Loaded with grains, veggies, and plant-based protein, these quinoa sweet potato bowls are an easy and delicious way to pack a ton of nutrition and flavor into one bowl! Topped with a thai peanut sauce, it's the perfect weeknight meal, a great option for meal prep, and can be customized to your preference.
Buddha bowls, grain bowls, whatever you like to call them, are some of my all time favorite recipes. They use simple ingredients, are easy to make, customizable, and are packed with so much flavor. This healthy sweet potato quinoa bowl is no exception!
Similar to this tofu bowl, it's the perfect meatless meal that can be enjoyed throughout the week, not just on Meatless Monday. It's naturally vegan and gluten-free but can truly be made however you want.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- It's easy to make and loaded with nutrients! It's a feel good meal that will fill you up thanks to the plant-based protein, complex carbs and healthy fats.
- Great option for meal prep! This recipe is perfect to prep on Sunday and divide into tupperware to enjoy as a healthy lunch throughout the week.
- It's completely customizable. You can swap out the veggies for your favorites or it's a great way to clear out the fridge before things go bad!
- This buddha bowl is delicious warm or cold!
- It's allergen-friendly since these bowls are naturally vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Equipment
The equipment you need is incredibly basic:
- Sheet Pan: to roast the veggies & chickpeas
- Small Pot: to cook the quinoa and steam the kale
- Mixing Bowl: for making the dressing
- Whisk: to combine the dressing ingredients
Ingredients
- Quinoa: A great source of plant protein and fiber, quinoa stands creates a fluffy foundation for these bowls. You can use white, multi-color, or red quinoa for this recipe.
- Sweet Potatoes: To add a bit of sweetness to the bowl. Feel free to peel them or leave the skin on.
- Brussels Sprouts: A great source of fiber and vitamins. Look for ones that are similar in size to ensure even cooking.
- Chickpeas: They add a nice crunchy texture and some more plant-based protein.
- Kale: For extra nutrients, I like to add in a few handfuls of hearty greens, like chopped kale. You could always use spinach, spring mix, arugula, or chopped romaine instead.
- Avocado: You only need one or two, depending on how many bowls you're serving. They should be just ripe, not overly soft.
- Seasoning: To season our veggies and chickpeas, we'll be using a mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and paprika. If you'd like a bit of heat, feel free to add a dash of chili powder.
- Dressing: We'll be making a simple peanut sauce to drizzle over these vegan buddha bowls for a boost of flavor and protein! You can also use a tahini dressing if you prefer.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Variations & Substitutions
I love this recipe as is, but the best thing about buddha bowls is how customizable they are! If there's a veggie or grain you don't love in here, simply swap it out. Here are my suggestions:
- Change up the grain! Instead of quinoa, you can use lentils, farro, brown rice, wild rice, bulgur wheat, cauliflower rice, couscous, millet, or barley. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time according to package instructions.
- Switch up the veggies. You can either add more or replace the ones that are already in this recipe with your favorite veggies. I recommend beets, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, or butternut squash. You could also add some fresh herbs for added flavor.
- Add extra protein by adding in your favorite plant-based or animal-based protein source. Tofu or falafel are my personal favorites.
- Use black beans instead of chickpeas to make black bean quinoa bowls. Really, you can use whatever beans you like best. White beans or edamame would be great in this buddha bowl, too.
- Use a different sauce. This recipe calls for a thai peanut sauce, but you can use a ginger miso dressing, a tahini sauce, almond butter sauce, garlic aioli, or hummus instead.
- Add a handful of dried cranberries, raisins or dried cherries for sweetness.
- Use any toasted nut or seed in place of pepita seeds! Sunflower seeds would be perfect here.
- Effortlessly transition this from a quinoa bowl to a sweet potato quinoa salad by playing around with the greens-to-grains ratio.
- Add some cheese! Vegan feta cheese would be a great option here!
- If you don't have limes, feel free to use lemon juice!
This recipe has not been tested with any other substitutions or variations than the ones listed above. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
Instructions
There are a few moving parts to this recipe so it may seem like a lot of steps, but everything can be prepped while another is baking, so it all ends up coming together in about 35 minutes.
Step 1: First, add the sweet potatoes, chickpeas and brussels sprouts to a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and seasonings. Toss until evenly coated.
Step 2: Then roast for 25-30 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork. The chickpeas should be crispy and brussels sprouts should be lightly charred.
Step 3: Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water (or broth) in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer for 15 minutes, or until liquid is fully absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Remove lid and stir in kale. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve, or at least until the kale has wilted.
Step 4: Finally, assemble the grain bowls! First place a bed of cooked quinoa then top with sautéed kale, roasted sweet potatoes, crispy roasted chickpeas, roasted brussels sprouts, avocado, then top it all off with a drizzle of peanut sauce.
Expert Tips
- Cut the veggies similar in size. Find brussels sprouts that are already uniform in size before trimming and cutting in half. Cut the sweet potato into evenly sized cubes. This will promote more even cooking!
- Cut the sweet potatoes into bite sized pieces. This is will allow them to cook more quickly. Try your best to keep them around an inch. Or better yet, buy already cut & cubed sweet potatoes from your grocery store.
