Warm Quinoa Bowl Roasted Carrots (Printable)

Nutty quinoa combined with roasted carrots and green peas for a vibrant and nourishing meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth

→ Vegetables

03 - 4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
04 - 1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
05 - 1 small red onion, sliced
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Dressing

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
14 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds, optional

# Directions:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F and allow to preheat fully.
02 - On a baking sheet, toss carrots and red onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender with light caramelization.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with water or broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until liquid absorbs and quinoa becomes fluffy. Remove from heat, keep covered, and let rest 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
04 - If using frozen peas, blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain. If fresh, steam until just tender.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until well combined.
06 - Divide cooked quinoa evenly among serving bowls. Top with roasted carrots, red onion, and green peas. Drizzle dressing over the components.
07 - Top each bowl with fresh parsley, feta cheese, and pumpkin seeds if desired. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's genuinely satisfying without leaving you feeling stuffed, which is kind of the whole point of eating well.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, and most of that time the oven is just doing the work while you relax.
  • You can throw in whatever you have on hand and it always tastes intentional, never like you're just scraping by.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the quinoa because that bitter taste that ruins everything is preventable in about thirty seconds with cold water.
  • The dressing tastes way better if you let it sit for five minutes after whisking so all the flavors get to know each other.
  • Roast those vegetables on a single layer without crowding because they need space to actually caramelize and get sweet instead of just steaming themselves into disappointment.
03 -
  • If your lemon is sitting at room temperature, it'll give you way more juice than a cold one straight from the fridge, so grab it a few minutes before you need it.
  • Taste the dressing before you pour it because that's your chance to balance it exactly how you like it, and everyone's preferences are different so there's no shame in tweaking it.
Return