Veggie overhaul over here- and it is a good thing. For lunch or for dinner, this Vegan Quinoa Bowl is protein-packed and is paired with a creamy, tangy dressing. With basic ingredients, this meal is quick to throw together after a busy day of running around.
So here is what that Picky Husband of mine had to say. Now just to paint a little backstory, he HATES quinoa.
He was very sarcastic at first and asked why anyone would ever want to eat/ add SAND to a salad? He’s a texture man and thinks quinoa has the same texture as sand. I laughed a little, eye-rolled a little and then wrote down what he said. Ok, so he loved everything else about this bowl; the dressing, the other vegetables, the toasted pumpkin seeds and roasted almonds, and yes to cranberries as he is NOT a date fan (do you guys see yet why he is the Picky Husband?) So overall he gave it the thumbs up, but just wanted nothing to do with the quinoa. But in actuality, the bowl would be friggin awesome without quinoa too- so maybe he’s on to something after all. Truthfully, I always appreciate his honesty, that’s why I keep him around.
here are a few reasons why I love this vegan quinoa bowl, so listen up!
- The dressing is a tahini/yogurt combo (coconut yogurt)- and it is ahhhmazing. Slightly sweet, creamy and ever so satisfying, this dressing is what makes the Quinoa Kale Bowl. It would actually be pretty magical on a bowl of roasted veg (another dinner idea!).
- This kale quinoa bowl takes 30 minutes from start to finish. I’d say that is a huge win for a weeknight meal. Who wants to come home and cook for an hour and a half after working all day. Well with this salad recipe you won’t need to. It will also fill your belly up so no need to make something to go with it, it’s already loaded with the good stuff.
- So the quinoa is not picky husband approved, but the sauce sure is. So if you have picky eaters out there who hate quinoa, leave it out. This salad is very versatile. The vegan dressing is what makes this bowl. So maybe grill up some tofu, and roast some veg and pop this sauce on top. Boom. Dinner is served.
Are you a vegan salad lover? Try this Vegan Caesar Salad or feeling a little sweeter? Try my Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad
Yay or nay to quinoa, that’s your call but this vegan quinoa bowl is full of delicious basic ingredients and can be assembled in 20 minutes- so I’d say this dish is a winner for dinner. Happy Tuesday, everyone. ♥
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings |
people
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- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (toasted )
- 1/4 cup almonds (roasted )
- 1 medium beet (spiralized)
- 1-2 carrots (spiralized)
- 1/2 cup cucumber (finely chopped )
- 2 cup kale (finely chopped and massaged )
- 1 avocado
- 2 medjool dates (finely chopped, to top salad)
- 1/3 cup coconut yogurt (unsweetened)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsps water
- 1 garlic clove
- salt and pepper
Ingredients
salad
dressing
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- Start by cooking the quinoa. Follow your package details, but typically it's 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of water. Bring the water to a boil, add the quinoa and then simmer for 10 minutes. The quinoa can be made days in advance too. In this bowl, I like the quinoa cold or at room temperature- but that's just a personal preference.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and roast for ~10 minutes. They should be lightly golden when removed.
- Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the pumpkin seeds to the pan and toast for about 6 minutes, watching closely and stirring occasionally. Pumpkin seeds will be done when they look nice and golden.
- Chop and wash your kale. Dry the kale thoroughly, then add 1 teaspoon of avocado oil to the kale and gently work the oil into the kale (massage). Set it aside until ready to assemble the garden bowl.
- Chop and wash the cucumber. If you have a spiralizer- spiralize the beet and carrots into thin ribbons, if not, just finely chop them.
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a food processor or a blender. Blend until smooth. Refrigerate if not using right away.
- Begin to assemble your bowl! Add 1/2 cup of quinoa to each bowl, handfuls of kale, beet, carrots, cucumber. Then top with pumpkin seeds, almonds, cranberries (or dates), and avocado. Gently pour the dressing over the bowl and toss to combine. Enjoy! Store leftovers and the dressing in the fridge.
Is this my favorite Quinoa bowl at that restaurant we eat at downtown, Robin???
Oh my, this looks so yummy and full of delicious ingredients. I think I would like to try it with and without the quinoa! It seems like such a versatile bowl – I might swap in dates too! YUM! YUM! YUM! Thanks for creating and sharing.
Thanks for the love 🙂 It is pretty tasty!