- Be generous with amount of olive oil you add to the sweet potatoes, chickpeas, and brussels sprouts. This will ensure that they all get nice and crispy!
- Cook the quinoa in vegetable broth for added flavor.
- Keep the dressing on the side until you're ready to serve and eat so the veggies don't get soggy.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerator: Make this buddha bowl ahead of time or store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days. If possible, store the sauce in a separate container to keep everything from getting soggy.
Freezer: Although this isn't my favorite method, it can be done! Allow the leftovers to cool completely then transfer to freezer-friendly airtight containers. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat: These sweet potato bowls reheat easily in the microwave or you can place everything in a non-stick skillet and cook until heated through. This dish can be eaten cold or at room temperature (deliciously, might I add) if you want to skip the reheating entirely.
FAQ
Yes, definitely! However, you will want to cook the chickpeas before roasting them. You can do so on the stove, in an instant pot, or in a slow cooker or crockpot.
Quinoa contains saponins, which can have a bitter taste. Be sure to rinse your quinoa before cooking, this will remove any leftover saponins that weren't removed during processing.
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📖 Recipe
Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 pound (450 g) sweet potatoes cubed
- ½ pound (225 g) brussel sprouts trimmed and halved
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup (180 g) dry quinoa rinsed
- 2 cups (240 g) water or vegetable broth
- 1 cup (25 g) kale destemmed and chopped
- 2 avocados halved
- 2-3 tablespoons pepita seeds
Thai Peanut Sauce:
- ⅓ cup (85 g) creamy peanut butter
- ½ tablespoon (6 g) coconut sugar or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon (15 mL) tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) lime juice
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) sriracha
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Add sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts and chickpeas to a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment. Add olive oil and spices; toss well to coat.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 can chickpeas, 1 pound sweet potatoes, ½ pound brussel sprouts, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Roast the veggies and chickpeas for 25-30 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork. The chickpeas should be crispy and the brussel sprouts should be lightly charred.
- Meanwhile, combine quinoa and water (or broth) in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and gently simmer for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is fluffy. Remove lid and stir in kale. Cover and keep warm until ready to serve, or at least until the kale has wilted.1 cup dry quinoa, 1 cup kale, 2 cups water
- In small mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the thai peanut sauce.⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, ½ tablespoon coconut sugar, 1 tablespoon tamari, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 teaspoon sriracha, 3 tablespoons hot water
- Finally, we can assemble our buddha bowls! First place a bed of cooked quinoa and kale in a bowl then top with roasted sweet potatoes, crispy roasted chickpeas, roasted brussel sprouts, avocado, pepitas and a drizzle of peanut sauce.2 avocados, 2-3 tablespoons pepita seeds
John Cooper says
I'm looking forward to eating again...Thank You!
Lauren Casolaro says
So glad you enjoyed!!
Tonya Glastetter says
Hi,
You stated in your recipe description that you use a Thai peanut sauce but gave the recipe for tahini dressing. Can you please include your peanut sauce recipe?
Thank you,
Tonya
Lauren Casolaro says
Hi Tonya! Please refresh the recipe, it should be correctly in there now! My recipe card was pulling information incorrectly, sorry about that!
Tonya Glastetter says
Yay, it did include it! Making this tonight, can't wait!!
Thanks, Tonya
Lauren Casolaro says
Yay! Please come back and let me know how you liked it!
Sanaz says
Perfect
Lauren Casolaro says
Thank you!! Glad you enjoyed!
Barbara Kovacs says
Delish! So fun too. That little bit of heat on the veggies with the peanut sauce was to die for. We did not add the avocado because everything else blended well and we thought we didn't need the extra calories😀 I have shared this recipe 5x already!
Lauren Casolaro says
Hi Barbara,
I'm so glad you loved this! Thank you so so much for sharing it, I appreciate you!!
Morgan says
I made this recipe as a lunch for myself and my husband and WOW we were so impressed, and full. This was utterly flavorful, the chickpeas and sweet potatoes combined is a delicious combination! Will make this over and over again!!
Pinch of Parsley says
Ah!! Thank you so much Morgan! So glad you and your husband loved it!
Krystal says
This recipe was sooooooo easy and soooooo yummy!!! I love simple recipes that make me feel like I’m dining out and don’t take decades to cook! The peanut sauce is actually to die for. I can’t wait to use it on everything!
Pinch of Parsley says
Yay!!!! Thanks so much Krystal, I'm so glad you liked it!
Mariann says
I love how filling this was! The flavors are perfect and the thai peanut sauce wrapped it in a big bow
Pinch of Parsley says
Thanks so much, Mariann!
Marissa says
This nourish bowl was so delish! I loved the sauce so much. Definitely being used as a staple meal prep recipe!
Pinch of Parsley says
So glad you loved it, Marissa!! It's definitely a great vegan meal prep option!
Paige says
The perfect hearty bowl for a cold night! I have a peanut allergy and subbed the peanut butter with sunbutter to make the sauce. It was just as delicious! I'm excited to meal prep these bowls for lunch next week.
Pinch of Parsley says
Yay! So happy to hear you love these - totally agree that its perfect for meal prep.