Vegan Quinoa Power Bowls

This quinoa power bowl is packed with flavour, nutrition and a good balance of macronutrients to keep you full and energized.

They feature avocado, butternut squash, kale, pecans, cranberries and a creamy maple tahini dijon dressing, so you’ll enjoy plenty of flavour and texture in every bite. They’re also versatile and can easily be adjusted to suit your preference or whatever ingredients you have on hand.

Enjoy these nourishing bowls for a healthy dinner or prep them in advance for a healthy lunch or dinner ready to go.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and can be nut-free.
• High in protein and fiber.
• Great for a healthy meal prep option.
• Equal parts nutritions and delicious!
• Easy to customize with different vegetables, grains and sauces.
• It’s a crowd-pleasing vegetarian meal the whole family will enjoy.

Ingredients & Substitutions

A complete list of ingredients with amounts and full instructions is located in the printable recipe card below. This section covers ingredient and substitution considerations.

• Maple Syrup: This is used to sweeten the recipe. You can use honey (not vegan) or agave syrup as an alternative. For a sugar-free recipe, liquid monk fruit sweetener would work.
• Tahini: Use a nice, creamy tahini that’s not overly bitter. I like Soom and Arz Fine Foods.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: This can be submitted with white wine vinegar if needed.
• Butternut Squash: The amount of squash doesn’t have to be exact. I like to use about 1 cup cubed per bowl, or one medium-ish sized squash. You can also switch things up and use sweet potato, acorn squash or kabocha squash.
• Olive Oil: You can use avocado oil for roasting, if you prefer.
• Smoked Paprika: If you don’t have smoked paprika, regular paprika works.
• Kale: I like kale for bowls because it’s heartier than spinach or arugula so works well for meal prep and leftovers.
• Lemon: You’ll need a whole lemon to make the zest and juice.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is best but you can use a pinch of garlic powder if that’s what you have.
• Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are great but if you want to cook your own from scratch, that works too! I used a 19 oz can.
• Quinoa: You’ll need roughly 3 cups of cooked quinoa, which is about 1.5 cups uncooked. If quinoa doesn’t work for you, you can try rice, farro or any other grain you like.
• Pecans: Swap for any other nut like almonds, cashews or walnuts. For a nut-free recipe, use hemp seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
• Cranberries: If you can find fruit-juice sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries, perfect, otherwise any kind works! If you don’t have cranberries, raisins or chopped dates are a good alternative.
• Avocado: The recipe calls for 1/2 an avocado per bowl but you can adjust that up or down depending on your nutritional needs.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Cook the quinoa.

Start by bringing 1.5 cups water to a boil on the stovetop. Add the quinoa once it’s boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low.

Cook the quinoa for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork.

Step 2: Roast the butternut squash & chickpeas.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare the butternut squash by removing the peel and seeds. Cube the squash and add to a parchment paper-lined baking tray.

Add the smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper and oil and toss to coat. Roast the squash for 20-25 minutes until fork tender.

Step 1: Make the maple dijon dressing.

While that’s all happening, add the maple dijon dressing ingredients to any container and stir or shake until fully combined.

Step 4: Prepare the kale.

Wash the kale then remove the leaves from the tough stems. Chop or tear the leaves into small pieces and add to a large bowl.

Add the garlic, lemon and olive oil and massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes until softened.

Step 5: Assemble the bowls.

Everything should be ready to go now! Divide the quinoa, squash, chickpeas and kale between 6 bowls or storage containers then top each with the pecans, cranberries and avocado.

Top each with a few tablespoons of dressing until you’ve used it all up.

Quick Tip: If you’re storing the bowls for meal prep, it’s recommended leave the avocado off and store the dressing separately until serving.

Recipe Tips

1. Meal Prep: If you’re making this bowl for meal prep, leave the dressing and avocado off until just before serving to help keep the salad fresh.
2. Extra Flavour: Try adding these quick pickled onions as a topping. For some heat, you can spinkle the bowls with chili flakes, thinly sliced jalapeno or add a bit of your favourite hot sauce.
3. Customize: Try sweet potato or another variety of squash instead of butternut squash. Try brown rice, farro or freekeh instead of quinoa. You could also do roasted cauliflower or Brussels sprouts!
4. Low-Carb Option: Substitute broccoli rice, cabbage rice or cauliflower rice for the quinoa.

Alternative Dressings

Here are some more dressings that work well with this bowl:

• Miso Tahini Dressing: Similar to the maple dijon but with miso paste for a delicious umami flavour.
• Almond Satay Sauce: An Asian-inspired sauce made with coconut milk and sweet chili sauce.
• Maple Tahini Sauce: Similar to the maple dijon but no dijon mustard and more lemony.
• Glory Bowl Sauce: An addictive tahini sauce made with nutritional yeast.
• Ginger Peanut Sauce: Peanut sauce is always a good option!
• Tahini Ranch Sauce: Lemony tahini sauce with herbs.

More Bowl Recipes

Here are some more amazing power bowl recipes you’ll love:

• Quinoa Kale Salad with Roasted Vegetables
• Mediterranean Quinoa Power Bowls
• Roasted Carrot, Kale and Quinoa Bowl
• Teriyaki Chickpea Rice Bowl
• Lentil Quinoa Bowl
• Sweet Potato Quinoa Tofu Bowls

Leftover quinoa? Try these breakfast quinoa power bowls, quinoa chocolate chip cookies or breakfast baked quinoa bars.