Colorful grain bowl with quinoa, fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and tahini dressing for a nutritious meal.
# What You Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Protein
04 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained
→ Vegetables
05 - 1 cup red cabbage, thinly sliced
06 - 1 cup carrots, julienned
07 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
08 - 1 cup yellow bell pepper, sliced
09 - 1 cup cucumber, sliced
10 - 1 cup fresh baby spinach
→ Healthy Fats and Toppings
11 - 1 ripe avocado, sliced
12 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
13 - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
→ Dressing
14 - 3 tablespoons tahini
15 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
17 - 2 tablespoons water, or more as needed
18 - 1 clove garlic, minced
19 - Salt and black pepper to taste
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rinsed quinoa and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is completely absorbed. Remove from heat and let rest covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
02 - While quinoa cooks, prepare all vegetables. Thinly slice red cabbage, julienne carrots, halve cherry tomatoes, slice bell pepper and cucumber into uniform pieces, and slice avocado just before assembly.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, and 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. Add additional water gradually to achieve desired pourable consistency.
04 - Divide cooked quinoa evenly among 4 serving bowls. Arrange chickpeas, red cabbage, carrots, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, spinach, and avocado in colorful sections on top of the quinoa base.
05 - Drizzle each bowl generously with tahini dressing. Top with toasted pumpkin seeds and sesame seeds. Serve immediately while components maintain optimal texture.
