Roasted Sweet Potato Avocado Quinoa (Printable)
Vibrant grain bowl with caramelized sweet potatoes, creamy avocado, and zesty cilantro lime dressing.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 1.3 lbs)
02 - 1 ripe avocado, sliced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
05 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
→ Grains
06 - 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
07 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
→ Legumes & Seeds
08 - 1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
09 - 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
→ Dressing
10 - 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
11 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
12 - Juice and zest of 2 limes
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
15 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Optional Toppings
17 - Crumbled feta cheese
18 - Sliced radishes
19 - Hot sauce
# How-To Steps:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss diced sweet potatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on prepared baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway, until golden and tender.
03 - Rinse quinoa under cold water. Combine quinoa and water or broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with fork.
04 - In small bowl or blender, combine cilantro, olive oil, lime juice and zest, minced garlic, honey or maple syrup, cumin, salt, and pepper. Blend or whisk until smooth.
05 - Divide quinoa among four bowls. Top each with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, cherry tomatoes, spinach, red onion, and avocado slices.
06 - Drizzle generously with cilantro lime dressing. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and additional toppings if desired. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The roasted sweet potatoes get these incredible crispy edges while staying creamy inside, and they are absolute magic against the cool avocado
- You can prep everything ahead and assemble in minutes for the fastest weekday lunches that actually make you excited to eat
02 -
- The dressing makes enough for two batches, so keep the extra in a jar and use it on everything from salads to roasted vegetables all week
- Warm quinoa and hot sweet potatoes against cool creamy avocado is the whole point here, so do not let everything cool completely before assembling
03 -
- Letting the roasted sweet potatoes sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes after they come out of the oven helps them develop even more caramelization
- If your quinoa turns out mushy, try using 1/4 cup less liquid next time and fluff it immediately with a fork