Tempeh Quinoa Bowl
on Aug 30, 2018, Updated Nov 17, 2025
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This Tempeh Quinoa Bowl features balsamic maple marinated tempeh, sautéed kale, quinoa, spinach, arugula, roasted carrots and a creamy cashew beet dressing. This recipe is vegan, high in protein, high in fibre and gluten-free. Try it for a filling, nutritious and delicious plant-based meal.
How to Make Marinated Tempeh
Marinated tempeh is a breeze to make. Whisk up a simple marinade, soak away then either broil or pan-fry the tempeh for a few minutes to heat through. I like to broil it for 5-10 minutes then drizzle a bit of the extra marinade over.
There are many different flavours you can use to marinate your tempeh but for this recipe I used balsamic vinegar, pure maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic powder and salt and pepper. It’s easy, oil-free and tastes great.
To make it, just whisk the ingredients together in a shallow bowl or container, add the cubed tempeh and marinate 2 hours up to overnight. The longer you let it site, the more flavour it will have. You can even leave it a couple days if you won’t be cooking all the tempeh at once.
Not even sure what the heck tempeh is? Check out my guide to tofu and tempeh.
Macro Bowl Ingredients
Macro bowls are typically made up of a whole grain, a protein source, some greens and veggies, some fat and a sauce.
For this macro bowl I used:
- quinoa for the grain
- marinated tempeh for the protein source
- sautéed kale, fresh spinach and roasted carrot for the veggies
- creamy cashew beet dressing for the sauce
I didn’t add additional fats since the dressing is made from cashews but it would be delicious with some sliced avocado or a few spoonfuls of hemp seeds or walnuts.
Customize your Bowl
The great thing about macro bowls, or buddha bowls or whatever you want to call them is there really is now rules. You can use my creation as a base to make your own version of this bowl. Not a big fan of quinoa? Try it with brown rice or farro. Don’t love tempeh? Go with baked tofu instead. Fresh out of carrots? Roasted brussel sprouts or squash would be yummy too.
Alternative Dressing Recipes
If you’re not into the cashew beet dressing or just feel like trying something else. This macro bowl would also be good with any of these dressings:
That being said, the cashew beet dressing is absolutely delicious. It’s also very easy to make, oil-free, perfectly tangy with a hint of sweetness and would work great on any salad. I loved it with the marinated tempeh, kale and roasted carrots. Plus, look at that colour.
Recipe Details
This quinoa macro bowl is easy to make, high in protein and fibre, full of nutrition and tastes amazing. The different flavours and texture all work so well together and the cashew beet dressing is the perfect way to top it off.
This might just be one of my favourite macro bowls ever! It’s so simple but so full of flavour.
This recipe works great for meal prep too. To make it in advance you can either prep the bowls ahead of time and then add the dressing before eating, or store everything separately and assemble the bowls as needed throughout the week.
More Macro Bowls
Loving this tempeh bowl? You might like these too:
- Sushi Bowl with Vegan Spicy Mayo
- Brown Rice and Baked Tempeh Bowls
- Vegan Sweet Potato Buddha Bowl
- Coconut Cauliflower Rice Buddha Bowl
- Cauliflower Quinoa Tabouli Bowls
For more tempeh recipes, try my tempeh tacos, tempeh salad sandwich, garlic herb marinated tempeh or tempeh buddha bowls.
More Recipes to Try!
Tempeh Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
For the Cashew Beet Dressing
For the Marinated Tempeh
For the Macro Bowls (per bowl)
- 4 cups finely chopped kale
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 4 medium chopped roasted carrots
- 2 cups cooked quinoa
Instructions
- To make the beet cashew dressing, add all the ingredients to a blender and mix until smooth and creamy.
- To make the marinated tempeh, add all the ingredients to a shallow container and let sit for a couple hours up to a couple days. Once ready to cook, place the tempeh on a pan and broil for 5-10 minutes. Drizzle with some of the leftover marinade before adding to the bowls.
- To roast the carrots, chop them up and add a tiny drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place on a pan and roast at 425 until tender and starting to brown, shake the pan once half way through cooking.
- To make the sautéed kale, add the de-stemmed and chopped kale to a pan with a splash of water and cook until it turns dark green and softens slightly. Don’t over do it, you just want to lightly cook it.
- To assemble the bowls, add a big handful of spinach to each of 4 servings, then add divide the roasted carrots, kale, tempeh and quinoa between them. Top with desired amount of the beet dressing and enjoy.
Wow! Your recipes are delicious and very nutritious. I am trying to lose weight and Buddha bowls are a game changer. I can have a massive bowl of food to keep me full knowing I am not eating too many calories. Thanks! I am going to try them all.
Can’t get over that pretty vibrant color of the beet dressing…such a creative idea! Plus I have a ton of beets to use up from my garden…perfect! 🙂