The depth of flavours in this roasted veggie power bowl with quinoa is unbeatable. The mix of textures are brought together by the creaminess of a peanut sauce that which you’ll want to use in all your dishes.
The flavours of a mix of delicious roasted vegetables, hot quinoa and a punch of flavour from peanut sauce make an amazing power bowl.
These are my favourite types of dishes because the flavours are bold and textures are mixed leaving me satisfied in all ways.
Power bowls are also amazing for meal prep. If you double up this recipe you can have lunches, or dinners, for most of the week. The veggies keep well and so does the peanut sauce. Just keep them separate until you’re ready to eat so you can heat up your bowl before eating it to bring out all the flavours.
Preparing Roasted Veggie and Quinoa Power Bowl
Ingredients
Produce
Sweet potato: Sweet potatoes are a starchy and sweet root vegetable. The flesh of this vegetable is orange in colour, once peeled. They are a good source of fiber, potassium, and Vitamins A and C.
Red cabbage: There are many varieties of cabbage the most common, in North America, being the green cabbage and purple, also referred to as red, cabbage. This is an annual vegetable that grows in a head with dense leaves. Cabbage is packed with nutrients and is low in calories making it an excellent addition to most meals.
Kale: Kale is a cruciferous vegetable and a member of the cabbage family, though it does not come in a head the way cabbage does. It has large dark green or purple leaves that are almost frilly at the ends. Kale can be eaten raw or cooked, though mature leaves can be a bit tough.
Edamame: Edamame are soybeans that have been picked before they are fully mature. They are low in calories and high in protein, iron and magnesium. They are available in a pod or shelled, like the ones we used here, and you can buy them fresh or frozen. We use frozen for our recipe.
Pantry
Quinoa: Quinoa is a whole-grain seed that is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Canned Lentils: Green lentils are a legume and are a seed of the lentil plant. These are typically the variety that you find canned which is what is recommended in this recipe. They hold their shape well when cooked and add fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals to this dish.
Olive oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because of its mild flavour. Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives. The least processed is extra virgin olive oil, which I use in this recipe.
Sunflower seeds: Sunflower seeds are the seeds of a sunflower that have been picked off and shelled. We use raw sunflower seeds for this recipe because they get toasted during the baking process.
Peanut butter: Peanut butter is a spread that is made from dry-roasted peanuts. It’s available in smooth or crunchy, where there are small bits of nuts left in the spread. We recommend using smooth peanut butter for this sauce to get a really creamy texture.
Soy sauce: Made from fermented soybeans and wheat, this Chinese condiment is salty and very dark in colour. There are many different varieties of soy sauce but we use dark soy sauce for this recipe.
Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice. It is slightly sweet in flavour and milder than some other vinegar. It is a popular ingredient in many Asian dishes.
Honey: We can thank bees for this luxurious sweet ingredient. Bees make honey from the nectar of flowers of which the excess is collected by beekeepers, bottled and sold. There are many different types of honey varying in taste and consistency. You want to make sure to use a honey that you like and one that is runny.
Sesame oil: Sesame oil is a vegetable oil made from sesame seeds. It has a nutty and earthy taste that is very strong. Its use is often limited to flavouring foods versus other oils that are milder and are used for more general cooking. This ingredient is optional so if you have a sesame allergy or don’t have sesame oil on hand feel free to skip it.
Herbs and Spices
Garlic powder: Garlic powder is dehydrated garlic ground to a powder. It’s sweeter than raw garlic so it just adds a hint of garlic flavour without the sharpness.
Paprika: I use sweet paprika, or just paprika which is most commonly found in grocery stores. It is not sweet in the sugary sense, but compared to its spicy and smoked siblings it is the sweetest of them all.
Oregano: Oregano is a plant from the mint family. It’s used as a herb and has a very potent flavour. Dried oregano is the leaves of a fresh plant that has been air-dried.
How to Make a Roasted Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Peanut Sauce
There are a few moving pieces here so as always try to get all your ingredients out and ready before you start.
Then preheat the oven to 425°F.
We will start the prep with the veggies for roasting, but not all at once. I like to maximize our time so we will prep as we go perfectly timing everything so make this as seamless as possible.
Step 1
First, we’ll peel the sweet potato. Once you’ve peeled it cut into 1-inch cubes and add it to a medium bowl.
Next add 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, paprika and table salt. Toss everything to coat the potatoes evenly.
Place them on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet without crowding to make sure they roast well on all sides.
They will take 30 minutes to bake but we will turn them half-way and add the rest of the veggies then too. So set your timer to 15 minutes.
