Description
A hearty, creamy, and customizable grain bowl featuring roasted sweet potatoes, fluffy quinoa, and a tangy tahini-lemon dressing. Perfect for quick weeknight dinners or meal prep.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa (185g)
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 400g), diced into ½-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can (15oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 2 cups fresh spinach or kale
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
- ¼ cup feta or goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
- ¼ cup tahini (60g)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2–4 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Wash, peel (if desired), and dice sweet potatoes into ½-inch cubes.
- Toss sweet potatoes with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water in a fine-mesh strainer to remove saponin.
- In a saucepan, combine 1 cup rinsed quinoa with 2 cups water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- While quinoa cooks, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Slowly add warm water, one tablespoon at a time, whisking until the dressing is smooth and pourable.
- Roast sweet potatoes for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender and caramelized. If using chickpeas, add them to the pan for the last 15 minutes of roasting.
- Assemble bowls by dividing quinoa among containers. Top with roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, fresh spinach/kale, and drizzle generously with tahini dressing.
- Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, fresh herbs, and cheese (if using). Serve immediately or store for meal prep.
Notes
Rinse quinoa thoroughly to remove bitter saponin. Do not crowd the baking sheet to ensure potatoes roast rather than steam. Use warm water for the tahini dressing to prevent seizing. Store dressing separately to keep quinoa from getting soggy. This recipe does not freeze well.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 12
- Sodium: 380
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 2
- Carbohydrates: 58
- Fiber: 10
- Protein: 12
Keywords: sweet potato quinoa bowl, meal prep, tahini dressing, healthy dinner, vegan bowl, gluten-free, easy weeknight dinner