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    Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls

    October 28, 2020 By Rene 11 Comments

    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing!

    Jump to Recipe
    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes

    Butternut squash is one of my absolute favorite veggies to roast during the colder months. It can take on so many different flavors and goes well on just about anything. It is especially tasty in these quinoa bowls!

    I know "quinoa and kale bowls" sounds so basic and boring. But trust me, there is nothing boring going on here.

    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes

    How to roast butternut squash

    The first thing you will need to decide when making this recipe is how to purchase your butternut squash. Whole or pre-cut.

    I go with with pre-cut 99% of the time. It is convenient and cuts your prep time way down. But if this isn't an option, go ahead and buy a whole squash. You will just need to peel it, deseed it and chop it yourself.

    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes

    Once you have your squash in bite sized pieces, go ahead and give it some seasoning. Load it onto a parchment lined baking sheet and roast it for 20 minutes - flipping halfway. It will be tender on the inside and have a slight crust on the outside. This stuff is good.

    How to assemble Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls

    The squash is literally the hardest part of this recipe - and it's not even hard. While your squash is cooking whip up some quinoa (or buy it pre-made in the frozen section for an even quicker meal), make the dressing, and massage that kale.

    In this recipe I decided to massage my kale with avocado instead of lemon juice. It gives it a different texture and adds avocado. I mean, you can't go wrong.

    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes

    I like serving these bowls when the squash and quinoa are still warm. That way you have a hot and cold element in the bowls. But you could just as easily let everything cool and serve this as a cold salad. Which is especially nice if you have leftovers. No need to reheat the next day.

    Add everything to a bowl, drizzle on some dressing and get to eating. This recipe is literally Fall in a bowl.

    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes

    Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:

    • Vegan Butternut Squash Tacos with Chipotle Cilantro Sauce
    • Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Pasta with Fried Sage
    • Vegan Butternut Squash Tacos with Crispy Brussels Sprouts
    • Vegan Butternut Squash and Sausage Pizza
    • Roasted Potato Kale Pesto Bowls
    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes
    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes
    Print Pin
    4.84 from 6 votes

    Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls

    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Keyword butternut squash, quinoa
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 20 minutes
    Total Time 30 minutes
    Servings 4 bowls

    Ingredients

    FOR THE BUTTERNUT SQUASH

    • 2 cups butternut squash
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • salt & pepper to taste

    FOR THE QUINOA

    • 2 cups water
    • 1 teaspoon vegan chicken bouillon* optional
    • 1 cup quinoa dry

    FOR THE TAHINI DRESSING

    • ½ cup tahini
    • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    • 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
    • lemon juice to taste
    • 1 teaspoon oregano
    • ½ teaspoon garlic salt
    • pepper to taste
    • water as needed

    FOR THE SALAD

    • 4 cups kale shredded
    • 1 avocado
    • ½ red onion chopped
    • lemon wedges, pepper for serving.

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Add butternut squash, olive oil, smoked paprika, oregano, salt & pepper to the baking sheet and toss to coat evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes (flipping halfway).
    • To make the quinoa, add the water to a pot and bring to a boil. Rinse the quinoa. Add the bouillon (or a pinch of salt if you aren't using bouillon) to the boiling water followed by the rinsed quinoa. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
    • To make the dressing, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Add water until desired consistency is reached. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.
    • To marinate the kale, combine the kale, avocado and a pinch of salt & pepper to a bowl. Use your (clean) hands to mash the avocado into the kale. Once combined, place in the fridge until ready to serve.
    • To assemble, add a layer of kale to each bowl. Top the kale with some red onion, quinoa, butternut squash and a drizzle of dressing. Serve with lemon wedges and black pepper.

    Video

    Notes

    *You can get it at Whole Foods or online, here.

    This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!

    If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and  @thissavoryvegan!

    These Butternut Squash Quinoa Bowls are a hearty, healthy and tasty meal. Filled with roasted veggies, marinated kale and a mustard tahini dressing | ThisSavoryVegan.com #thissavoryvegan #veganbowls #quinoarecipes
    « Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #120
    Weekly Vegan Dinner Plan #121 »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica

      March 10, 2022 at 12:15 pm

      4 stars
      I liked this dish - but can do with a less mustard in the dressing, personally. I am usually a big mustard fan too. So, that was a bummer. I think my butternut squash was too hard, so may have to remake this to get it right with a softer bite. I am not usually a fan of oregano (unless it's on pizza or maybe in pozole), and it didn't do anything positive to the squash for me.

      Things I would do differently: add 1/2 the amount of mustard and add no oregano to squash, but maybe a small drizzle of honey. Glad that I tried this dish because I have been trying hard to find yummy kale salads - I did really appreciate and had never before seen someone "massage" their avocado into their greens. Was really silly and fun at the same time so grateful for that messy experience; made me feel like a kid again ha.

      Reply
    2. Penny

      November 08, 2021 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      I really enjoyed this recipe! It’s a hearty fall lunch. I thought it could use some crunch, so I made some candied pepitas to add in and it was the perfect addition.

      Reply
      • Rene

        November 10, 2021 at 12:31 pm

        Hi Penny - love the addition of pepitas! So glad you enjoyed!

        Reply
    3. Tara

      November 14, 2020 at 10:20 pm

      I have so much frozen butternut squash!!! Have you ever roasted it from frozen?! Or put it in the air fryer maybe?!

      Reply
      • Rene

        November 16, 2020 at 9:06 am

        I haven't, but the air fryer sounds like a really good option!

        Reply
    4. Graisy

      November 04, 2020 at 4:22 pm

      5 stars
      I wasn’t sure about a tahini dressing, but this salad was delicious!

      Reply
      • Rene

        November 11, 2020 at 10:11 am

        So glad you liked it!

        Reply
    5. Laurel

      November 03, 2020 at 2:17 pm

      5 stars
      I do not like squash, avocado or kale but this dish was excellent!

      Reply
      • Rene

        November 11, 2020 at 10:09 am

        Haha! Well I'm glad you gave it a try even though those aren't your favorite ingredients!

        Reply
    6. Eva

      November 03, 2020 at 10:00 am

      5 stars
      I loved this bowl! Delicious! Perfect for fall with butternut squash & such an easy way to get some healthy greens and protein in! Yum! Will make again!

      Reply
      • Rene

        November 03, 2020 at 1:40 pm

        Yay! So glad you liked it!

        Reply

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    I’m Rene! So-cal native, dog mom and lover of all things spicy. Learn more.

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