Step 2
Next, we need to cook the quinoa. Add the quinoa to your CorningWare dish and cover with twice the water.
Cook in the microwave covered for 20 minutes on 60% power.
Step 3
Now, wash the kale, remove the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Add them to the same medium bowl you used for the sweet potatoes and toss with 1 tbsp of oil and half the coarsely ground salt.
Line another cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the kale on one half of the sheet pan.
Before adding the kale to the oven, you will need to first add the red cabbage. Roughly chop the red cabbage and add it to the same medium bowl that you used for the kale. Toss it with 1 tbsp olive oil, remaining coarsely ground salt and oregano.
Add it to the same cookie sheet as the kale. When the 15-minute timer goes off for the potatoes, add the kale and cabbage to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Don’t forget to toss the potatoes while you’re opening the oven.
Step 4
While the veggies are roasting, add some water to a small pot. Once the water boils add the frozen edamame and cook for 5 minutes, straining once done.
Step 5
Before making the sauce, open the can of lentils and drain it. Rinse the lentils in a strainer until the water runs clear.
Step 6
The final step is to make the peanut sauce.
Combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and whisk well until thoroughly combined and slightly runny.
Substitutions
Honey: If you are looking to make this dish vegan, replace the honey with either maple syrup or brown sugar. You may need a little bit more than honey since honey tends to be sweeter.
Soy Sauce: Traditionally soy sauce is made with wheat however there are some brands that make gluten-free. Tamari sauce, also in the soy sauce family, is also a great alternative.
Veggies: As with any power bowl, you can use any veggies that you prefer or have on hand.
Serving Quinoa Power Bowl with Peanut Sauce
Once all the veggies are cooked, its time to make the bowls. Separate all of the ingredients in half among two large bowls and drizzle with the dressing.
Use as much or as little of the dressing as you’d like and sprinkle with some sunflower seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the roasted veggies quinoa power bowl with peanut sauce gluten-free?
With just one small tweak this power bowl can be gluten-free. All you need to do is use a gluten-free variety of soy sauce, or tamari.
Is the roasted veggies quinoa power bowl with peanut sauce vegan?
The only non-vegan ingredient is honey which is very easily replaced with maple syrup or brown sugar.
Let us know in the comments if you have any other questions. And if you like this recipe be sure to leave us a five-star rating below.
Are you looking for dinner ideas? Check out our recipes:
Roasted Veggie and Quinoa Power Bowl with Peanut Sauce Recipe
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Small pot
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa
- 300 g sweet potato (1 medium-large potato)
- 100 g red cabbage
- 40 g kale (3 leaves)
- ½ cup canned lentils
- ½ cup frozen edamame
- 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- ¼ tsp coarsely ground salt (divided)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
Peanut Dressing:
- 6 tbsp cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce (Tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp honey (maple syrup for vegan)
- ½ tsp sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F
- Peel and dice the sweet potato into 1-inch cubes. Add it to a medium bowl and top with 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic powder, paprika and salt.300 g sweet potato, 3 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp paprika, ¼ tsp salt
- Place on a lined cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing half-way, at the 15 minutes mark.
- Next, add the quinoa and twice the water to a microwave-safe dish. I like to use a 2.5-quart CorningWare dish with a lid. Cook in the microwave for 20 minutes on 60% power.½ cup quinoa
- Next, wash the kale, remove the stems and roughly chop the leaves. Add to a medium bowl and toss with 1 tbsp of oil and half the coarsely ground salt. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the kale on one half.40 g kale, ¼ tsp coarsely ground salt, 3 tbsp olive oil
- Now roughly chop the red cabbage and add it to the same medium bowl that you used for the kale. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, remaining coarsely ground salt and oregano. Add it to the same cookie sheet as the kale. When the timer goes off for the potatoes, add the kale and cabbage to the oven and bake for 15 minutes.100 g red cabbage, 3 tbsp olive oil, ¼ tsp dried oregano, ¼ tsp coarsely ground salt
- While the veggies are roasting, add some water to a small pot. Once the water boils add the frozen edamame and cook for 5 minutes.½ cup frozen edamame
- Lastly, open the can of lentils and drain it. Rinse the lentils in a strainer until the water runs clear.½ cup canned lentils
- To make the sauce, combine all of the peanut sauce ingredients in a small bowl or glass measuring cup and whisk well until thoroughly combined.6 tbsp cup creamy peanut butter, 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp honey, ½ tsp sesame oil
- Once the veggies and quinoa are done, it’s time to assemble the bowl.2 tbsp sunflower seeds
