This quinoa bowl with kale and chickpeas is the perfect meal for fall when served warm and an excellent refreshing summer salad when served cold.
This vegetarian warm quinoa bowl with kale and chickpeas is the perfect meal prep dish. Cook it up on a Sunday, pack it away in to-go containers of single servings and you have lunch ready to go.
I love this dish both hot and cold so if you’re in a pinch you don’t even need to heat it up.
The best part is that this dish is packed with plant-based protein so it will keep you full for a long time. And of course, it’s not lacking in flavour!
Make this hot quinoa bowl with kale and chickpeas for a healthy and complete lunch.
Preparing a Warm Quinoa Bowl with Kale and Chickpeas
Ingredients
Pantry
Quinoa: Quinoa is a whole-grain seed that is rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Stock: Any stock will be great in this recipe. If you want to keep this recipe vegetarian use vegetable stock.
Chickpeas: Also called garbanzo beans, chickpeas are a legume, are beige in colour and somewhat round in shape. They are high in protein, fiber and iron. They are relatively mild in flavour and make a great meat substitute in many dishes.
Red pepper flakes: Red pepper flakes are made from dried and crushed peppers of multiple varieties, like bell, cayenne, jalapeno, chili. They add heat to dishes with the intensity varying based on the quantity used.
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.
G&K All-Purpose Spice: A combination of spices and herbs, this all-purpose seasoning is made for meals like this. Make a batch in advance and always have it handy to add to your protein.
Produce
Yellow onion: Onion is a very common vegetable that is used both raw and cooked in food preparation. It has a sharp flavour raw that often sweetens once cooked. There are many varieties of onions, some that are milder than others. We use the common onion or yellow onion in this recipe.
Green onions: Also known as scallions, green onions add a fresh flavour to this dish. Use the green parts of the green onion for a milder flavour or chop up the whites as well if you like a stronger taste.
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.
Garlic: Garlic is a bulb that is edible and is grown in soil. Though the green shoots it sprouts, called garlic scapes, are also edible, we are referring to the actual bulb that the scapes grow from. Garlic bulbs
are made up of multiple cloves and depending on the variety you may have anywhere from 4 to 10 cloves, if not more. This is important to know because recipes will often call for a specific number of cloves which can vary in size greatly.
Parsley: Parsley is a dark green herb that is used as a garnish or as a flavouring. The two varieties that are most common are flat-leaf and curly parsley. They are very similar in flavour however their leaves and texture are different. As the names suggest, flat-leaf parsley has flat leaves that are very similar to cilantro, whereas curly parsley has rougher and curly-looking leaves. Both are very rich in vitamins C and K and antioxidants, among other nutrients.
G&K Lemon Dressing: A simple mix of lemon, oil and garlic, this dressing adds the perfect freshness to this dish. The balance of sweet and sour here is just perfect.
How to Make a Hot Quinoa Bowl with Kale and Chickpeas
This dish uses very simple ingredients. It’s how they are prepared that makes all the difference. As always, gather all of your ingredients before you start so that you are not left scrambling.
Or, if you’re like me, to make sure you actually have all the ingredients. I often find that I don’t have everything I need when I’m already halfway through the cooking process. Despite being certain that I have it all. But, that is how new recipes are born in this house so it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.
The great part about this dish is that all the prep work happens while the quinoa is cooking.
Now let’s get started.
Step 1: Cook the Quinoa
We will start with cooking the quinoa. Combine the quinoa and stock/water in a pot with ½ tsp salt. Cook it uncovered for about 20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked and all the water is gone. Remove the pot from the burner, cover it with a lid and let it stand for 5 minutes. When ready fluff the quinoa with a fork and move it to a large bowl.
Step 2: Prepare all the Ingredients
Now you want to prepare all of the other ingredients.
Peel and dice the yellow onion and garlic or if you have a garlic press, you can use it to mince the garlic instead of dicing.
Then, open a can of chickpeas, drain and rinse them. In a small bowl combine the chickpeas with a tablespoon of olive oil and G&K All-Purpose Spice. If you want to skip the spice, add ½ tbsp garlic powder and ½ tbsp paprika but I highly recommend taking the extra minutes to make our spice. It really adds the right pop to the chickpeas.
Lastly, wash and dry the kale and parsley. Remove the kale leaves from the hard stems and tear or chop them into small pieces. The size is entirely up to you. Chop the parsley.
Step 3: Sauté the kale
Add 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan and heat up on medium-high heat.
