Description
Hearty quinoa bowls with a pumpkin twist topped with blackened brussel sprouts, avocado, and an easy balsamic reduction. Great for a gluten-free grain bowl!
Ingredients
- 1 cup light coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
- 1 cup toasted quinoa
- 3 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- Himalayan sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- avocado oil spray
- 1/2 large or 1 small avocado, diced
- 3 scallions, diced
- 2 TBSP pepitas
- 2 TBSP dried cranberries
- 2 TBSP fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- To make the pumpkin quinoa, combine the coconut milk, vegetable broth, pumpkin, and white quinoa in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow quinoa to simmer until the liquid is completely absorbed and quinoa is fluffy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Once cooked, stir, cover and set aside.
- Next, clean, trim, and halve all brussel sprouts. Spray a large pan with avocado oil spray and heat over medium-high. You want the skillet nice and hot before adding the brussels sprouts. Once the pan is very warm, add them, face down, careful not the crowd the pan. You may need to do several batches. Season them with a little Himalayan sea salt and black pepper and cook 10-15 minutes, flipping halfway, until both sides are blackened and the brussels sprouts are crispy on the outside but tender when pierced with a fork. Once done, set aside and cover.
- To make the easy balsamic reduction, add 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar to a small sauce pan and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for ~10 minutes, stirring often to prevent burning. The mixture will start to get really thick and gooey (like molasses) towards the end. Your balsamic reduction is done when it coats the back of a spoon. Store leftover balsamic reduction in the fridge for up to one week.
- To assemble the Pumpkin Quinoa Bowls, divide the pumpkin quinoa between bowls and top them with blackened brussels sprouts, diced avocado, scallions, pepitas, dried cranberries, and fresh thyme. Garnish with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and serve.
- Store leftovers separately in the fridge for up to one week and reassemble and reheat before serving.
Notes
For an oil-free option, try steaming your brussels sprouts instead or roast them oven at 400°F for ~25 minutes on parchment paper with a dash of veggie broth to prevent drying.
Recipe adapted from Love & Lemons
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Power Bowl, Entree
- Method: Oven, Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan, Gluten-Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Oil Free-Option