Harvest Kale Quinoa Bowl (Printable Version)

Nourishing autumn bowl with roasted sweet potatoes, quinoa, kale, and creamy lemon tahini.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Vegetables & Grains

01 - 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
02 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
03 - 4 cups kale, stems removed, chopped

→ Nuts & Fruit

04 - 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
05 - 1/3 cup dried cranberries

→ Cheese

06 - 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

→ Lemon Tahini Dressing

07 - 1/4 cup tahini
08 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
11 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons water
13 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Pantry

14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil for roasting
15 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss diced sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and tender.
03 - In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
04 - Place chopped kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage gently for 1 to 2 minutes until leaves are soft and darkened.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, and 2 tablespoons water. Add more water as needed for a pourable consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
06 - Divide quinoa among 4 bowls. Top with massaged kale, roasted sweet potatoes, pecans, cranberries, and blue cheese. Drizzle generously with lemon tahini dressing.
07 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate the components separately and assemble just before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It's a one-bowl meal that actually tastes elegant, not like you're eating lunch at your desk.
  • Everything can be prepped ahead, which is secretly the best part of having people over.
  • The lemon tahini dressing is addictive—I've caught myself making extra just to drizzle on salads the next day.
02 -
  • The dressing is the whole story—I learned this the hard way by making it too thick once, and it turned from a drizzle into a paste that nobody wanted.
  • Massaging the kale isn't optional, even though it feels silly; it actually changes the texture and flavor in a way that transforms the entire bowl.
03 -
  • Make the dressing thinner than you think you need it to—it'll thicken slightly as it sits, and a thin dressing distributes better and tastes lighter.
  • If blue cheese isn't your thing, goat cheese or feta works beautifully, and it changes the whole personality of the bowl into something warmer and less sharp.
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