This delicious vegan roasted sweet potato quinoa bowl makes a flavorful weeknight dinner or a nutritious lunch! Perfect for meal prep, it’s loaded with fresh & roasted veggies, chickpeas, and seeds.
Packed with protein- and fibre-rich ingredients, this quick, healthy meal will keep you going for longer without weighing you down!
Paired with a homemade dressing, this gluten-free quinoa bowl combines several flavours! It’s the ultimate combination of the earthy (quinoa), the sweet (sweet potato), the sour (lemon), the bitter (tahini & kale), and the creamy, nutty flavours (chickpeas & seeds)!
I love making these vegan bowls as they’re easy to assemble, you can make them ahead, and you’re able to adjust them to your liking, or to the seasons! Feel free to make this bowl yours (some more inspiration below)!! So read on and let’s get into it!
Ingredients
- quinoa
- sweet potato
- kale (or baby spinach)
- (sprouted) chickpeas
- avocado
- seeds (pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds)
For the dressing
- lemon juice
- tahini
- salt & pepper
- maple syrup, optional
(see recipe card for quantities)
I love filling my quinoa bowl with different ingredients. For this combination, I chose the foods that give me a full range of nutrients, resulting in a nutritious, wholesome meal!
You can check out ‘substitutions’ (use the drop-down menu above for quick access) for more ideas and variations!
Quinoa: Quinoa is a so-called pseudograin and is naturally gluten-free. It’s packed with nutrients such as protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals.
It doesn’t matter which type of quinoa (white, red, black, or all of them aka tricolour) you choose. They all taste the same—the only difference is the colour and they do have varying nutrient contents.
Sweet Potato: Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins A and C and manganese. This starchy root vegetable also comes in different colours. Again, it doesn’t matter which you prefer!
For this vegan quinoa bowl, I love to roast the sweet potatoes because it adds that delicious flavour and brings out the sweetness the best!
Chickpeas: For the extra serving of protein, I love to add chickpeas. To make this bowl even more nutritious, you can sprout them. This way, the chickpeas are better digestible and sprouting also improves the nutritional value!
However, if you want to skip this step, you can, of course, add tinned chickpeas, or buy sprouted legumes. You should be able to get them in your grocery shop!
Kale: Kale is a dark leafy vegetable that boosts your mineral levels! In this recipe, I leave it raw. However, in winter, I do prefer to saute it for better digestion.
Avocado: As this tasty meal is almost oil-free, we definitely need to add some healthy fats, which avocados offer plenty of. It’s also packed with vitamins and minerals!
Seeds: I love sprinkling pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds over this sweet potato quinoa bowl. It adds that extra crunch and of course, some more nutrients!
If you like, you can toast the pumpkin seeds as well which will enhance the flavour of your lunch or dinner bowl, for sure! I wouldn’t toast the hemp seeds.
The Sauce: The dressing is super simple and by far, my favourite sauce for any salad! Tahini replaces the oil in this recipe because it’s already made with olive oil (and sesame seeds)!
Lemon juice not only adds the tangy flavour but also provides high contents of vitamin C which we need for better absorption of certain minerals!
Maple syrup is for more sweetness and is only optional. I tend to leave it out because the sweet potato is already sweet enough for me.
Instructions
This quinoa recipe is the best weeknight dinner or ideal for a quick lunch! It’s great for meal prep, too, if you’re only cooking for yourself.
This recipe makes enough for a whole week (4-5 days) or makes 4-5 servings! No matter what you prepare the bowl for, the process is the same!
Step 1. Preheat your oven to 175 °C / 350 °F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut it into small cubes. The size is up to you. The smaller the cubes, the faster they cook. I like them bite-sized, so about half an inch thick.
Step 2. Coat the cubes with enough oil (I prefer either coconut oil or olive oil) and season with salt. If you like, you can add some spices, too! I love to sprinkle the sweet potato with curry powder or cumin!
Roast for about 20-30 minutes until soft and cooked. The time will depend on the size of your cubes. After 20 minutes, check if they’re cooked by poking a piece with a fork. Let the roasted sweet potatoes cool a little before adding them to your bowl.
Step 3. While the sweet potatoes are in the oven, prepare the quinoa (see instructions below). Drain and rinse the tinned chickpeas (or have them sprouted 3 days in advance, see instructions below).
Rinse the kale and tear it into smaller pieces, or cut it into strips. Slice the avocado. Toast the pumpkin seeds, if you like.
Step 4. To make the yummy sauce, mix the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid. You need to add some water to get the consistency right—to your preference. Whether that’s thick and creamy or runny. Give the jar a good shake. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Step 5. Assemble all ingredients for this sweet potato quinoa bowl! Either arrange your bowls in the way I did (see pictures), sprinkle with seeds and pour the dressing over the top.
Or toss all the ingredients together, including the dressing, in a large salad bowl. In this case, you might want to cube the avocado and not have it in slices!
How to cook quinoa
Step 1. Bring 1 ½ cups / 375ml water to the boil in a saucepan or pot. Then add 1 cup / 190 g of quinoa and a good pinch of salt.
