Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl ·

17 Jul 2024, 00:00

This Mediterranean quinoa bowl is a delicious weeknight dinner or healthy lunch! Great for meal prep, it's packed with veggies, chickpeas, and more.

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Mediterranean quinoa bowl

Quinoa bowl recipes are some of my favorite easy meals to toss together for a healthy lunch or weeknight dinner. I love them because

They’re customizable. You can change up the quinoa bowl toppings based on what you’re craving or what you have on hand.
They’re great for meal prep. Cook the quinoa and mix up a tasty sauce over the weekend. Then, quickly assemble quinoa bowls all week!
They’re super satisfying…not to mention tasty! I fill my quinoa bowls with protein-packed quinoa, fiber-rich veggies, and big drizzles of a flavorful sauce. It’s the ultimate combination of healthy and delicious.

You can put almost any vegetable, protein, or sauce in a quinoa bowl, so I encourage you to try to making your own. But to get you started, I’m sharing my go-to Mediterranean quinoa bowl recipe below, plus tips for customizing it and making it ahead. It’s a staple in my kitchen. Whether you follow it to the letter or totally change it up, I hope it becomes one in yours too!

How to Make These Quinoa Bowls

This Mediterranean quinoa bowl starts with simple, fresh ingredients:

Cooked quinoa, of course! Any type of quinoa works well—white, red, black, or tri-color.
Spiced roasted chickpeas – Along with the quinoa, they pack this bowl with plant-based protein. They also add delicious crunch!
Cherry tomatoes and Persian cucumbers – For a veggie punch! If you can’t find Persian cucumbers, English cucumber is a great sub. If regular cucumber (not Persian or English) is your only option, peel and seed it before adding it to the bowls.
Avocado – For creamy richness.
Garlic yogurt sauce – This sauce is SO easy to stir together—no food processor or blender required! It’s a bright, creamy combination of Greek yogurt, garlic, olive oil, and fresh lemon juice.
Pickled red onions – For a bright pop of flavor.
Fresh parsley and mint – They make this quinoa bowl super flavorful and refreshing.
And Aleppo pepper flakes – They add a touch of heat. Can’t find them? Regular red pepper flakes work here too!

To assemble, fill a bowl or meal prep container with a base of quinoa. Then, add the chickpeas, vegetables, avocado, and drizzles of the garlic yogurt sauce. Top with pickled onions, fresh herbs, and pinches of Aleppo pepper. Season to taste, and enjoy cold or at room temperature.

Find the complete recipe with measurements below!

How to Cook Quinoa

If you’re new to cooking quinoa, don’t let it intimidate you! Preparing it is very similar to cooking rice on the stove. Here’s how I do it:

Rinse the quinoa, and place it in a saucepan with water. (I use 1 3/4 cups water for every 1 cup of quinoa.)
Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat, and cover the pot.
Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.
Remove the pot from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

Fluff the quinoa with a fork, and enjoy! For more detailed instructions, check out my post on how to cook quinoa. Or try cooking quinoa in the Instant Pot!

Make-Ahead Tips for This Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl

This Mediterranean quinoa bowl recipe is great for meal prep!

Start by cooking the quinoa, making the yogurt sauce, and roasting the chickpeas. Then, assemble bowls in meal prep containers with the quinoa, roasted chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, and pickled onions.

Store them in the fridge for up to 4 days, and store the sauce in a separate container in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, drizzle on the sauce, and add the avocado and fresh herbs. You’ll have the BEST weeknight dinner or quick lunch.

**Wait to add the avocado and fresh herbs until right before serving so that they don’t wilt or brown in the fridge.**

Customize Your Quinoa Bowl

I love this recipe as written, but feel free to make it your own! Here are a few easy ways to change it up:

Swap out the quinoa. Use another grain like white rice, brown rice, or farro.
Try a different protein. White beans or grilled halloumi cheese would be delicious.
Change up the vegetables. Add roasted sweet potatoes or roasted broccoli for a heartier bowl.
Use another sauce. Tahini sauce, tzatziki, or a dollop of hummus would be great.
Pile on more toppings. Toss in some kalamata olives for a briny kick. Crumbled feta cheese would be super-tasty too!

Let me know what variations you try!

TIP

Make it vegan. For plant-based quinoa bowls, replace the garlic yogurt sauce with tahini sauce or hummus.

This recipe is naturally gluten-free.

More Grain Bowl Recipes

If you love these healthy quinoa bowls, try one of these grain bowl recipes next:

Crazy for quinoa? Try my Mediterranean quinoa salad, quinoa burger, or quinoa breakfast bowl next.