Quinoa Power Bowls with Maple Chipotle Brussels and Smoky Butternut Squash are perfect for meal prep or weeknight dinner. Vegan, gluten free, and equal parts nutritious and delicious. 
Quinoa and Veggie Power Bowls
These bowls truly have it all: protein, fiber, heart-healthy fats, and a slew of micronutrients. And you can totally customize the ingredients to include any produce or grain you have on hand.
The recipes features maple chipotle brussels sprouts and smoky butternut squash, which make the most fabulous duo. It’s the combination of smoky, sweetness, and spice that add layers of flavor. However you can also use sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, or carrots.
As far as the sauce, I keep it simple with a honey-Dijon vinaigrette. It’s actually a staple sauce over here that requires minimal ingredients and is super versatile. However in lieu of the sauce, you can add a dollop of hummus or your favorite bottled dressing instead.
Quinoa Power Bowls: Ingredients and Substitutions
These bowls encourage the use of whatever you have on hand, however here’s the general matrix:
- Quinoa: A complete source of plant-based protein, quinoa forms the foundation of these bowls. You can also brown rice, farro, barley, or whatever your go-to grain is.
- Veggies: The recipe calls for Brussels sprouts, which you can sub for broccoli or cauliflower, and butternut squash. If you’re unable to find butternut squash, you can use sweet potato instead.
- Spices/Seasonings: Smoked paprika, adobe sauce, and maple syrup create the coveted sweet and spicy flavor profile. Suitable subs for adobo sauce include harissa paste or gochujang, both of which offer red chili goodness.
- Kale: This sturdy green gets mixed right into the quinoa to bulk up the base of these bowls. If you’re not a fan of kale, feel free to use fresh spinach instead.
- Avocado: You can’t beat the one-two punch of heart-healthy fats and fiber!
- Honey-Dijon Dressing: A mix of EVOO, honey (or maple syrup), apple cider vinegar, and Dijon mustard create this simple, supremely delicious dressing.
How to Make Quinoa Power Bowls:
These bowls are perfect for prepping in advance, and stay good up to 3 or 4 days. Here’s how to make them:
Step 1: Roast the Brussels Sprouts and Butternut Squash
Toss the Brussels with olive oil, adobo sauce, maple syrup, and salt, and spread evenly on a baking sheet. On a separate baking sheet, toss butternut squash with olive oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Arrange in a single layer, and bake for 25 minutes, tossing once halfway through.
Step 2: Cook Quinoa in Vegetable Broth
While the veggies, prepare the quinoa and kale mixture. To start, combine quinoa and vegetable broth in a small saucepan and bring to a low boil. Next, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the cook is fluffy and liquid is absorbed. Remove the lid and stir in kale, which will quickly wilt from the residual heat.
Step 3: Prepare the Honey-Dijon Dressing
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), apple cider vinegar, and salt. Stir with a whisk until smooth.
Step 5: Assemble the Bowls
Start by dividing the quinoa and kale mixture evenly into each of 4 bowls. Next, divide the roasted veggies evenly overtop, and finish with a drizzle of dressing. Lastly, add your garnishes of choice, and dig in!
Quinoa Bowl Toppings
I’m ALL about garnishes, and basically live by “the sky is the limit” mantra. Here are some of my favorite toppings for these Quinoa Power Bowls:
- Slices of ripe avocado.
- Chopped nuts or seeds, such as cashews, pine nuts, or sunflower seeds.
- Spices such as sumac, crushed red pepper flakes, or za’atar.
- A dollop of hummus, sprinkle of feta or goat cheese, or nutritional yeast.
- A drizzle of tahini or your favorite bottled dressing or sauce.
How Long do Quinoa Bowls Last?
These bowls last up to 3 or 4 days refrigerated (even with the dressing added!). The vegetables, grains, and greens are sturdy enough to be chilled and reheated without going sad and soggy.
