Curried Chickpea and Sweet Potato Quinoa Power Bowl
Have you all tried power bowls yet? You might also know them as Buddha bowls or grain bowls. Basically, they’re a whole lot of plant based goodness in a giant bowl.
I had a curried Buddha bowl at a restaurant near my apartment here in Chicago a few months ago and ever since then I have been hooked. So it was about time I made one to share with you here! They’re crazy easy to make with leftovers, which make them a go-to in my house. I also love how pretty they look for such minimal effort.
Whatever veggies you have leftover from last night’s dinner, just toss it together with some rice or quinoa or other grain, add an avocado for good measure, and top it with a tasty sauce or dressing. Nourishing, delicious and pretty!
If you know me, you know that in my house sweet potatoes, kale, and avocados are always plentiful. We love to eat kale in absolutely everything, from smoothies, to soup, to just tossing with garlic and eating it for breakfast!
I wouldn’t be surprised if I manage to smuggle kale into some dessert recipes at some point. Just kidding.. (or am I?) Needless to say, kale is always around. Sweet potatoes are great to keep in your pantry because they have a decently long shelf life (about a month), are high in many nutrients and are so versatile! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.. the sweet potato is game! Avocados… well they don’t call me the avocado lady at work for nothing!
So obviously my favorite grain (well quinoa is technically a seed) power bowl is full of sweet potatoes, kale, and avocados! While leftovers work perfectly for a power bowl, you can also make it from scratch too!
I tend to use canned chickpeas in this recipe, but if you have dried beans, you can easily learn how to cook chickpeas like a pro in no time (and even use your instant pot!) to be on your way with this recipe.
My version only takes about 30 minutes to prepare. I won’t lie to you, it’s a busy 30 minutes. But, if you follow my instructions and do everything in the order I did, I promise you will have lunch or dinner on the table in only half an hour AND you will have leftovers! That is, unless you feel like sharing with your family which is cool too 😉
And hey, if you don’t feel like eating an entirely vegan power bowl – that’s okay too! I suggest adding my chicken recipe from this mediterranean chicken bowl recipe to the top for more protein and flavor!
Curried Chickpea and Sweet Potato Quinoa Power Bowl
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes (sliced in half)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Zucchini
- 2 zuchinni (cut into rounds)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Quinoa
- 1 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed)
- 3 cups cooking liquid (vegetable broth or water*)
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Chickpeas
- 15 oz chickpeas (canned, rinsed and drains)
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
For the Kale
- 2 cups kale (stems removed)
- 1 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- pinch of salt
For the Lemon Tahini Sauce
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp water
- pinch of salt
For topping
- 2 avocados
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Toss sweet potatoes in coconut oil, salt and pepper. Place flesh side down on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, flipping half way through (FYI: we will be adding the zuchhini in at the 10 minute mark).
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, combine quinoa, salt and cooking liquid (water or broth) to a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid and bring down to a simmer. Allow to cook for 20 minutes.
- Toss zucchini in coconut oil, salt and pepper. Once the sweet potatoes are at the 10 minute mark, add them to the baking sheet in a single layer and cook for about 15 minutes, flipping half way through.
- While the quinoa, sweet potatoes and zucchini are cooking, get the chickpeas started. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet. Add chickpeas, curry powder, cumin and salt. Cook until chickpeas are a little crispy, about 10 minutes, making sure to stir occasionally. Remove chickpeas from pan.
- Add more coconut oil to the skillet and the kale, minced garlic and salt. Stir until the kale wilts, about 3-5 minutes.
- Somewhere in that time (probably while the chickpeas are cooking), make the tahini lemon sauce. Add tahini, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to a food processor. You can also do this in a bowl with a whisk if you don't mind small bits of garlic in your sauce. Process until combined and smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water until you reach a thin consistency that will be able to be drizzled over bowl.
- To assemble, add quinoa to bottom of the bowl. Then layer with sweet potatoes, zucchini, chickpeas, kale and avocado. Drizzle with lemon tahini sauce. Serve while everything is still warm.
Nutrition
I’m Megan
A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…
Mmmm I absolutely adore power bowls! I make them all the time for weeknight dinners, mostly because I can use up all the random veggies and grains in my fridge, but they always end up SO delicious. Love this combination of sweet potatoes and curried chickpeas. I’ll definitely be trying that soon!
Oh my gaawwwwddd I love this recipe so much and I should have commented on it so much earlier. Was linked to this recipe by a dietician. I am so thankful she did!! Seriously so delicious!! I’ve found I have to cut the sweet potato smaller cus it takes too long just cut in half and have go wait on it sometimes but yeah… MAKE THIS!! EAT THIS!!! Oh the tahini sauce is freakin awesome!!!
This is so tasty!!! love the flavors and textures of this recipe