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Make our simple one-sheet sweet potato quinoa bowls with maple tahini sauce. This fall vegan meal is perfect for meal prep or a lazy weeknight dinner.
I really can’t get behind most quinoa dishes
There is something super boring about quinoa, in my opinion. I love it as an accessory for salad, but if it’s the main star of the meal, I’m usually anti. I prefer rice, couscous, literally anything but quinoa. So with that, I challenged myself to come up with a quinoa-centered meal that I actually liked and came up with these delicious sweet potato quinoa bowls.
With simple ingredients like sweet potato, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and dried cranberries, you really can’t go wrong. These quinoa bowls also include a simple maple tahini dressing and orange zest which makes this a perfect fall meal.
I need quinoa inspo!
Now that I’ve successfully made ONE quinoa-centered dish I consider delicious, I’m looking for more ideas. If you have a favorite quinoa meal that’s not ultra boring, let me know in the comments below. I’ll try anything once!
One sheet, one serving
Sweet potato quinoa bowls are a 1 serving meal. If you are making this for meal prep or for your family, simply multiply the recipe by the number of servings you need it for and chop accordingly.
Additionally, all you’ll need to cook the veggies for sweet potato quinoa bowls is a single sheet pan and a little bit of extra virgin olive oil. It’s very rare that I say this, but if you’re an oil-free vegan, you can toss your veggies in a little bit of water or vegetable broth before roasting as opposed to oil here. Just make sure you use parchment paper so the veggies don’t stick to the baking sheet.
What ingredients do you need to make sweet potato quinoa bowls?
I love how simple the ingredients list is for sweet potato quinoa bowls. For this recipe, you’ll need some quinoa – color doesn’t really matter. I used tri-color quinoa but I’m pretty sure it was also mixed with a little bit of leftover white. My own proprietary blend! Ha. Just kidding. Seriously though. Any kind of quinoa will do.
Next, you’ll need some veggies. Sweet potatoes are an obvious one based on the title of this recipe, but you can always sub it out for butternut squash, acorn squash, red potatoes, or fresh pumpkin.
And for the other two veggies, you’ll need mushrooms and brussels sprouts. This recipe is super flexible so if you have other things you’d like to throw in, feel free to roast them too. I think onions, chickpeas, kale or spinach (though maybe you should blanch these instead of roasting), broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots.
Lastly, you’ll need some dried cranberries and orange zest for the ultimate fall experience, plus tahini, water, and maple syrup to make a sauce for drizzling. Oh yeah, and salt and pepper to tie it all together.
How do you make sweet potato quinoa bowls?
To make sweet potato quinoa bowls, you’ll need a cutting board, a knife, a potato peeler, a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, a zester, a small whisk, a medium-sized pot, and a small bowl.
Start off by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. While the oven heats, peel your sweet potato and cut into 1 inch pieces, and destem the Brussels sprouts and halve them. Next, slice your mushrooms and spread the three veggies across a baking sheet. Coat very lightly with olive oil spray and roast for about 25 minutes.
While your veggies roast, cook the quinoa according to package directions on the stove. Meanwhile, whisk together the tahini, water, and maple syrup to make your dressing. You may have to heat the tahini a little in the microwave to get it to loosen up. Next, zest an orange until you have about ¾ tablespoons of zest and set aside.
After your quinoa is cooked and vegetables are roasted – break out a bowl and add the quinoa to the bottom, and the roasted vegetables on top and the dried cranberries. Garnish your sweet potato quinoa bowl with orange zest, maple tahini, and salt and pepper.
Change it up
The best thing about sweet potato quinoa bowls is that they’re super versatile. Here are some substitution ideas!
Add some broth: If you try this recipe and still think quinoa is boring (I’m willing to bet on the side that you’ll actually dig it though!), try cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth. It will add more flavor to the quinoa and might make it more exciting. If you need a broth reco, my favorite is this one by Edward & Sons.
Try adding mock meat: Seitan is an excellent source of protein and would taste great in sweet potato quinoa bowls. Try adding a serving of spicy seitan sausages, or chicken seitan pieces to the recipe. Alternatively, if you’re buying mock meat, I think any of the Tofurky sausages or Field Roast sausages would work just fine.
Add some nuts or seeds: Sweet potato quinoa bowls could be awesome with some nuts or seeds. Consider adding chopped pistachios, cashews, sunflower seeds, or pepitas to your bowl for extra fat and protein.
Use different vegetables: Hey we’re not picky. If you don’t vibe with mushrooms, use broccoli. If you hate sweet potatoes, use regular potatoes. Add some onions, cauliflower, or butternut squash. Follow your heart.
Try a different grain: Quinoa is a big part of this meal, but if you can’t find it or want to use another grain, try a wild rice blend, some farro, or orzo instead.
Pair sweet potato quinoa bowls with
If you’re looking for a delicious side to serve with this recipe, I have a few ideas! Consider serving this with:
Recipe jam
In this segment, I suggest a song for you to listen to while you make sweet potato quinoa bowls! You can even stream it right here in your browser. Today’s recipe jam is Hunger for a Way Out by Sweeping Promises.
If you try this recipe, I want to hear about it! Feel free to post your creations to Instagram or Facebook and tag Hell Yes It’s Vegan or #hellyesitsvegan. I look forward to seeing what you make!
Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls
Equipment
- cutting board
- knife
- potato peeler
- zester
- medium-sized pot
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- whisk
- small bowl
- bowl for serving
Ingredients
- ½ cup sweet potato
- ½ cup mushrooms
- ½ cup Brussels sprouts
- olive oil spray
- ½ cup tri-colored quinoa
- ½ Tbsp tahini
- ¼ Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp water
- ¾ Tbsp orange zest
- 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
- sea salt and pepper to taste, (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. While the oven heats, peel the potato and cut into 1-inch pieces. Destem the Brussels sprouts and cut in half and slice the mushrooms.
- Add vegetables to sheet pan lined with parchment paper, very lightly coat with olive oil spray, spread the vegetables out evenly, and bake for 25 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. You may find that the mushrooms and Brussels cook faster than the sweet potatoes. It's ok to remove these if they're cooked and let the sweet potatoes roast for a little while longer.
- Meanwhile, cook the quinoa via stovetop following package instructions. Zest the orange and set aside. Whisk together tahini, water, and maple syrup and set aside. (Note: If the tahini is too cold it won't mix very well. I had to nuke mine in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up.)
- In a bowl for serving, add cooked quinoa on the bottom. On top add roasted sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms in respective sections. In another section, add dried cranberries. Sprinkle with orange zest, drizzle with tahini, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
