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A plant-based, protein packed bowl of healthy comfort food, all ready in 30 minutes!
These days I seem to get bored of foods easily. I used to have some chicken, some vegetables, pasta rice or quinoa and be happy. Lately I have been taking a huge bowl and just throwing everything in. And this time it came out delicious.
I love the fall flavors out there. Most people think of pumpkin and apples for fall, but there are so many more as well! Brussels sprouts, cranberries and sweet potatoes are also fall fruits and vegetables and are in season now. So basically. I threw them in a large bowl with quinoa and sliced almonds and became a very happy girl.
Texture is a huge thing for me. It’s basically the reason why I either love or hate something. I am not sure if you know this about me but I am EXTREMELY picky. Unbelievably picky.
For example, I do not like seafood at all because of the texture. All of it. Fish, shellfish….you name it. I don’t like the texture. And yes, before you tell me, I’ve tried some really fresh pieces of seafood (according to my seafood loving husband) and I still don’t like it. Blech.
I eat ground beef, ground turkey etc. but I won’t eat steak because of the….texture! Weird, maybe? I don’t care. I am not changing now. I have eaten like this for years.
Same can be said about the foods I love. In this dish, I added the sliced almonds and dried cranberries (try to get the ones with no added sugar!) because I knew it would give it that little “crunch” that I was craving. man, I love almonds so much…
I made this for my husband and he added chopped sausage to his bowl for all the meat lovers out there. I was more than satisfied with this bowl just the way it is. But that’s the beauty of this dish. It’s extremely versatile and the possibilities are endless.
I have also added shredded rotisserie chicken and leftover ground beef to this. My husband liked it both ways and it added a little extra protein as well. Whatever you have in the house, go for it. This is kind of like one of those dinners you can just throw together. If you have broccoli or cauliflower, toss it in!
Oh and I have also added leftover roasted butternut squash instead of the sweet potatoes (again because it was already in my fridge) and that was yummy as well!
Sweet Potato Brussels Sprout Quinoa Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth can also use chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 onion minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root diced
- 2 cups sweet potatoes diced
- 1 cup sliced Brussels sprouts
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
Instructions
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Place quinoa and broth into a pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and reduce heat to low, simmer for 15-20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.
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Meanwhile while quinoa is cooking, place olive oil, garlic, onion and ginger into large skillet. Cook over medium heat 3-4 minutes until onions are translucent. Add sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts and let cook for 10 minutes or until they soften.
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Add cooked quinoa to skillet and thoroughly combine.
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Remove from heat.
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Add cranberries and almonds and mix again.
All of this fall-flavored-healthy-deciciousness is ready in 30 minutes too! What more can you ask for? Especially on those busy weeknights when you are acting as a bus driver for your kids (which is most nights these days). I have also made it earlier in the day and reheated it before dinner time too. That works. And it still tastes incredible!
Just promise me you will keep the Brussels sprouts in there, even if you think you don’t like them. Brussels sprouts get such a bad rap. The truth is, if they are prepared correctly then they are super delicious. Try to forget about those boiled Brussels sprouts that your grandma used to make. These are so much better! I promise.
Another great recipe…my Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts. If you haven’t tried roasting them yet, today is the day. For all of those Brussels haters, I bet this would change your mind.
If you are not a vegan, I suggest sprinkling some Parmesan cheese on top. Just a little goes a long way or go ahead and pour it on, but those calories add up so try to be mindful.
You can also add Asiago or Romano cheese. These are also hard cheeses that pack a powerful, flavorful punch. I also added Feta cheese once (because I love Feta and want to put it on everything!) but I think I liked it better with the harder cheese. But that’s just a personal preference. Go ahead and mix it up and let me know what you think.
And before you tell me that cheese and meat aren’t vegan, I know. I am simply offering suggestions for everyone out there. This isn’t a vegan blog, people! It just so happens to be a vegan recipe!
I plan on sharing a lot of easy, healthy recipes these days now. I am feeling overwhelmed with kids’ activities and everything back to school, so let’s simplify our meals, shall we? I mean, something has to be easy, right? And it’s definitely not my kids or their schedules!
