This grain bowl recipe checks all the boxes: it has plant-based protein, lots of veggies, a vibrant sauce, and a scoop of sauerkraut for pop!
This grain bowl is one of my favorite recipes to meal prep for a healthy lunch or dinner. It starts with a base of hearty quinoa, which I top with nutrient-rich ingredients like colorful roasted veggies and chickpeas for fiber and plant-based protein. A vibrant kale-pepita pesto and a scoop of tangy sauerkraut take it over the top!
Follow this recipe as written, or use it as a template to come up with your own delicious grain bowls! I’ve riffed on it countless ways over the years, and I’m sharing some of my favorite variations below. You’ll also find meal prep tips so that you can cook once and enjoy this grain bowl recipe all week long.
How to Make an Awesome Grain Bowl
This grain bowl recipe starts with these main components:
- A grain: I use quinoa! It’s naturally gluten-free, and it packs a punch of plant-based protein.
- A protein: I use chickpeas, one of my go-tos. Feel free to use roasted chickpeas for extra crunch!
- A yummy sauce: I top this bowl with a super-bright, vibrant kale pepita pesto.
- Fresh vegetables: I top this bowl with roasted cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and parsnips for a surprising sweet twist.
- A pickle: Sauerkraut adds a tangy, briny kick to this healthy grain bowl.
- Something extra: Top it all with pepitas for crunch!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Grain Bowl Variations
You can use these same categories as a template for making a DIY grain bowl at home. For example, you could swap out the quinoa for another grain or replace the chickpeas with baked tofu for protein.
Here are some fun ways to change it up:
- Try another grain base: Use farro, white rice or brown rice, cauliflower rice, or even wheat berries!
- Use a different protein: Replace the chickpeas with baked tofu, tempeh, black beans, lentils, or edamame. If you’re not vegan, try topping your bowl with a poached egg or fried egg!
- Swap the sauce: Peanut sauce, chipotle sauce, cilantro lime dressing, basil pesto, or tahini sauce would all be delicious.
- Add different vegetables: Any roasted or raw veggie is at home in a grain bowl! Mix and match veggies according to the flavor profile you’re going for. Experiment with grilled corn, roasted sweet potato, raw bell peppers, cabbage, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and more.
- Play with the pickle: Pickled onions and pickled jalapeños are two of my favorites.
- Add something extra: I often add nuts and seeds for crunch. Feta cheese and fresh herbs are delicious ways to add different flavors and textures too. And I’m always a big fan of avocado on a grain bowl!
Let me know what variations you try!
Meal Prep Tips
When I meal prep grain bowls for lunch or dinner, I assemble containers with a serving of the cooked grains, veggies, protein, pickle, and any extras like pepitas. They keep well in the fridge for up to 4 days.
I store the sauce separately and drizzle it on just before serving! Fresh herbs are best added right before serving too.
More Favorite Grain Bowl Recipes
If you love this grain bowl recipe, try making one of these tasty bowls next:
Roasted Veggie Grain Bowl
Ingredients
Grain:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
- 1¾ cups water
Creamy Kale Pepita Pesto:
- ½ cup pepitas, or shelled raw pistachios
- 2 small garlic cloves
- 1 cup chopped kale, packed
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, packed, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey
Roasted Vegetables:
- 2 parsnips, chopped into ½-inch pieces
- ½ cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1½ cups Brussels sprouts, halved
- 1 bunch broccolini
Protein:
- 1 (14-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Pickle:
- Sauerkraut, I like Bubbies
Extras:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- First, make the quinoa. Add the rinsed quinoa and water to a medium pot. Bring it to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Next, make the sauce. Combine the pepitas, garlic, kale, cilantro, lemon juice, salt, pepper, olive oil, water, and maple syrup or honey in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Then, roast the vegetables. Place the parsnips, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts on one large baking sheet. Place the broccolini on the second baking sheet. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat, and spread evenly on the sheets. Roast the parsnips/Brussels sprouts/cauliflower for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Roast the broccolini for 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender. When cool to the touch, chop up the broccolini stems.
