This quinoa and roasted vegetable bowl is packed with sweet potatoes, Swiss chard, peppers, broccoli, dates, roasted pepitas and fluffy quinoa. A vinaigrette of lemon cooked in salted butter, olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, salt & pepper is the perfect tangy dressing for a Super Food Bowl.

a bowl of mixed roasted vegetables in a wooden bowl on a black counter net to a pot of herbs

All About this delicious Quinoa Bowl:

Today I am sharing with you a bright, beautiful quinoa-salad bowl packed with nutritious “Super Food” vegetables. So yummy. So good for you.

This is a PERFECT weeknight dinner because everyone in the family can help chop, sauté, peel and cook. Even your littlest cooks can massage the kale to make it taste less bitter. Enjoy!

See Cooking Notes before Instructions

a head of broccoli, stems of kale, pepitas, dates, a sweet potato, an orange bell pepper and a bowl of quinoa on a black stone counter

Ingredients in Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Bowl:

quinoa
lemons
sweet potato
Swiss Chard or Italian Kale
red or orange bell pepper
dates
thyme leaves
dry roasted pepitas
salted butter
olive oil
salt, pepper

long stalks of kale and rhubarb in a window sill

Special Equipment and utensils needed for this recipe:

large skillet
chef’s knife
large salad bowl
rimmed baking sheet
parchment paper
fish spatula or thin spatuala
fork for fluffing quinoa
salad tongs
measuring cups and spoons
small mixing bowl

chopped broccoli, kale and peppers on a cutting board

Pro-tips for this recipe:

Massage, chop and then wash the kale- While a seemingly backwards preparation, this step helps break down tough fibers. By washing the kale, after massaging, the actual bitterness created by the myrosinase enzyme and glucosinolates colliding, the kale loses that bitter taste. When the walls deteriorate, the bitterness releases, but by washing the kale after massing, the bitterness is washed away. Science- fun.
Using salted butter creates a tangier lemon vinaigrette. If you do not have salted butter, increase salt 2 1/2 tsp.
Always fluff your quinoa with a fork after cooking. This lightens the quinoa and makes it extra fluffy. A spoon will combine the grains together making it gluey.
Don’t be afraid to let the lemons get brown- the caramelization creates tons of flavor.

lemons being caramelized in a skillet in frothy butter

If you like this bowl power with quinoa, try these recipes:

a close up of a lemon vinaigrette in a salad bowl

Cooking Notes:

I did not roast any parts of the sweet potato that were not the same size- ends and angled pieces. I just toss those raw pieces in with my dogs kibble. Otherwise, they will burn and become bitter.
I roasted my pepitas in the same pan I cooked the lemons. The bit of butter made them extra tasty.
You can make this dish vegan, by cooking the lemons in either coconut oil or olive oil. The butter just adds a cetain warm nutty taste I love.
For the meat eaters in your family, add in cooked salmon, chicken or even cooked ground turkey.

What to serve with Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Bowl:

Wine- a dry white wine- a sauvignon blanc or an Oregon Pinot Noir would be perfect
Quick breads such as a pumpkin, zucchini or carrot loaf with a smear of warm honey butter
Warm roasted carrot soup
crusty sour dough bread with olive oil and flakey sea salt
a simple cheese and olive board

Quinoa & Roasted Vegetable Bowl

Recipe by Meggen Arthur Wilson

Course: Healthy, Main Course, Montana Kitchen, Summer RecipesCuisine: PeruvianDifficulty: intermediate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

417

kcal

Total time

hour

A bright and nutrient rich quinoa and roasted vegetable bowl packed with great flavor. The tangy lemon vinaigrette adds the perfect finishing touch.

Ingredients

1 cup Dry Quinoa- cook according to package instuctions. This will yield about 3 cups cooked.
1/2 large Lemon- sliced into thin circles
3 TBSP Lemon Juice
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 tsp Kosher salt, divided
1 tsp Ground Pepper, divided
1 TBSP Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1′ cubes
1 head Broccoli, cut into florets
3 cups Swiss Chard, stems and leaves chopped
1 Orange or Red Bell Pepper, chopped
3 cups Italian Kale, massaged and torn into pieces
3 Dried Dates, pitted, cut into thin strips
1/2 cup Dry Roasted Pepitas
2 TBSP Salted Butter

Directions

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
Cook quinoa according to instructions. Fluff with a fork. Keep warm.
In a small bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place potatoes on a roasting pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.
Place broccoli, swiss chard, peppers in the same bowl and toss with a bit more of oil, salt & pepper. Remove potatoes from oven. Add vegetables to sweet potatoes. Toss all well together. Bake another 15 minutes or until browned edges appear on the vegetables. Remove from oven- set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, while veggies are cooking, melt butter in a pan over medium high heat. Place lemon slices into melted butter and cook until the lemons are fragrant and browned.
With a fish spatula, remove lemons to a cutting board and finely chop- rind and all. Reserve browned butter from pan.
In a large salad bowl add in remaining olive oil, browned butter from the pan, lemon juice, thyme leaves, 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and chopped lemon. Whisk well until oil becomes emulsified.
In the salad bowl, add quinoa and toss lightly to coat with lemon vinaigrette. Add in roasted vegetables, kale and dates. Toss all together until coated with the dressing.
Top with pepitas.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Quinoa & Roasted Vegetable Bowl

All About this delicious Quinoa Bowl:

Ingredients in Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Bowl: