Rainbow Ranch Crunch Bowl
Say hello to the Rainbow Ranch Crunch Bowl. It's a quick, easy, gluten-free meal that brings all the good stuff: quinoa, crisp veggies, and a creamy ranch dressing you'll want to put on everything.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 1 medium cucumber
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 red bell pepper
- 0.5 red onion
- 1.5 cups canned chickpeas
- 0.5 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 0.25 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon onion powder
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
- 0.5 cup plain croutons
Instructions
- Rinse 1 cup quinoa thoroughly under cold water until the water runs clear. This removes saponins which can cause a bitter taste.
- Combine the rinsed 1 cup quinoa, 2 cups water, and 0.5 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for 15 minutes, or until all the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- While the quinoa cooks, prepare the vegetables. Wash and finely dice 1 medium cucumber. Wash and shred 2 medium carrots. Wash and finely dice 1 red bell pepper. Peel and finely dice 0.5 red onion.
- Drain and rinse 1.5 cups canned chickpeas thoroughly under cold water.
- Prepare the homemade ranch dressing: In a small bowl, combine 0.5 cup plain Greek yogurt, 0.25 cup buttermilk, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 0.5 teaspoon onion powder, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper. Stir well until all ingredients are fully combined and the dressing is smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine the fluffed 1 cup quinoa, diced 1 medium cucumber, shredded 2 medium carrots, diced 1 red bell pepper, diced 0.5 red onion, and rinsed 1.5 cups canned chickpeas.
- Pour the prepared ranch dressing over the quinoa and vegetable mixture. Toss gently to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
- Divide the Rainbow Ranch Crunch Bowl mixture among four individual serving bowls. Top each bowl with 0.125 cup (total 0.5 cup) plain croutons just before serving for added crunch. Garnish with an extra sprinkle of fresh chives or a sprig of fresh dill.