Thai Quinoa Bowl
This Thai quinoa bowl is packed with fresh, crunchy veggies, plenty of spicy tofu (as an optional add-in), and generous drizzles of nutty ginger dressing. It's the perfect plant-powered meal, designed to both satisfy and nourish.
Author: Ashley
Quinoa Bowl
- 1 cup uncooked red quinoa
- 1 ¾ cups filtered water
- 1 small head broccoli, washed and cut into small florets
- 1 recipe spicy chili-garlic tofu (optional for added protein)
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 small head romaine or green leaf lettuce, washed, trimmed, and chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and then shaved into ribbons using a vegetable peeler
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
- 1 small beet, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 small jicama root, peeled and cubed (optional)
- ½ cup shredded red cabbage
- Handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- Handful roasted cashews or sunflower seeds
Nutty Ginger Dressing
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter, almond butter, tahini, or sunflower butter
- 2 ½ tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce or to taste
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger root
For the Quinoa Bowl
Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve or colander. Then, bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the quinoa, return to a boil, and cook over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, uncovered, or until the quinoa has absorbed most of the water, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes.
Steam the broccoli in a steamer or steamer basket for 4 to 8 minutes, or until firm-tender. Strain off any excess water. Set aside.
Prepare the tofu, if using.
Chop and prepare the remaining bowl ingredients.
For the Dressing
Add the peanut butter, tamari, sesame oil, lime juice, maple syrup, and ginger to a medium bowl. Whisk together for 30-45 seconds. Please keep in mind that the dressing should be on the salty side—since we're not seasoning the quinoa or veggies, we need a little kick of sodium here to make all the flavors pop. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
To Assemble
Divide the quinoa between bowls. Top with the romaine, broccoli, tofu (if using), carrot, pepper, beet, jicama, cabbage, cilantro, and cashews. Drizzle with the dressing and serve immediately.