Let me begin by saying this: quinoa bowls are a present. Not solely are they full of vitamins, however they’re the proper canvas on your toppings of selection. Craving a mixture of hearty root vegetables? You bought it. Within the temper for fresh, crisp veggies? Can do. Trying to load your breakfast with diet? Additionally doable. Quinoa bowls can really do all of it, which is why we’ve rounded up our picks for straightforward quinoa bowl recipes which are able to make your lunch or dinner a breeze.
Whether or not or not you’re nonetheless driving the quinoa prepare, there’s no denying that it’s a powerhouse ingredient. However earlier than we dive into its dietary advantages, let’s talk about quinoa’s versatility. Quinoa goes properly with absolutely anything, from this Quinoa Cake with Smashed Avocado Sauce, to this Roasted Vegetable Salad with Crispy Quinoa, and even this Mocha Coconut Quinoa Bark (sure, it might go in desserts, too!).
One in every of my favourite issues about quinoa is you could make an enormous batch on Sunday to make use of for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners all through the week. To gear up for the easy quinoa bowl recipes below, let’s begin with some fundamentals, from the easiest way to prepare dinner quinoa to methods to storage ideas that preserve your quinoa recent.
Featured picture by Lily Young.
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Is quinoa good for you?
Quinoa is a complete grain that gives us with eight grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per cup, in line with the Harvard School of Public Health. It’s additionally stuffed with magnesium, folate, thiamin, manganese, and plenty of extra nutritional vitamins/minerals that assist optimum well being. Quinoa is a superb supply of plant-based protein and fiber, and—not like different plant proteins—quinoa is an entire protein, that means it fosters all 9 important amino acids that our our bodies can’t make on their very own. Lastly, quinoa is a naturally gluten-free grain, so folks following a gluten-free food regimen can get pleasure from it with out hesitation.
How to Cook Quinoa
There are several ways to cook quinoa that result in light, fluffy grains primed and ready to enhance any of the easy quinoa bowl recipes you’ve got your eye on.
How to cook quinoa on the stove
- You’ll want to use a 2:1 ratio of quinoa and water. In a pot or saucepan, start by bringing water, a little olive oil, and a heavy pinch of sea salt to a boil.
- Once boiling, add the quinoa and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Halfway through, uncover and fluff your quinoa with a fork to ensure it isn’t sticking to the bottom.
- Once cooked, remove from heat and serve immediately and enjoy or allow to cool and refrigerate.
For more flavor, you can cook your quinoa in vegetable or chicken broth, add lime zest to the cooked mixture, or stir in a pat of butter at the end.
How to cook quinoa in the microwave
- Using a 2:1 water-to-quinoa ratio, add water, quinoa, a little olive oil, and pinch of salt to a microwave-safe bowl.
- Cover with a plate large enough to cover the bowl.
- Microwave for 6 minutes on high, remove bowl from microwave and stir.
- Microwave for 4 more minutes on high and remove bowl when finished.
- Based on your microwave strength, you may need to add an extra minute depending on whether or not the quinoa is fully cooked.
- Let quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes to fully absorb all liquids. Fluff with a fork and serve immediately or allow to cool and refrigerate.
You might be wondering: does quinoa need to be rinsed? Well, that’s up to you! Raw quinoa is coated with saponin, which is a naturally-occurring pest repellant that can cause quinoa to retain a bitter flavor. While it’s not harmful to ingest, you may want to use rinsed quinoa to avoid any unwanted bitterness.
Now, as I’m sure you’re picturing, most strainers aren’t fine enough to keep those tiny grains from slipping through, which is why buying pre-rinsed quinoa is a clever strategy. Pre-rinsed quinoa will be labeled as such and usually isn’t any more expensive than regular! Thank you, science.
Best Quinoa Type
This may come as a shock (at least I know it did for me), but there are over 120 known varieties of quinoa. From white to tri-colored and everything in between, you may feel overwhelmed when deciding what variety you need.
As a general point of reference, you can compare the texture of quinoa to that of rice.
White and yellow quinoa has the most mild flavor, usually adopting a lighter, fluffier texture, while red and black varieties have a stronger, more earthy flavor that surfaces in a tougher grain structure. The variety that you choose depends on what you want your final product to look and taste like. If you’re wanting your bowl to have a dark, durable quinoa base, choose red or black quinoa. If you’re more partial to soft, neutral-colored quinoa, white and yellow are your friend. Regardless of which type of quinoa you choose, you’ll be able to enjoy all the nutritional benefits and versatility of the grain that does it all.
How to Store Quinoa
Quinoa is incredibly easy to store. All it takes is an airtight container and some refrigerator space to keep quinoa as fresh as if it were just cooked. When cooked and stored properly, you have seven days to enjoy the grain in whatever way you see fit. Ready to dive in? Keep reading for our picks of easy quinoa bowl recipes to make for lunch or dinner.
9 Easy Quinoa Bowl Recipes to Try This Week
Sweet Potato, Avocado, & Quinoa Bowl
Why We Love It: Candy potato and avocado are loaded with wholesome carbohydrates and fat to maintain your pores and skin glowy and intestine comfortable. Right here at Camille Kinds, we’re enthusiastic about nutrient-dense sweet potatoes—and for good purpose! Candy potatoes are full of fiber, beta-carotene (good on your imaginative and prescient, immune system, and pores and skin), and vitamin A. On this bowl, it joins avocado, marinated kale, roasted broccoli, and crumbled goat cheese or feta to create a hearty and wholesome bowl you’ll be making on lazy weeknights. All this goodness is topped with an orange-sesame French dressing that’s adequate to drink.
Hero Ingredient: There are few issues I despise greater than scratchy kale. It ruins the entire vibe of a dish. Right here, the kale will get massaged and marinated for quarter-hour to melt all that stalkiness, leading to flavorful, softer leaves that fantastically complement its bowl-mates.