All of my recipes are easy to prepare because as a busy mom, I don’t have time to spend in the kitchen like I used to. But just because they are simple and healthy that doesn’t mean they lack flavor. I will never ever eat boring food that doesn’t taste good. Period. Why would you?
I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do. And please leave me a comment and let me know. I love hearing from you and I am always open to comments and suggestions.
Thanks for stopping by!
Gotta love when you can throw a bunch of things together and it comes out like this–looks perfect Lauren!
Thank you Kristen!
What a delicious/healthy looking bowl!
Thank you Sharon!
Beautiful presentation for the season, very Fall-like 🙂 I haven’t had brussel sprouts since I was a kid! This looks so delicious and nutritious!!
Thanks so much Jo! It’s time to start eating Brussels sprouts again 🙂
why no nutritional information with the recipe?
Hi Cindy, I just added the nutritional information on the bottom of the post. I hope you like it and thanks for stopping by!
Oh yum – this looks amazing! I love all the ingredients you put in this dish. I want to make a big batch to have for lunches next week!
I love just throwing it all together in one bowl. Looks delicious and perfect for lunch anyway!
I love all the fall flavors in this.
This looks so flavorful – and so easy. I never think to throw bowls like this together.
Thanks Lauren!
Love this dish – all the veggies! What a great combo. This might be something nice to serve for the upcoming fall holidays!
Thank you Patricia!
Yes, please! LOVE this festive dish and the veggie mix with cranberries. Can’t wait to make it.
I hope you like it Ginny!
I am so a bowl person. Throw it in a bowl and 90% of the time I will eat it. I am loving all of the other fall flavors here! This is a must try! Pinning!
Thank you Amanda!
I love this bowl, I’m a big cranberry fan. Bowls are the way to go when life gets hectic. I love simple recipes. I feel like life is complicated enough without adding a 25 step, 5 hour dinner on top of it. Since the kids were little I picked one day a week to make something complex, and the rest of the week I do easy stuff. That way I satisfy my inner chef but on a day we’re home hanging out all day. The rest of the week it’s bowl, slow cooker recipes or simple grilling. I’d nosh this any day of the week.
What a beautiful meal…so colorful and full of good-for-you bits! Love it!
You’re right – most people just think pumpkins once fall rolls around! There is so much more out there! I’m loving this Quinoa Bowl. Absolutely delicious!
What a great recipe! Really enjoyed making this. Did my own take on it by adding feta + fresh cilantro!
Thanks for telling me, I am so glad you liked it! And I LOVE your additions of feta and cilantro!
This was gorgeous! We got lazy and just put chunks of sweet potatoes, presliced Brussels sprouts (from TJs), chunks of onions with some chunks of carrots into the oven and roasted it. Added to quinoa with sauteed onions, diced ginger and garlic, and almonds. The cranberries were a great addition. Yummalicious!! Thanks so much 🙂
I don’t call that lazy Nina, I call that a smart way to simplify! I am so glad that you like it!
I made your delicious bowl last night for dinner, Lauren. I loved how easy it was. I noticed a slight error in that the amount of olive oil isn’t listed. It just says 1 olive oil. I used a tablespoon and actually used coconut oil instead. My only other issue with the recipe is that the sweet potatoes didn’t end up cooked enough. I think the next time I make this I will probably bake them in the oven for about 10 minutes prior to adding them to the skillet. I also added torn kale pieces to the mix.
Hi Kim! Thank you for pointing that error out, I changed that. Every oven can vary so that’s why cooking times may vary by several minutes too. The added kale sounds amazing, you are making me hungry! Thanks again!
This looks and sounds DELICIOUS! I wonder if you could provide the nutrition information? I am following weight watchers and would like to calculate the smart points. Thank you!
Love this combination! I riffed off this recipe a bit: I roasted squash, scooped out some of the center, and then mounded a very similar quinoa combo inside of it (minus the sweet potatoes). Both beautiful and delicious!