Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl (Printable Version)

Colorful roasted vegetables with fluffy quinoa and tangy tahini dressing

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Vegetables

01 - 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
02 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced
03 - 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
05 - 1 medium carrot, sliced
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - ½ teaspoon salt
10 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper

→ Quinoa

11 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
12 - 2 cups water
13 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Tahini Sauce

14 - ¼ cup tahini
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
17 - 1 garlic clove, minced
18 - 3 to 4 tablespoons water
19 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Garnishes

20 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
21 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

# Preparation Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Place bell pepper, zucchini, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and carrot on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper. Toss to coat evenly and spread in a single layer.
03 - Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and lightly browned.
04 - In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed quinoa, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
05 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and enough water to achieve a smooth, pourable consistency.
06 - Divide cooked quinoa among four bowls. Top with roasted vegetables. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and toasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in less than an hour, which means you can have a gorgeous, restaurant-quality bowl on a weeknight without breaking a sweat.
  • The tahini sauce is the secret weapon—creamy, garlicky, and lemony enough to make even humble roasted vegetables feel like something special.
  • You can prep this ahead, mix and match vegetables based on what's in season, and it tastes just as good cold the next day for lunch.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa—I learned this the hard way when I made a batch that tasted vaguely soapy, and now I understand that the coating is there for a reason and takes two minutes to remove.
  • The tahini sauce needs enough water to be pourable but not so much that it becomes thin and sad, so add it gradually and taste as you go because every tahini brand behaves a little differently.
  • Roast those vegetables until they actually have brown spots—pale roasted vegetables are sad vegetables, and the caramelization is where all the magic lives.
03 -
  • Toast your own pumpkin seeds if you have time—they're cheaper bulk than pre-packaged, and the house smells incredible while they're in the oven, plus you control the salt level.
  • Double the tahini sauce recipe even if you're only making this once, because you'll find yourself drizzling it on everything for days and wishing you had made more.
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