Arugula Breakfast Salad with Toasted Pistachio, Radish & Soft Eggs
Why We Love It: A breakfast salad may not strike your fancy, however don’t knock it ’til you strive it! This arugula breakfast salad is an effective way to fill your morning with wholesome elements that’ll preserve you energized by lunch. It’s gentle however filling, loaded with diet, and tremendous simple to throw collectively throughout even the busiest of mornings.
In case you’re nonetheless not on board, this salad makes an important lunch possibility and would even be enjoyable to serve for a quick brunch or lunch! It’s stocked with arugula, matchstick radishes, toasted pistachios, and people jammy gentle eggs you realize and love. And quinoa, after all.
Hero Ingredient: Whereas it’s exhausting to not go together with the gentle eggs, however on this recipe, it’s the quinoa for me. As I shared earlier than, should you’re wanting a softer texture, go together with white or yellow quinoa. However should you’re searching for a little bit extra chew, tri-color or pink quinoa fares properly on this salad. To shake issues up and produce much more crunch to the celebration, you may toast your quinoa alongside the pistachios for an additional dose of texture.
PHOTO: Camille Styles, Kristen Kilpatrick, Easy Meals, Camille Styles Video Tutorial, Rene Ortiz, Austin eats
Quinoa Bowl with Harissa Roasted Veggies, Avocado, & Fried Egg
Why We Love It: Roasted veggies, avocado, egg, and quinoa get a taste rebrand below the peppery, smoky notes of harissa. It’s the star of the dish that offers every little thing round it a lot life. Whereas the recipe requires cauliflower and radishes, you may sub in no matter veggies you will have readily available (empty that vegetable drawer, folks!) to construct this bowl. Some good choices to incorporate are carrots, fingerling potatoes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or squash. You actually can’t go fallacious.
Hero Ingredient: Arugula provides every kind of freshness and leafy goodness to the combination.
Oatmeal Quinoa Power Bowl
Why We Love It: That’s proper, quinoa for breakfast! On this recipe, it joins steel-cut oats for a bowl that’s certain to gas your day. It’s full of fiber to maintain you full and in addition boasts antioxidants because of these pomegranate seeds. Once more, you may prime this bowl with any fruits, nuts, or granola you will have readily available, although banana, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and coconut flakes make a reasonably nice crew. That is breakfast, reimagined.
Hero Ingredient: You possibly can’t go fallacious with pomegranate seeds as a topping. They’re bursting with taste.
PHOTO: Processed with VSCO with s2 preset
Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Saffron Poached Peaches
Why We Love It: One other breakfast famous person, this quinoa breakfast bowl makes waves with its indescribably wonderful poached peaches. First, the quinoa is cooked in spiced milk stuffed with heat, rigorously crafted flavors that fulfill each breakfast dream. The peaches are poached in a liquid comprised of black tea, maple syrup, cardamom pods, and saffron. It’s a taste mixture you gained’t need to miss.
Hero Ingredient: Sure, saffron may be very dear. However I can attest that you simply gained’t remorse splurging for these poached peaches. Just like the spice, they’re heat, floral, and candy, making probably the most gratifying topping for these breakfast bowls.
Quinoa Power Bowl
Why We Love It: Amongst our record of simple quinoa bowl recipes, this one serves as the proper canvas for personalization. It’s a template you should utilize to incorporate just about any elements you will have readily available and craft no matter taste you’re craving. The recipe requires quinoa, roasted greens, avocado, and egg. In case you’re searching for extra protein, you may add shredded rooster and prime with a salsa verde. Completely as much as you! This recipe is a superb base for constructing your simple quinoa bowl goals.
Hero Ingredient: In a bowl like this, I’m a fan of a soft-cooked egg that lends runny yolk to every little thing round it. A straightforward technique to obtain this? The famed six-minute egg.
Crispy Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa with Currant Vinaigrette
Why We Love It: Butternut squash will endlessly be my final meals crush. Like quinoa, it’s extremely versatile and all the time appears to enrich any dish. On this recipe, it will get roasted till crispy and mixed with quinoa, chickpeas, and a mouthwatering currant French dressing that brings a floral taste to the dish. This bowl is certainly carb-forward, which makes it a scrumptious possibility for a hearty lunch or dinner.
Hero Ingredient: Scallion, currants, date syrup, and additional virgin olive oil come collectively to create that tasty currant French dressing. The undisputed star of this present.
Quinoa, Sweet Potato, & Cashew Grain Bowl
Why We Love It: As soon as once more, candy potatoes shine on this quinoa bowl. Right here, you’re getting hearty candy potato, crisp radishes, buttery cashews, and citrusy cilantro, all wrapped up in an orange cashew-ginger dressing that amplifies all of the flavors.
Hero Ingredient: As a result of the bowl is a little bit heavier, the radish acts as a refreshing palate cleanser that lightens every little thing up. It brings in a completely new factor that offers this straightforward dish a lot depth.
Root Vegetable & Quinoa Salad with Tahini-Maple Vinaigrette
Why We Love It: There’s a lot of taste packed into this bowl. First, cumin-scented carrots set the tone that’s adopted by stove-fried chickpeas, roasted beets, and an addictive tahini-maple French dressing. The chickpeas tackle a crouton-like kind that brings the crunch, whereas thick slices of avocado cool every little thing down. And don’t even get me began on these carrots—they’re smoky and scrumptious. This bowl is mainly every little thing you may need and extra. Be ready: you would possibly get addicted.
Hero Ingredient: The tahini-maple French dressing doubles as an incredible dip for recent veggies. You should definitely preserve some readily available for each day snacking.
What are your favourite simple quinoa bowl recipes?