- Assemble bowls with a scoop of quinoa, the roasted vegetables, and chickpeas. Top with a scoop of sauerkraut and pepitas. Drizzle with the sauce. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if desired, and serve.
I love this grain bowl recipe.
I was not a big fan of parsnips. Otherwise, it was good, next time I’ll try different veggies.
How much water to add to the rinsed quinoi (I’d like to start with a 1/4 cup of quinoi.?) So how much water to add for boiling?
See above.
Hi Edward, I think it would be tricky to cook just 1/4 cup of quinoa at a time without scorching the pan. I’d recommend cooking the full cup. It keeps well in the fridge for 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months.
I followed the instructions for the pesto and ended up with a big bowl of slightly bitter green liquid. I suggest less kale, less water.
wow – i made this last night and just ate the leftovers for lunch and felt the need to review it.
changes – roasted veg were eggplant and carrots, since that’s what i had, had homemade vegan pesto and used that, and topped with pickled spicy onions and roasted beets (again since that’s what I had)
SO good. idk why i never put these things together in a bowl before but it’s gonna be on the regular rotation now!
Hi Kristen, your changes sound delicious! So glad you loved the bowls.
This is SO good!! We air fried tofu because we were out of chickpeas but this was so flavorful and delicious!
Oh yum, I love air fryer tofu! I’m glad you enjoyed the bowl.
great recipe! Thank you for this!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Love this make ahead lunch! Easy variations to try as well. Have been using Trader Joe’s Green Goddess and Cilantro dressings. Sauerkraut is awesome!
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
I’d love to make this pesto, but I have a nut allergy. I’m curious what I can substitute the pistachios with!?
Hi Sophia, I love to make it with pepitas, they give it a nice vibrant green color too.
I didn’t have kale so I used spinach….delicious with roasted veggies (turnip, sweet potato, beet, carrot,onion, butternut squash, and zucchini). I used farro. Thanks
Hi, did you measure veggies i 4 bowls or 2? I have that same mix and was curious how much roasted veggies per svg?
Love, love, love this recipe!! While the pesto seems lacking when you taste test it on its own, it’s perfect once you mix everything around. We use cannellini beans instead of chickpeas, only because we like Them better; both are good. And this DEFINITELY makes excellent leftovers! This has entered our regular rotation of meals!
How much calories do these bowls have
I would also like to know this information
This is probably a daft question but what size of bowl would you typically use for these? (We only have cereal/soup bowls which aren’t really suitable for these). I’m looking forward to creating some exciting lunches that aren’t sandwiches!
Hi Claire, a big cereal bowl could work – I have some bowls that are a bit larger (usually sold as “pasta bowls”) that I also like to eat large salad lunches out of.
Thank you! 🙂 I’ve found something suitable now.
Can you post the macros?
This pesto is a delicious way to brighten up the roasted veg and grains (I used faro). It’s very easy to make.
Solid meal tonight! Looking forward to tasting the remaining installments!
so glad you enjoyed the bowls! 🙂
This is amazing! So easy and delicious. Thank you so much for this great meal plan – it is so good to learn how to put things like this together and very budget friendly (even in NZ where groceries can be killer!) Very grateful – thanks again!!!
The Creamy Kale Pepita Pesto looks amazing!!!
As an salad addict, I always try something new everyday.
Yours looks delicious with the roasted vegetable as my favourite ingredients <3
I'll try it soonn!!
I’m so excited about making this, I want to toss my to-do list out the window and head to the kitchen right now!
ABSOLUTELY delicious! Grabbed the ingredients and made this for dinner tonight. Excellent flavor. The only changes I made were to use red sauerkraut and broccoli (vs broccoli). Nervous how hubby would feel about a meatless meal I dry-poached some organic chicken breasts and added that. Two thumbs up!!!
I’m so glad you liked it! Happy you found the recipe to be so flexible too 🙂
ha ha 🙂