and am so excited to try this!
Hiromi says
This is a great recipe and is definitely for people who expect a little more peanut in their peanut sauce. I’ve had enough “peanut sauce” to ask the question, “is there any peanut in here?” With that said, I did find it a tad sweet to put on vegetables and brown rice, so I wanted to make it a little more savory. I cut it with 1 Tbsp + 2 Tsp of white vinegar and added 1 Tsp of red pepper flakes for some heat. This complimented the chicken and vegetables very well. I’ve been to Northstar Cafe once and I was hooked on the Bhudda Bowl. This caused me to search for the recipe, so thank you for putting it out there. I urge you to try this variation, Alexis! Thanks again.
★★★★
Hiromi says
Oh, and 1 dash of garlic powder! :-)
Alexis says
I love the changes you made! I published this so long ago that I’m sure I would totally want to change it up to :) Maybe another version is in order!
Jen says
I know this post is old, but I wanted to give you a shout out for this recipe! I’m addicted to Buddha bowls, and stumbled across your recipe and made it last night – I cannot believe how spot on your sauce recipe was. THANK YOU!!!!
★★★★★