Quinoa Power Bowl (Salad)

This Quinoa Power Bowl is my go-to for meal prep. Hearty quinoa and fresh veggies make it a super satisfying lunch that's ready to go.

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups water or vegetable broth
• 2 medium cucumbers
• 4 medium carrots
• 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1 large red bell pepper
• 0.5 medium red onion
• 1 can (425 grams) chickpeas
• 0.75 cup tahini
• 0.5 cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 0.25 cup fresh parsley

Instructions

1. Rinse 1.5 cups uncooked quinoa thoroughly under cold water using a fine-mesh sieve. This helps remove any bitterness.
2. Combine the rinsed 1.5 cups quinoa and 3 cups water or vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for another 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
3. While the quinoa cooks, prepare the vegetables. Wash 2 medium cucumbers and dice them. Wash 4 medium carrots and either dice them or cut them into thin strips. Wash 1.5 cups cherry tomatoes and halve them. Wash 1 large red bell pepper, remove the stem and seeds, and dice it. Peel 0.5 medium red onion and finely dice it.
4. Drain and rinse 1 can (425 grams) chickpeas under cold water.
5. Prepare the lemon-tahini dressing: In a small bowl, combine 0.75 cup tahini, 0.5 cup fresh lemon juice, 4 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons water, 2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped or crushed), 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, and 0.5 teaspoon black pepper. Stir well until the dressing is smooth and creamy. If it's too thick, add 1-2 more tablespoons of water, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
6. Chop 0.25 cup fresh parsley.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled quinoa, diced cucumbers, diced carrots, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red bell pepper, diced red onion, and drained chickpeas.
8. Pour the lemon-tahini dressing over the mixture and toss gently to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
9. Divide the power bowl mixture among four serving bowls. Garnish each serving with the chopped 0.25 cup fresh parsley before serving.

View the interactive Quinoa Power Bowl (Salad) recipe