Remember that lovely tzatziki sauce I shared on Monday?
I bet you thought I was making gyros or some kind of pita bread, didn’t you?!
Think again!
Greek quinoa bowls!!!!
A dollop or two of the tzatziki sauce goes right on top, adding the perfect amount of creaminess!
You will love these Greek quinoa bowls! They are bursting with fresh summer veggies and plenty of Greek flavors. They make a healthy vegetarian meal with all the protein form the quinoa, but you can easily add chicken!
First, let’s discuss quick pickled red onions!
Aren’t they gorgeous in their pink?
Quick pickled onions are a delicious way to add a tangy onion flavor without a super strong raw onion taste. Plus they are easy to make!
You could easily use plain raw red onions if you want to skip the step of pickling them (only takes a few minutes of hands on time). Either way your Greek quinoa bowls will be delicious!
You don’t have to eat a lettuce based salad, or a salad, for that matter to get your greens and a ton of veggies in. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good salad, but it’s great to switch it up.
That’s what I love about these Greek quinoa bowls. They are packed with all the veggies, yet it doesn’t really feel like you’re eating a salad. Basically it’s a heartier version of a salad!
6 ways we pack the veggies in these Greek quinoa bowls:
- spinach – wilted right into the quinoa, you won’t even taste it! Tip: for a sneaky way to get those greens in, cook spinach into any kind of grain you love.
- quick pickled onions – or plain raw onions
- cherry tomatoes – look at how pretty our heirloom cherry tomatoes are straight from our garden!
- cucumbers – gotta have cucumbers with a Greek inspired dish
- canned artichoke hearts – easy, healthy, and so delicious!
- pitted kalamata olives– bursting with salty creamy flavor these babies are a great source of healthy fats.
See! That wasn’t so hard, now was it?!
Plus you’ve got all that fiber and plant based protein from the quinoa. LOVE!
As I said before you could easily bulk these Greek quinoa bowls up by throwing some leftover chicken or store bought rotisserie chicken in there. So filling!
I hope you enjoy these Greek quinoa bowls as much as we do. They make a great summertime dinner since the only cooking required is a pot boiling on the stove for 15 minutes.
They’re vegetarian, complete with plant based protein, yet they are easy to add more protein to. They are packed with veggies, hello sneaky spinach cooked into the quinoa. They only take 25 minutes to make (aside from the tzatziki sauce, which can be made in advance) making them a perfect weeknight meal.
And they taste amazing! Fluffy quinoa seasoned with Greek herbs and spices topped with crunchy, refreshing cucumbers, tangy pickled onions, juicy sweet cherry tomatoes, tangy artichoke hearts, salty kalamata olives, and topped with feta cheese, and creamy tzatziki sauce for dipping!
Healthy eating never tasted so good!
Did you make this recipe? If so, don’t forget to leave a comment below and rate the recipe. This helps others to find my recipes easier….and it makes me super happy to hear from you! Thanks friends!
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Greek Quinoa Bowls with Tzatziki Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 3 to 4 bowls 1x
- Category: entree, bowls, easy
- Method: boil, chop
- Cuisine: gluten free, vegetarian, healthy, chicken
Description
Healthy Greek quinoa bowls with tzatziki sauce and tons of veggies is the perfect vegetarian weeknight meal. They are super delicious and great for summer!
Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup raw quinoa
- 2 cups filtered water
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Greek seasoning
- 2 cups packed spinach, roughly chopped
- salt to taste
for the bowls
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (or pickled – see notes)
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced
- 4 mini cucumbers, sliced
- 1 to 2 cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives
- 4 to 8 ounces feta cheese, freshly crumbled
- 1 batch Tzatziki sauce
Instructions
- Make tzatziki sauce: If you haven’t already get your tzatziki sauce made at this time – takes bout 15 minutes to make – click here for the recipe.
- cook the quinoa: In a small sauce pot combine the quinoa, 2 cups filtered water, and Greek seasoning. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 15 minutes or until most of the water has been absorbed. Once cooked stir in the chopped spinach, pop the lid on for another 5 minutes to allow the steam to wilt the spinach, stir to combine. Add salt to taste. To cool the quinoa fast spread it out on a baking sheet and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.
- Chop your veggies: While the quinoa is cooling you can chop your veggies as instructed above.
- Assemble the bowls: To assemble the bowls spoon some cooled quinoa into each bowl. Arrange each of the toppings into individual piles – the red onion, or pickled onions (see notes), artichoke hearts, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, kalamata olives, and a sprinkle of feta cheese. Top with a dollop or two of the tzatziki sauce.
- Serve: Serve the bowls immediately. Only assemble as many bowls as you plan to eat in one sitting.
- Storage: store all the food in separate containers in the fridge. Re-assemble and cut fresh veggies as you are ready to eat each bowl.
Notes
Pickled onions: If you want to make pickled onions then you will want to make them before your quinoa, or a day in advance. To make them add 1/4 cup hot water to a mason jar or bowl, along with 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar, 2 teaspoons raw sugar or agave nectar, and 1 teaspoon salt – combine liquid. Add the onions so that they are fully submerged, if they need more liquid add a little more vinegar. Allow them to cool in the fridge for 30 minutes. They are ready to eat after 30 minutes, but can be made up to 1 or several days in advance.
Chicken: To add more protein you can add leftover chicken to this recipe.
Cook/prep time doesn’t reflect time needed to make the tzatziki sauce (15 mins) or pickled onions (10 mins + 30 mins of wait time/hands off time).
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