The next time you’re brainstorming what to make for an at-home brunch date, forget about French toast and omelettes. Instead, opt for this colorful superfood quinoa bowl. It’s gluten free and vegan, incredibly flavorful, and much more nutritious than a stack of sugary pancakes.
Quinoa is the base of this bowl, making it chock-full of protein and fiber. The toppings–my favorite of which are goji berries and almond butter–are all classified as superfoods, or mostly plant-based foods that are nutritionally dense. You can purchase the ingredients at any grocery store, and best of all, this recipe takes less than 30 minutes to put together.
Superfood quinoa bowl
Ingredients
Instructions
Pour the milk into a saucepan.
Add two cinnamon sticks to the milk.
Over medium heat, begin to simmer the milk and cinnamon sticks. Do not bring the liquid to a full boil yet.
As the liquid begins to simmer, add the dry quinoa to the saucepan. I like to use multicolored quinoa or a quinoa mix. But you can use any type you like.
Increase the heat to high and bring the contents of the saucepan to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium again and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
When the quinoa is fully cooked, turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove to cool. You will know the quinoa is fully cooked when it has absorbed all of the liquid in the saucepan and is fluffy. If the quinoa absorbed all of the milk in the saucepan but is not yet fully cooked, add more milk in increments of ¼ cup.
While the quinoa is cooling, microwave 1/3 cup of milk.
Then, place 2/3 to 1 cup of quinoa in a bowl.
Pour the warm milk on top of the quinoa. This creates a quinoa “cereal” and allows the quinoa to absorb more milk and become even more airy and light.
Next, gather your superfood toppings. I love garnishing my quinoa with a mix of dry and fresh fruit, nuts and nut butter, coconut, spices, and a natural sweetener like honey or maple syrup.
After decorating your bowl, dig in! This is a healthy, filling meal that can also be made ahead of time for a grab-and-go breakfast.
If you’re hosting Sunday brunch, a “superfood quinoa bowl-bar” is a creative, and not to mention delicious, activity to share with family and friends.
For your “bar,” cook an extra-large batch of quinoa beforehand. As your guests arrive, warm up the cooked quinoa for one minute. Then, set up a buffet of toppings and warm milk for guests to add to their bowls.
No matter how you enjoy them, superfood quinoa bowls are sure to be crowd-pleasers and will be nutritious additions to your repertoire of brunch classics.
