Red Lentil Quinoa Bowl (2024)

Why You’ll Love These Bowls

This classic veggie and grain bowl is just uncomplicated, wholesome plant-based food. It features quinoa, lentils, broccoli, squash, carrots and tahini sauce for a delicious and satisfying combo that’s packed with nutrition.

These bowls can be easily adapted with various veggies like sweet potato, you can add greens like kale and they work well with different sauces like peanut sauce, tahini sauce or herb dressing.

The ingredients can be made in advance for quick assembly, otherwise, you’ll need 45 minutes to prepare this dish. Enjoy this recipe anytime for a simple but nourishing and feel-good meal!

Recipe Features

• Vegan and gluten-free.
• Easy to make with straightforward, everyday ingredients.
• Easy to customize to your preference or ingredient availability.
• They work great for meal prep.
• Excellent source of plant-based protein and fibre.

Ingredients & Substitutions

The full ingredient list with amounts is located in the recipe card at the end of the post. This section covers a few notes on the ingredients and any substitutions.

• Butternut Squash: You’ll need a medium-sized squash or about 4 cups. The amount doesn’t have to be exact. You could also use sweet potato or any other variety of squash like acorn squash or delicata.
• Carrot: You’ll need 4 medium or large carrots. Alternatives are brussels sprouts, onion, zucchini or bell pepper.
• Quinoa: Use red, white or tri-colour quinoa. Rinse it well under cold water before cooking it. Substitute any other whole grain like farro, brown rice, freekeh or barley. For a low-carb option, try cauliflower rice or cabbage rice.
• Lentils: The recipe calls for red lentils but you could use green lentils, brown lentils, French lentils or any other variety.
• Broccoli: Use fresh broccoli. I like to steam it but you could also roast or blanch it. Alternatives could be cauliflower or kale.
• Tahini: You’ll need creamy tahini to make the dressing. Note that tahini should only have 1 ingredient – sesame seeds. See the Alternative Dressing section for other options.
• Lemon: You’ll need fresh lemon for the dressing. One lemon should be enough but you might need two depending on how juicy they are.

Step 1: Roast the vegetables.

Add the cubed butternut squash and chopped carrot to a baking tray. Drizzle with 2 tsp olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Roast the veggies at 425 F until tender, about 30 minutes.

Alternative Dressings

Here are some other sauces that work well with these bowls:

• Maple Dijon Dressing
• Miso Tahini Dressing
• Glory Bowl Dressing
• Mint Cilantro Dressing
• Maple Tahini Dressing
• Almond Satay Sauce
• Peanut Ginger Sauce

Variations & Additions

• Try these crispy lentils instead of red lentils.
• Add a scoop of tzatziki or hummus.
• Add roasted chickpeas.
• Add a handful of kale or spinach for some greens.
• Add brussels sprouts, bell pepper, onion, beets or zucchini to the roasted veggies.
• Add avocado for a creamy texture and healthy fats.
• For more protein, add crumbled tempeh, baked tempeh, baked tofu or edamame.
• For extra flavour and texture, try adding bold ingredients like pickled red onions, roasted red peppers, hot sauce and/or fresh herbs like parsley, scallions or cilantro.
• Add 1-2 tbsp of nuts or seeds like walnuts, hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds for crunch and healthy fats.

More Recipes

Loving this quinoa bowl? Check these out too:

• Quinoa Grain Bowls: Hearty quinoa bowls with tempeh and chili maple dressing.
• Vegan Quinoa Power Bowls: Squash, kale, quinoa and maple dijon tahini dressing
• Rice and Lentils: Quick Mediterranean-inspired one pan rice and lentils.
• Roasted Vegetable Lentil Salad: Wholesome lentil veggie bowls with a balsamic drizzle.
• Sweet Potato Quinoa Tofu Bowls: Kale, pickled onion, quinoa, tofu, sweet potato and hemp seed dressing.