Ruby Antioxidant Quinoa Bowl Recipe

The color, flavor, and health profile of this ruby red, antioxidant-rich quinoa bowl is amplified with a flavorful topping made with Karviva Viva Ashitaba, Beet, & Pomegranate Whole Plant Juice, an antioxidant-rich beverage made with ashitaba leaves, aronia berry, kiwi, pomegranate and beet juices. 

Just roast beets, kidney beans, red peppers, and red onions with a fragrant olive oil-spice marinade, cook up some red quinoa, and create a super-fast Karviva Viva tahini sauce to create these amazing plant-based (vegan), gluten-free meal bowls, packed with star nutrition power. 

This recipe is great for meal prep—put together four healthy delicious meals you can pull out to enjoy all week long. It’s also great as an interactive meal—prepare all of the bowl components and let everyone assemble their grain bowl just the way they like it! 

Best of all, the ingredients in this recipe are rich in a variety of plant nutrients, including fiber; healthy fats; protein; slow-digesting carbs; vitamins, such as A, C, E, and K; minerals, like potassium, iron, and magnesium; and a variety of phytochemicals, including anthocyanins, betaine, and carotenoids. 

Ruby Antioxidant Quinoa Bowl 

Makes 4 servings

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes 

Ingredients

Roasted Vegetables

2 medium beets, trimmed, thinly sliced

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed, drained 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

 

Red Quinoa

1 ½ cups red quinoa, uncooked

3 cups vegetable broth

 

Viva Dressing

1 12-ounce bottle Karviva Viva Whole Plant Juice, Ashitaba, Beet, & Pomegranate

2 tablespoons tahini

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Pinch salt (optional)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

 

Toppings

2 cups chopped salad greens (i.e., romaine, green and red curly leaf, or kale)

½ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 
2. Arrange sliced beets, red onion, bell pepper, and kidney beans on a baking sheet. 
3. Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar (optional), cumin, paprika, and garlic powder in a small dish. Drizzle evenly over the vegetables, using tongs to distribute. 
4. Place in the oven and roast for about 25 minutes—stirring every 5 minutes, until vegetables are tender and slightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside.
5. While vegetables are roasting, cook the quinoa. Place red quinoa in a pot with vegetable broth, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until grains are tender. Drain off any extra liquid. 
6. Meanwhile, pour Karviva Viva Whole Plant Juice, Ashitaba, Beet, & Pomegranate into a small pot. Add tahini, corn starch, salt (optional), and black pepper and whisk together until smooth. Heat over medium setting, while stirring with whisk, just until dressing is thickened (about 2-3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside. 
7. Prepare 4 grain bowls by layering the following ingredients in each individual bowl:

• • About 2/3 cup cooked quinoa
  • One-fourth of the roasted vegetables
  • ½ cup VIVA dressing
  • ½ cup salad greens
  • 2 tablespoons pecans

Note: You may use this recipe for meal prep by preparing four entrée-sized bowls, covering, and refrigerating for up to one week before eating. 

Recipe and photo created by Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian. 

Nutrition information per serving: 642 calories, 26 grams fat, 3 grams sat fat, 719 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol, 88 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams fiber, 14 grams sugar, 20 grams protein