So, feel free to make a double batch and enjoy on repeat for meal prep lunches!
If you give this recipe a try, be sure to snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth on Instagram so I can see your creations. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates!
More Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes:
Veggie Burrito Bowls with Jalapeño Ranch
Quinoa and Veggie Power Bowls
Equipment
- Roasting pans
- Small saucepan
- Small mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 14 to 16 oz. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided (sub avocado oil)
- 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
- 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, divided
- 3 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (from 1 small squash)
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 cup dry quinoa
- 2 cups lower-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 to 3 handfuls of chopped kale
- Sliced avocado for topping (optional)
Honey-Dijon Dressing
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. honey (sub maple syrup)
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Arrange Brussels sprouts on a baking sheet and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil, adobo sauce, maple syrup, and 1/2 tsp. salt. On a separate baking sheet, toss butternut squash with remaining 1 Tbsp. oil, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Place both baking sheets in the oven, and roast for ~25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until tender.
- Meanwhile, combine quinoa and broth in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until quinoa is fluffy and liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Uncover, and stir in kale, letting residual heat wilt down the leaves.
- Prepare dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.
- Assemble bowls by dividing quinoa and kale mixture evenly into each of 4 bowls. Divide roasted vegetables over top, and drizzle with dressing. Garnish with sliced avocado and/or toppings of choice.
Nutrition
Love this could add chopped walnuts on top. Definitely will make again!
Absolutely loved it!!! I had to make it two weeks in a row. I have meal prepped it both weeks, keeping the sauce separate until I reheated it. This is going to be a new staple, thank you! Do you know if this could be frozen, I’m not sure how well quinoa would freeze. I made too much this time and would love to freeze it if possible!
I’m currently eating this salad for the second day in a row and YUM YUM YUM! So good and so filling! The only change I made is i added tahini to the dressing because it makes the dressing even creamier and the salad even more tasty 😋 This recipe is definitely a keeper!!
How much tahini do you add?
Hi Brittany, I don’t garnish with tahini often because the dressing always feels sufficient, but maybe just 1 tsp per bowl, if you’d like to include it.
Delicious and very filling. I added a few chili’s from the adobo sauce and it gave it a nice amount of kick and extra flavor. I will definitely make this again.
Fantastic recipe! Love the versatility of it as well. I used sweet potatoes instead of butternut squash because it’s what I had on hand.. it was so delicious and very filling. I’m going to add hummus to it next time 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Madison! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
SO good and filling! I did broccoli instead of Brussels cause we just didn’t have them, but still so SO good!!!
So good and so affordable
Hi Shawn, I’m so glad you enjoyed this one! Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating and review!
To cut down on time, I used the steam bags of butternut squash and brussel sprouts from Costco! So easy and delicious. Will definitely be one of my go to lunches.
Great idea, Keri! So glad you enjoyed this one!
This was so good! The prep work does take time but it was so good. The whole family enjoyed it!
Hi MP, I’m so glad the recipe was a hit for you! Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review.
I have never commented on a recipe I’ve found online before – but after making this, I just had to. This recipe turned out so amazing, and was incredibly simple! I used sweet potatoes, and drizzled the maple syrup over the brussel sprouts before throwing in the oven, then added a chopped up chicken breast halfway through the cook time to add extra protein.
Anyway, thank you so much, what a fantastic inspiration
Hi Alex- I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review.
YUM. so delicious. My fiancé said “this could be sold at a restaurant”. Haha. Thank you!!
Delicious and healthy. My family always likes dinner in a bowl. I will use the recipe for the roasted Brussel sprouts and butternut squash as side dishes for other meals. I actually substituted sweet potatoes for the butternut squash.
I never would have thought to mix in adobo sauce. Came out good. Thanks for the inspiration!
Turned out great! The sauce was a little too vinegary though so will use less vinegar next time:)
I’m so glad you enjoyed the, Hadley! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
What a fabulous flavor combination!! It holds up very well for leftovers, which I love.