Once hot, add the onion and red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, roughly 1 minute.
Finally, add the kale and the whites of the green onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Remove it from the pan and add it to the large bowl with quinoa.
Step 4: Cook the chickpeas
Lastly, in the same pan you used for the kale, add the spiced chickpeas. Cook for about 6 minutes tossing them halfway through. Then add the chickpeas to the bowl with kale and quinoa.
Step 5: Make the dressing
To make the G&K Lemon Dressing, combine 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 small clove of garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir or shake it to combine well.
Pour the dressing over the other ingredients in the bowl, add fresh parsley and toss everything to coat well.
Substitutions
Kale: You can use another tougher green like collard greens or arctic char instead of Kale. Alternatively, you can also just use spinach. The spinach will wilt much faster so I would recommend adding them earlier on in the cooking process with the onions and red pepper flakes.
G&K All-Purpose Spice: You can simply use a 1:1 ratio of garlic powder and paprika if you don’t have any of our all-purpose spice on hand. Although this is as an opportunity as any to make a double batch to stock up.
G&K Lemon Dressing: This is my favourite dressing for this quinoa bowl but it’s definitely not the only one that will work. Try our quick maple and Dijon dressing for a slightly sweeter take or even our homemade Italian salad dressing and sub sauce. If you really don’t feel like making your own dressing then your favourite store-bought vinaigrette will be fantastic in this warm quinoa bowl.
Serving a Warm Quinoa Bowl with Kale and Chickpeas
This is a dish that I like to eat all on its own. It is vegetarian but it is packed with protein. It’s full of flavour and nutrients and makes a wonderfully easy meal.
You might be wondering if this quinoa salad is better hot or cold. Well, if you serve it cold I find it tastes fresh and light. However, you can also serve it warm as the title indicates, and the dish transforms into a cozy, hearty, yet still healthy, comfort meal.
Just because it’s great on its own it doesn’t mean it does pair well with others. Try this warm quinoa bowl as a side dish to your favourite meat protein to get the most out of all the nutrients.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is quinoa salad better served hot or cold?
The short answer is that it depends on the other ingredients in the salad. Quinoa itself can be served both ways to have a look at the remaining ingredients.
If the quinoa salad contains fruit or fruit posing as veggies, I’m talking to you tomatoes and cucumbers, that you wouldn’t normally heat up then I’d steer clear of serving it warm. Otherwise, try it both ways and see which you like better.
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:
Warm Quinoa Bowl with Kale and Chickpeas Recipe
Equipment
- Knife and cutting board
- Small pot
- Medium pan
- Large bowl
Ingredients
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 cup stock or water
- ¼ small onion
- 3 green onions
- 2 cups kale
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp G&K All-Purpose Spice optional
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley optional
- 2 tbsp G&K Lemon Dressing
Instructions
- Add quinoa and stock/water to a pot with ½ tsp salt. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes until the quinoa is cooked and all the water is gone. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes then fluff with a fork and move to a large bowl.½ cup quinoa, 3/4 tsp salt, 1 cup stock
- While the Quinoa is cooking, wash and finely chop the kale and green onions. Separate the whites and greens of the green onions.2 cups kale, 3 green onions
- Peel and dice the yellow onion and garlic. If you have a garlic press, you can use that instead of dicing.¼ small onion, 1 garlic clove
- Next, open a can of chickpeas, drain and rinse them. In a small bowl combine the chickpeas with a tablespoon of olive oil and G&K All-Purpose Spice. If you want to skip the spice, add ½ tbsp garlic powder and ½ tbsp paprika.1 cup chickpeas, 4 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp G&K All-Purpose Spice
- In a large pan, add 2 tablespoons of oil and heat up on medium-high heat.4 tbsp olive oil
- Once hot, add the onion and red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, roughly 1 minute.3 green onions, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, 1 garlic clove
- Finally, add the kale and the whites of the green onions and cook for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Removed from the pan adding it to the large bowl with quinoa.2 cups kale, 3 green onions
- Lastly, in the same pan you used for the kale, add the spiced chickpeas. Cook for about 5-6 minutes tossing halfway through. Add the chickpeas to the bowl with kale and quinoa.1 cup chickpeas
- For the dressing, combine 1 tablespoon of oil, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 small clove of garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the other ingredients, top with fresh parsley, remaining green onion and toss everything to coat well.2 tbsp G&K Lemon Dressing
- Serve hot or cold as a main dish on its own or with your favourite sides.1 tbsp fresh parsley, 3 green onions