Step 2. Bring to a boil again, then immediately reduce the heat to its lowest setting and put on the lid. Cook the quinoa for 15 minutes (just like rice, don’t stir it, it won’t burn on low heat).
Step 3. Take it off the heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes. Once done, fluff it with a fork. Cooked quinoa will last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
How to sprout chickpeas
You will need a sprouting jar for this one.
Step 1. Soak the chickpeas in water for 12 hours. Then, drain and rinse.
Step 2. Now, you wait 2-3 days for them to sprout. Keep the sprouting jar out of direct sunlight. I usually drape a tea towel over the jar, making sure the opening stays open so the chickpeas get some air!
You will need to rinse and drain them with cold water 2 times a day (once in the morning, once in the evening). In hot weather, you’ll need to rinse them 3-4 times a day to keep them fresh.
Step 3. After a couple of days, you should be able to see the little white tails (sprouts) coming out of the chickpeas. The tails don’t have to be long, a few millimetres are enough! They’re ready to be eaten now!
Substitutions
Sweet potato: Instead of sweet potatoes, you can also use pumpkin or beetroot, or a combination of them, like in this vegan roasted veggie salad.
Kale: Replace kale with baby spinach or sauteed silver beet / Swiss chard (see how to here)! Alternatively, use lettuce. Rocket or arugula are a great fit, too!
Chickpeas: Any other legume will be fine! Maybe add some black beans or brown lentils! You can absolutely sprout those, too!
Seeds: The choice is yours here! You could even opt for nuts, such as almonds or walnuts, and chop them into smaller pieces.
Tahini: I love the bitterness of tahini but if it’s not your thing, you could replace it with almond spread or even a seed butter (may be a bit bitter, too). Obviously, you can always add maple syrup or your preferred sweetener to counteract that bitterness.
Lemon: Lime juice will work just as fine. Even orange juice could give this dressing a nice twist!
Storage
If you keep the ingredients in separate containers, this sweet potato quinoa bowl will last for several days up to a week, in the fridge.
If you toss all the ingredients together, especially with the dressing, the bowl will keep for 2-3 days (this depends on the kale and how soggy it gets).
Meal Prep Tip
Definitely, keep all the ingredients in separate containers and only assemble them in the morning before you head off to work, school or uni.
I do recommend taking the dressing with you in a small container, so the quinoa bowl keeps as fresh as possible.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 200 g quinoa
- 2-3 medium sweet potatoes
- 10 leaves kale or baby spinach
- 2 tins chickpeas or use 1 ½ cups / 450 g sprouted chickpeas, see notes
- 2 avocados ripe
- 4 tbsp seeds pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds
For the dressing
- juice of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp tahini
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp maple syrup optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175 °C / 350 °F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut it into small cubes. The size is up to you. The smaller the cubes, the faster they cook. I like them bite-sized, so about half an inch thick.
- Coat the cubes with enough oil (I prefer either coconut oil or olive oil) and season with salt. If you like, you can add some spices, too! I love to sprinkle the sweet potato with curry powder or cumin!
- Roast for about 20-30 minutes until soft and cooked. The time will depend on the size of your cubes. After 20 minutes, check if they’re cooked by poking a piece with a fork. Let the roasted sweet potatoes cool a little before adding them to your bowl.
- While the sweet potatoes are in the oven, prepare the quinoa (see instructions below). Drain and rinse the tinned chickpeas (or have them sprouted 3 days in advance, see instructions below).Rinse the kale and tear it into smaller pieces, or cut it into strips. Slice the avocado. Toast the pumpkin seeds, if you like.
- To make the yummy sauce, mix the dressing ingredients in a small jar with a lid. You need to add some water to get the consistency right—to your preference. Whether that’s thick and creamy or runny. Give the jar a good shake. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.
- Assemble all ingredients for this sweet potato quinoa bowl! Either arrange your bowls in the way I did (see pictures), sprinkle with seeds and pour the dressing over the top. Or toss all the ingredients together, including the dressing, in a large salad bowl. In this case, you might want to cube the avocado and not have it in slices!
How to cook quinoa
- Bring 1 ½ cups / 400 ml water to the boil in a saucepan or pot. Then add 1 cup / 200 g of quinoa and a good pinch of salt.
- Bring to a boil again, then immediately reduce the heat to its lowest setting and put on the lid. Cook the quinoa for 15 minutes (just like rice, don’t stir it, it won’t burn on low heat).
- Take it off the heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes. Once done, fluff it with a fork. Cooked quinoa will last in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
How to sprout chickpeas
- You will need a sprouting jar for this one.Soak the chickpeas in water for 12 hours. Then, drain and rinse.
- Now, you wait 2-3 days for them to sprout. Keep the sprouting jar out of direct sunlight. I usually drape a tea towel over the jar, making sure the opening stays open so the chickpeas get some air!You will need to rinse and drain them with cold water 2 times a day (once in the morning, once in the evening). In hot weather, you’ll need to rinse them 3-4 times a day to keep them fresh.
- After a couple of days, you should be able to see the little white tails (sprouts) coming out of the chickpeas. The tails don’t have to be long, a few millimetres are enough! They’re ready to be eaten now!
