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Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl with Chickpeas
This sweet potato quinoa bowl is nutty, sweet, tart, tangy, creamy, crunchy, crispy, zesty and fresh. Wow! That was a mouthful (no pun intended). This recipe combines a variety of flavors and textures in perfect harmony.
Grain Bowls
I use the term Grain Bowls very loosely. Pretty much whenever a grain is mixed with fruits/vegetables/proteins/beans/etc., it’s a grain bowl. A salad with a scoop of barley on top? Grain bowl. A burrito bowl from Chipotle? Grain bowl.
Anyway, I point this out because Grain Bowls provide an inherent framework that anyone can follow (grains + fruits/veggies + protein). The options are truly endless and you’re almost guaranteed to a wind up with a hearty, nutritious and complete meal.
Need a little grain bowl inspiration? Checkout this Spicy Green Grain Bowl, this Rainbow Couscous with Tzatziki Chicken or this Hawaiian Poke Bowl.
Free Guide
Grain bowls are a staple in my kitchen because they are so easy to put together with whatever ingredients you have on hand. In fact this grain bowl recipe is included in my Back to Basics Healthy Recipe Mini Guide.
This guide walks you through making changes basic recipes based on the ingredients you have at home and your personal preferences. So, when life gets busy you can save yourself time and stress by throwing together a quick healthy meal with the ingredients you have instead of having to rush to the store and look up recipes every time you want to eat a healthy meal. The guide it totally free. No strings attached. No catches. Nada. Download a free copy if you are interested!
How We Make Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl with Chickpeas
Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl with Goat Cheese & Crispy Chickpeas
Ingredients
Grain Bowl Ingredients:
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 4 oz. goat cheese
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 3 tsp. lemon juice
- 3 tsp. honey
- 1/8 tsp. salt
Instructions
- Cook Quinoa: Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
- Prep Sweet Potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Peel the sweet potatoes (optional). Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2"-1" cubes.
- Prep Chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Dry them off with paper towels as much as possible (see note 1).
- Roast: Put the sweet potatoes and chickpeas on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt. Add the garlic powder to the chickpeas ONLY. Toss with your hands to coat. Put in the oven for 30 minutes. Flip the sweet potatoes and chickpeas halfway through cooking.
- Mix Vinaigrette: Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a small bowl. Using a fork, stir until combined.
- Assemble & Enjoy: Portion out the quinoa, spinach and sweet potatoes. Drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette and top with the crispy chickpeas, dried cranberries, pine nuts and goat cheese. Enjoy!
I didn’t add add cranberries and I subbed sunflower seeds for pine nuts. Added about 3 cloves fresh garlic, red pepper flakes, and added waaaayyy more spice and seasoning than the recipe called for because it seemed under seasoned. Overall, very easy and decently good recipe. Good for meal prep, just store chickpeas separately so they don’t get soggy. Definitely a little one-dimensional with flavors, so I would play around with more herbs and spices next time. I think rosemary and thyme would be a good addition.