Great recipe! The avocado is such a delicious addition to this bowl. I actually prefer this recipe without the dressing though. The smokey paprika flavours and honey dijon didn’t seem to compliment each other in my opinion. I am going to try this next time with a creamy cashew-based dressing that incorporates more paprika and chipotle.
That’s exactly what came to mind as I read the recipe. Lots of times I prefer the combined flavors of the dish without any additions.
Excellent flavor combination and a great choice for Meatless Monday.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!!
Wowza – so so good!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Patty! Thanks for taking time to leave a review!
This recipe has helped me cut more meat out of my diet. It’s a meatless meal prep savior!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Erin! Thank you for taking time to leave a review!
I use sweet potatoes instead of squash and they work great! Also use romaine sometimes and a mix of spinach.
Love those subs!! Thanks for taking time to leave a review!
This is my new favorite recipe! The flavors are so delicious!!
This was absolutely delicious for everyone! The servings were true to size and was our entire meal! We didn’t top with an avacado because we didn’t have one; however, it didn’t take away from the taste! Very healthy and yummy!
FANTASTIC! Love the flavors
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
This was amazing! Great flavors and textures. A beautiful dish. Will be making again.
Even the picky eaters approved!!
So glad it was a hit!!
Meal prep FAV! Also used cauliflower in place of Brussels a few times and loved it
I’m so glad to hear! Thank you for taking time to leave a review!
Well done! Made this for my wife for Mother’s Day!
Oh I’m so glad to hear it was a hit!!
I LOVED this recipe! And so did my husband who is normally a very picky healthy food eater haha thank you! Will definitely make again
Hi Tania, I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! Thank you for taking time to leave a review!
A vinaigrette without a vinegar? Making this now, I’m excited about everything except this strange honey mustard drizzle?!!
Sea salt?
I thought I left a comment but it didn’t seem to go through. Anyways these bowls were absolutely delicious! I used kale and broccoli it butternut swuash from my garden and picked up Brussels sprouts from a farmers markets. Fresh veggies are the best! I’ll be making this one well into fall.
These bowls were soooo good! Avocadoes are expensive right now, so I topped the bowls with roasted pecans for a very Fall-inspired dinner. I also used fresh kale & butternut squash from my garden (I grew NINE this year) and got brussels sprouts from the farmer’s market. Local vegetables are always the best. Will be making this one again 🙂
Hi Hayley, SO glad you enjoyed the bowls!! Love the modifications you made, too! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving a review. Cheers!
If my husband is allergic to coconut oil, can I use another oil like olive oil? Or would there be a better substitute?
Avocado oil!!
This came out amazing, I highly recommend.
Yay, so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for the review, Jessica!
After reading this recipe I want to try, because it looks very tasty …
Hi Stella! I hope you give it a try! Super tasty and great for make-ahead lunches.
Would this work with spinach instead of kale?
Yes, it will absolutely work with spinach!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Maybe my oven runs hot but I found that the brussel sprouts only needed about 15 minutes max. I was checking them so it turned out fine! Very delicious meal that I will likely make again!
Hi Abby! So thrilled to hear that! Thanks for the info about the brussels — ovens can vary quite a bit, but I should probably add a baking range to adjust for that. Cheers!
This was super delicious! I used sweet potato instead of butternut squash and it was amazing. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hi Cindy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review. Cheers
I want to dive face first into this!
Adding ingredients to my shopping list now! This look amazing! I’ve been looking for nutritionally dense meals that I can prepare ahead of time for lunch.
Jam packed with great ingredients! I love maple with Brussels sprouts. YUM!
Me too, Emily! The maple + adobe is definitely my new fav way of preparing them now. So hooked!
Such a creative recipe! And the pictures are gorgeous!!! 🙂
Thank you so much, Kalee!! I appreciate it! 🙂