Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl – plant-based on a budget

Looking for the perfect easy fall recipe? Extremely versatile, this Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl is perfect for swapping out ingredients depending on what you have on hand. It’s a quick, budget-friendly family meal that everyone can enjoy.

Sweet potato and quinoa form the base for a delicious fall quinoa bowl that you can enjoy all year round. Even better, it’s an easy recipe that’s perfect for cooks of all cooks.

If you love those flavors, you have to check out this Sweet Potato Fried Rice, Quinoa Casserole, and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.

Why this recipe works

• budget friendly Bowl of sweet potatoes and quinoa.
• Is working super hot or cold!
• Perfect for meal prep.
• So many possible variations and a great way to use up any veggies and grains you have on hand.

What’s in this recipe

There’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to making a sweet potato quinoa bowl, but here’s what we use to make one.

• Andean millet: A healthy grain that’s quick to prepare and surprisingly high in protein, making it perfect for vegan cooking.
• Sweet potato: Adds a little sweetness to the bowl that works well.
• vegetable broth: Adds more flavor than using water alone.
• Raisins and Red Onion: A balanced mix of savory and sweet that makes a great topping for this easy vegan quinoa bowl.
• sunflower seeds: Buy them skinless for an easy way to add a nice crunch to the quinoa and sweet potato bowl.

Substitutions and Variations

• Don’t have sweet potatoes? Add butternut squash instead.
• Do you hate raisins? Add some dried cranberries instead.
• Sunflower seeds are usually the cheapest, but pumpkin seeds are just as great. You can also use nuts or a combination of nuts and seeds.
• Would you like to use a different grain? Do it! This recipe works great with brown rice, farro, barley, or anything else you want to explore. Just make sure you adjust the cooking time, as some grains take longer to cook than quinoa.
• Add more protein! Throw on some crispy air fryer chickpeas or black beans!
• Add more veggies! It would be great with some roasted Brussels sprouts or mixed roasted vegetables.
• Drizzle with sauce. While we think the flavors are pretty great, a sauce makes it even better. Try it with this vegan garlic sauce, avocado sauce, or spicy peanut sauce.

How to make a sweet potato quinoa bowl

• 1) place quinoa, Sweet potato and vegetable stock in a medium saucepan with a lid. Heat to boil. Then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low.

• 2) Cook quinoa and sweet potatoes for 20 minutes. Remove from the stove and fluff with a fork.
• 3) Stir in raisinsred onion and sunflower seeds.

• 4) You can serve warmor chill for 30 minutes and serve chilled.

expert tips

• Cut the sweet potatoes into small bite-sized pieces that cook faster.
• If you use other grains, Adjust the cooking time as needed. For longer cooking grains, it may be best to cook them separately from the sweet potatoes.
• For a crispier quinoa texture Use tri-colored quinoa. The black and red quinoa in this blend retains some of its texture when cooked, unlike white quinoa, which is cooked until tender.
• This is the ultimate “use what you have” recipe. Go ahead and change the seeds, raisins, veggies, you name it!

frequently asked Questions

How to save

Refrigerator: Allow to cool completely before storing in airtight containers in the fridge.

Freezer: I don’t recommend storing your quinoa sweet potato bowl in the freezer as the sweet potatoes don’t freeze well.

Warm up: It’s easy to reheat in the microwave or you can return it to a pan and cook until warmed through. On top of the stovetop, I find that adding some cooking spray and water makes it easier to cook without sticking. This dish also works great cold if you want to skip reheating or take it with you on the go!

More quinoa recipes

Photos by Alfonso Revilla