This Sweet Potato Broccoli Quinoa Bowl recipe is full of nutritious fiber, lean chicken, topped with a sesame-ginger salad dressing and is gluten-free and dairy-free. It is one of our favorite healthy and easy chicken quinoa bowl recipes in our house!
Want a few other healthy quinoa bowl recipes to choose from? You might also enjoy this Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad, Sausage, Kale, & Sweet Potato Quinoa, and this Summer Vegetable Quinoa Salad.
Simple Quinoa Bowls
Sometimes I think “recipes” are too simple to put on Evolving Table. These Sweet Potato Broccoli Quinoa Bowls are the perfect example.
I have been making this recipe for almost 6 months now and never even thought to put it on the site?!
And then I find myself telling all of my close friends what I pack for Cohl’s lunch (almost weekly) and wonder why I am holding back from all of you lovelies?
My Vow to You + Quinoa Bowl Recipes
So from this day forward I vow to never hold back a recipe because I think it is too “simple.”
Nope, from now on you will see all of the delicious quinoa bowls that come out of our house… because I kind of have an obsession with them!… as well as all of the other super easy recipes that grace our dinner table.
Because some nights we all just want to enjoy a simple quinoa veggie bowl!
Quinoa Bowl Blueprint
Like many other quinoa salad and quinoa bowl recipes here on the site, I want you to use this one as a blueprint from which you do WHATEVER it is you want to do!
If you don’t have sweet potatoes, no prob! Sub regular potatoes or butternut squash instead.
You could have sworn you had a broccoli crown in the back of the fridge? No biggie! Use some brussel sprouts.
Not a fan of sesame ginger dressing. Don’t worry, I won’t force you to love it (but you’re kind of missing out!)… just use your favorite Asian style salad dressing.
Now that you can all breath a sigh of relief that you don’t need to make an extra grocery store trip, let’s learn how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker and assemble these delicious chicken and veggie quinoa bowls!
What Salad Dressing to Use for this Quinoa Bowl Recipe?
A few months ago Cohl and I discovered our new favorite salad dressing while vacationing in Sedona, Arizona.
This sesame ginger salad dressing is made by Bragg’s and is full of healthy ingredients like apple cider vinegar and organic olive oil instead of canola oil!
It is my absolute favorite salad dressing to use in this particular quinoa bowl recipe since it complements the roasted veggies perfectly without overwhelming their flavor.
You can find this sesame ginger salad dressing at most Whole Foods, Central Markets, and Natural Grocers, but you can also buy it online if you can’t find it and really want to give it a shot.
How to Cook Quinoa in Rice Cooker?
To be honest, I never actually cooked rice or quinoa the “traditional” stovetop way until the hubby got sick on a vacation this past June.
The rice cooker has always been my best friend! (Until recently, the Instant Pot is quickly taking its’ place!)
Once you learn how to cook quinoa in a rice cooker you may not go back to the old way. It is so easy and pretty much foolproof since the rice cooker has its own built-in timer.
It’s also SO easy to make Instant Pot Quinoa. Learn this quick 1-minute method if you don’t have a rice cooker!
So how do you cook quinoa in a rice cooker?
- You will want to add a quinoa to water ration of 1 cup quinoa : 2 cups water. If you would like your quinoa a little more fluffy, increase the quinoa to water ratio. If you want your quinoa a little more soft, decrease the quinoa to water ratio.
- Feel free to substitute the water for chicken or vegetable broth when making quinoa in the rice cooker. It gives the quinoa more flavor and acts just like water does in the cooking process!
- Be sure to rinse your quinoa with water through a mesh strainer before placing it in the rice cooker. Quinoa tends to have a starchy residue that will make it extra clumpy if not rinsed off.
- Add your rinsed quinoa, water or broth, and a bit of salt to the rice cooker and turn it on. Voila! You will get perfectly cooked quinoa in the rice cooker!
I have also recently started making my quinoa in the Instant Pot and find it results in perfectly fluffy quinoa, too! Simply follow the instructions above, and set your Instant Pot to the rice function.
Is Quinoa a Grain?
No, quinoa is technically not a grain.
Quinoa comes from the seed of the Chenopodium plant and is neither a cereal nor a grain, but is more closely related to the spinach and chard family.
Is Quinoa Paleo?
If quinoa isn’t a grain, is quinoa Paleo?
Unfortunately, quinoa is still not allowed on a strict Paleo diet considering the high carbohydrate content it contains and the digestive issues it may cause for some.
However, if you are not strictly Paleo, quinoa is an incredible source of fiber, magnesium, and all 9 of the essential amino acids!
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Ingredients
- 3 cups sweet potato cubes cut into ½-¾ inch cubes
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil divided
- ¾ tsp. salt divided
- ½ tsp. pepper divided
- 1 head broccoli cut into florets
Quinoa in Rice Cooker:
- ¾ cup quinoa rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups water or chicken broth
- ¼ tsp. Salt
Quinoa Bowls:
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 4 oz. cooked chicken cut into cubes
- 4 cups kale coarsely chopped
- 6 oz. sesame ginger salad dressing
- See this recipe in Meal Plan #6
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Add quinoa, water, and salt to a rice cooker and cook until fluffy.
- Combine sweet potato cubes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in a gallon-sized ziplock bag. Toss to combine.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread sweet potato cubes out in a single layer.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- While sweet potatoes are baking, combine broccoli florets, ¼ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same gallon-sized ziplock bag. Toss to combine. When the sweet potatoes have 15 minutes left, add broccoli to the pan and return to the 400 degree oven.
- To serve: fill four bowls with equal amounts of the quinoa, tomatoes, chicken, kale, and roasted vegetables. Serve each quinoa bowl with 2 ounces of the sesame ginger salad dressing or other dressing of choice. Enjoy! See this recipe in Meal Plan #6.
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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