Harvest Kale Quinoa Bowl (Print Version)

Nourishing autumn bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, kale, pecans, cranberries, blue cheese, and lemon tahini dressing.

# 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 to 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:

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 the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and tender.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine rinsed 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 and let stand 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. Gently massage the leaves with your hands for 1 to 2 minutes until they become soft and darkened in color.
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 a pourable consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Divide cooked quinoa among 4 bowls. Top each with massaged kale, roasted sweet potatoes, chopped pecans, dried cranberries, and crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle generously with lemon tahini dressing.
07 - Serve immediately for optimal texture, or refrigerate components separately and assemble just before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • Every component can be prepped ahead, so you're assembling rather than cooking when hunger hits.
  • The contrast of textures keeps things interesting, from crispy kale to creamy tahini to the snap of pecans.
02 -
  • Rinsing the quinoa really does matter, as that saponin coating tastes slightly bitter and takes all of thirty seconds to remove.
  • Massaging the kale transforms it from something you tolerate to something you actively enjoy, and this step is non-negotiable.
03 -
  • Don't skimp on the lemon juice or garlic in the dressing, as these provide the brightness that keeps the whole bowl from tasting heavy and autumnal in a one-note way.
  • If your blue cheese is very salty, taste the bowl before adding additional salt to the dressing, as the cheese already brings plenty of seasoning to the party.
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