Grilled Veggie and Quinoa Bowls (Print Version)

Colorful grain bowls featuring charred seasonal vegetables, protein-rich quinoa, and velvety tahini sauce for a complete, satisfying meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Quinoa

01 - 1 cup quinoa
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Grilled Vegetables

04 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
05 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
06 - 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
07 - 1 red onion, cut into wedges
08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
13 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Tahini Drizzle

14 - 1/3 cup tahini
15 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
17 - 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
18 - 2 to 4 tablespoons warm water as needed for thinning
19 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Garnishes

20 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
21 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese optional
22 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds

# How To:

01 - Rinse quinoa thoroughly under cold water. Combine quinoa, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
02 - Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
03 - In a large bowl, toss zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, and cherry tomatoes with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
04 - Grill the vegetables for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until tender and lightly charred. Remove from grill and set aside.
05 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Gradually add warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until smooth and pourable.
06 - Divide cooked quinoa among 4 bowls. Top with grilled vegetables. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce.
07 - Garnish each bowl with fresh parsley, feta cheese if using, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, leaving you with a restaurant-quality meal that doesn't require hours in the kitchen.
  • Every bowl tastes different depending on your mood, the season, or whatever vegetables are calling to you from the market.
  • It's endlessly customizable and actually tastes better as leftovers when the flavors have had time to mingle and settle.
02 -
  • Tahini separates when it sits, so you really do need to whisk it thoroughly and add water gradually rather than trying to thin it all at once—rushing this step results in a grainy, broken texture.
  • Don't flip your vegetables constantly on the grill; give them time to develop color and character before you move them around obsessively.
  • Leftover tahini sauce thickens as it cools, so if you're making it ahead, thin it a bit more than feels right at first.
03 -
  • Make extra tahini drizzle and store it in the fridge for up to a week; it's excellent on salads, roasted vegetables, or even drizzled over grain bowls made with leftovers.
  • If you don't have a grill or grill pan, roast your vegetables in a four hundred twenty-five degree oven for twenty minutes with the same seasonings and you'll get nearly identical results.
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