Harvest Kale Quinoa Bowl (Printer-friendly)

A wholesome autumn bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, kale, and pecans in creamy lemon tahini.

# What You'll Need:

→ Vegetables & Grains

01 - 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
02 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
03 - 4 cups kale, stems removed, chopped

→ Nuts & Fruit

04 - 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
05 - 1/3 cup dried cranberries

→ Cheese

06 - 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

→ Lemon Tahini Dressing

07 - 1/4 cup tahini
08 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
11 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
12 - 2-3 tablespoons water
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Pantry

14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss diced sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and tender.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, keep covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
04 - Place chopped kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage gently for 1-2 minutes until leaves are soft and darkened.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, and 2 tablespoons water. Add additional water as needed to achieve pourable consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
06 - Divide cooked quinoa among 4 serving bowls. Top each with massaged kale, roasted sweet potatoes, pecans, cranberries, and blue cheese. Drizzle generously with lemon tahini dressing.
07 - Serve immediately, or store components separately and assemble just before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in less than an hour but tastes like you spent all morning cooking.
  • Every component can be prepped ahead, which means you can actually enjoy dinner instead of rushing around your kitchen.
  • The lemon tahini dressing is so good you'll find yourself drizzling it on everything else for the rest of the week.
02 -
  • If you skip the kale massage and try to eat it raw, you'll end up with something tough and slightly bitter—those thirty seconds of working it with oil and salt makes an enormous difference in texture and taste.
  • Make the dressing while the sweet potatoes roast and the quinoa cooks, so everything is ready at the same time and you're not holding components in your hands wondering what to do next.
03 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa, and don't peek under the lid while it steams—patience here means perfectly separate grains instead of mush.
  • If your sweet potatoes finish roasting before the quinoa is done, just keep them warm in a low oven draped loosely with foil.
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