Avocado Quinoa Bowl
Fluffy quinoa, roasted vegetables and avocado under a lemon-tahini dressing, built for meal prep.
A bowl that holds its shape for four days in the fridge. Roasting the vegetables hard gives them enough character to stand up to grains, and the tahini dressing does the heavy lifting on flavour. Add the avocado only when you eat.
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How to make Avocado Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
Quantities scale automatically. Cooking times stay the same.
Quinoa
Roasted vegetables
Lemon tahini dressing
To serve
Equipment
- Sheet pan
- Medium saucepan
- Small whisk
Method
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1
Rinse the quinoa
Rinse the quinoa under cold running water for a full minute. The natural saponin coating is bitter and rinsing is the only way to remove it.
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2
Roast the vegetables
Heat the oven to 220C / 425F. Toss the sweet potato, onion, courgette and chickpeas with the oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, spread over a sheet pan in one layer, and roast 25-30 minutes, turning once.
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3
Cook the quinoa
Simmer the quinoa with the stock and salt, covered, for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered another 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
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4
Make the dressing
Whisk the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup and salt. It will seize into a paste; keep whisking in cold water a tablespoon at a time until it loosens into a pourable cream.
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5
Assemble
Divide the quinoa between bowls, top with the roasted vegetables and chickpeas, and add the avocado.
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6
Dress and finish
Spoon the tahini dressing over generously, then scatter with parsley and pumpkin seeds.
Cook’s tips
- Do not panic when the tahini seizes. It always does; cold water and persistent whisking bring it back to a silky sauce.
- Give the vegetables room on the pan. Crowded vegetables steam instead of caramelising, and use two pans if needed.
- Cook the quinoa in stock rather than water. It is the cheapest upgrade in the whole recipe.
Variations
- Swap quinoa for farro, bulgur or brown rice using the same roasting method.
- Add crumbled feta or a soft-boiled egg if you are not keeping it vegan.
- Use a green tahini by blending the dressing with a big handful of parsley and coriander.
Storage and make-ahead
The quinoa and roasted vegetables keep 4 days; the dressing keeps a week in a jar and thickens in the fridge, so loosen with water. Slice the avocado fresh each time.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 528 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Fat | 27 g |
| Fibre | 13 g |
| Sugar | 8 g |
| Sodium | 480 mg |
Nutrition is estimated from ingredient averages and will vary with brands and portioning.
