Lemon Herb Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls
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These Lemon Herb Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls are healthy and tasty! Quinoa & kale salad is topped with roasted sweet potatoes & basil dressing.
These Lemon Herb Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls are the perfect transition from summer to fall. You get the fresh herbs & bright lemony flavors plus the coziness of the roasted sweet potatoes. Lots of tasty ingredients that come together to make a yummy lunch or dinner.
Step One: Make the Sweet Potatoes
The sweet potatoes in this recipe have a nice crunch and plenty of flavor. The perfect cozy bite for these bowls.
Cut the potatoes into rounds and add them to a bowl with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, smoked paprika, salt & pepper.
Toss the potatoes to coat, transfer to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10 minutes.
The potatoes should be tender in the center and crispy on the outside.
Step Two: Make the Quinoa Kale Salad
Ideally, you will use leftover, chilled quinoa for this recipe. It will save you time! But, if you need to make the quinoa from scratch:
- Rinse the dry quinoa under water until the water turns clear – just like with rice.
- Add the rinsed quinoa to a sauce pan with 2 cups of liquid – I prefer broth for more flavor, but water works too.
- Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 20-ish minutes. The liquid should be absorbed and the quinoa should be cooked through.
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes before tossing with the kale.
Add the chilled quinoa, kale, parsley, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper to a large bowl. Toss to combine, adding more lemon juice & olive oil as needed. Place in the fridge to chill, while the potatoes finish roasting.
Step Three: Make the Basil Dressing
This dressing might be my favorite part of this recipe. It is like pesto and lemon vinaigrette had a baby. The basil and chives add so much freshness!
Here is what you need:
- basil
- chives
- vegan mayo
- garlic
- lemon juice
- salt & pepper
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside.
Step Four: Assemble & Serve
And now it is time to bring it all together. Layer each plate with the quinoa salad and top with the sweet potatoes. Drizzle with the basil dressing and dig in!
There are so many layers of flavor. The perfect amount of crunch. And loads of healthy ingredients.
You can take these bowls on the go for easy lunches. The salad holds up well, even with the dressing on it. Which is why I love using kale! No soggy greens around here.
Tips & Tricks
Making the quinoa ahead of time is ideal. This will save you time and keep you from having to chill it.
You can eat the sweet potatoes warm or chilled.
If you use a green other than kale, you will want to finish the salad the same day.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Lemon Herb Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls
Ingredients
FOR THE SWEET POTATOES
- 2 medium sweet potatoes cut in rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- salt to taste
FOR THE SALAD
- 2 cups cooked quinoa chilled
- 4 cups kale chopped
- 1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1-2 lemons juiced, to taste
- olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
FOR THE BASIL DRESSING
- 1/2 cup basil
- 1 small bunch chives about 2 tablespoons chopped
- 1/2 cup vegan mayo
- 1-2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 lemon juiced
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add all of the potato ingredients to a bowl and toss to coat. Transfer to the baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the chilled quinoa, kale, parsley, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper to a large bowl. Toss to combine, adding more lemon juice & olive oil as needed. Place in the fridge to chill.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Set aside.
- To serve, add the quinoa salad to each plate. Top with the sweet potatoes and drizzle with basil dressing.
Video
Notes
- Rinse the dry quinoa under water until the water turns clear – just like with rice.
- Add the rinsed quinoa to a sauce pan with 2 cups of liquid – I prefer broth for more flavor, but water works too.
- Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat and simmer for 20-ish minutes. The liquid should be absorbed and the quinoa should be cooked through.
- Allow to cool for 30 minutes before tossing with the kale.
Amazing — made this tonight and it gets a WOW. Absolutely delicious.
Thanks so much Karen!
This recipe has become a staple in our household. It’s convinced a few of my less healthy family members to actually eat a kale salad! The only note is that if you sub non-dairy yogurt for the vegan Mayo, the basil in the dressing is kind of strong – but if you follow the recipe exactly you can’t go wrong! (And isn’t that the point of recipes anyway?) Really, we’ve been making this every week. 10/10
Wooo – love that you’re getting some kale converts!
Heavenly! So nutritious, nourishing, bright, savory and all out yummy! Thank you so much! 💖
Thanks so much Jeannine!
So much flavor! Delicious.
Thanks so much Jane!