Rainbow Quinoa Bowl

Inspiration for this nutritious, vegetarian dish came straight from the color wheel! I picked a few of my favorite oven-friendly vegetables and threw in a handful of chickpeas and quinoa for a punch of protein.

I LOVE roasting vegetables. Steaming or boiling tends to leave your veggies limp and life-less while roasting brings out nice color and caramel notes. Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes often find their way into my oven, especially during the cooler months. And beets in my humble opinion are an under-rated ingredient! They're earthy and sweet and offer great color and texture to this bowl.

Every bowl needs a saucy companion, and this Rainbow Quinoa Bowl is no exception. Because roasting tends to bring out the inherent sweetness of these vegetables, I felt we needed something to offer complexity in flavor. Salty and tangy lemon feta dressing was just the ticket! If you're in a pinch for time, don't skip the dressing all together. There are plenty of prepared dressings and sauces to choose from at your local grocery store.

Rainbow Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients

For the bowls

· 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled

· 2 cups brussels sprouts

· 3 medium beets, peeled

· 1 red pepper

· 1 yellow pepper

· 15oz chickpeas, rinsed and pat-dry

· 1 shallot, minced

· 4 cloves garlic, minced

· 4-6 tbsp olive oil

· 1 ½ tsp salt

· ½ tsp black pepper

· 1 tsp sweet paprika

· ½ tsp garlic powder

· ½ tsp onion powder

· Zest of 1 lemon

· 3 cups chicken stock

· 1 ½ cup quinoa

· 1 oz feta, crumbled

For the feta dressing

· ¼ cup mayo

· ¼ cup greek yogurt

· Juice and zest of 1 lemon

· ½ tsp white vinegar

· 2 tbsp buttermilk

· 2 tbsp water

· 1 garlic clove, minced

· 1 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

· 1 tbsp fresh dill, minced

· 1 tbsp fresh chives, minced

· 1 oz feta, crumbled

· ¼ tsp salt

· ¼ tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.

For the bowl…Chop the potatoes, sprouts, beets and peppers into small bite-sized pieces. Keep the vegetable size uniform for even baking. Reserve the peppers. Spread the potatoes, sprouts, beets and chickpeas over two rimmed baking sheets. Sprinkle over shallots and garlic. Drizzle over 3-4 tbsp olive oil.

In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and lemon zest. Sprinkle seasoning evenly over the vegetables. Reserve about 1 tsp for the peppers.

Roast for 25 minutes.

While the vegetables cook, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes until tender.

For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Chill until ready to serve.

Once the vegetables have roasted for 25 minutes, add the bell peppers to the sheet pans. Season with the remaining spice mix and drizzle over additional olive oil. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until veggies are tender and starting to brown.

Spoon quinoa into a bowl and top with roasted vegetables. Drizzle with feta dressing and crumble over additional feta cheese.

Serves 4

Notes

If you’re running short on time, you can find a creamy feta dressing in many grocery stores. Green Goddess dressing would also be a great substitute!

Gluten Free Friendly!