Vegetable Curry Quinoa Bowl Recipe {Vegan}

This delicious (and easy!) plant-based Vegetable Curry Quinoa Bowl recipe are a fantastic way to work a healthy dose of vegetables and protein into your day!

I distinctly remember the first time I enjoyed this curry quinoa bowl recipe. On the sidelines of my son's soccer game. Whenever a game lands around lunchtime, we go into sideline picnic mode. Because, well, I get cranky when I'm hungry and no one needs a cranky soccer mum on the sideline when the ref makes a bad call.

Everyone else had sandwiches packed away in the cooler, which is what my usual sideline picnic modus operandi. However, the thought of another turkey sandwich - even my favorite turkey wrap - just wasn't turning my crank. So, I chopped up a bunch of vegetables, cracked open cans of chickpeas and coconut milk, defrosted some quinoa (frozen quinoa is the ultimate convenience food) and these curry bowls were born!

When I first made my Slow Cooker Vegetable Curry, I realized that cauliflower and curry are meant to be together. For these vegetable curry quinoa bowls, the cauliflower simmers alongside zucchini, red bell pepper and chickpeas in a quick sauce made of coconut milk and curry paste. You can find curry paste in many grocery stores, Indian markets or even on Amazon.

What you need for this Vegetable Curry Quinoa Bowl recipe:

These are the main components of this recipe (affiliate links included):

• Vegetables: I used cauliflower, red bell pepper and zucchini. If you prefer different vegetables, feel free to switch things up to suit your tastes.
• Curry paste: Bottled curry paste can be purchased in most grocery stores. This is the one my mum always uses and is still my favorite. I opted for the mild curry paste, but there is also a spicy version available.
• Chickpeas: Before using the canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them in a fine mesh sieve.
• Coconut milk: I used lite coconut milk, which can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Full fat coconut milk can be substituted, if preferred.
• Quinoa: To make meal prep easier, I like to freeze quinoa at the beginning of the week, then heat just before using.

How to make this quinoa curry bowl:

There is nothing difficult about this quinoa bowl recipe. In fact, it's one of those recipes that you can make once or twice and likely not even have to refer back to the recipe again. It's that easy!

• Start by sautéing the garlic and ginger. This alone will make your kitchen smell amazing! Toss in the veggies and sauté for a few minutes.
• Next up - the curry paste. Add it to the skillet and stir to coat the vegetables. Finally, add the coconut milk, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat so that the mixture is simmering. Let it cook until the veggies are tender.
• Last step…season, stir in the parsley and serve the curry with some cooked quinoa.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Can this be made ahead of time?

Definitely! If you're making these quinoa bowls during a meal prep session and will be eating it later in the week, I suggest slightly undercooking the vegetables. While the cauliflower and even the bell peppers can hold up to being reheated, zucchini tends to turn soggy very quickly if overcooked. Reducing the simmer time by a few minutes should do the trick.

Can I use different vegetables?

One of the great things about vegetable curries is that they are incredibly versatile and forgiving. If zucchini, cauliflower and/or bell peppers aren't your thing, switch things up.

Some other good curry-worthy veggies are potato, sweet potato, eggplant and mushrooms. If cooking with either regular or sweet potatoes, I suggest dicing them into small pieces so that they cook faster. And add them several minutes before the other vegetables to compensate for the longer cooking time.

Is this recipe vegan?

It is vegan, provided that you use olive oil rather than ghee for sautéing the ginger and garlic. Ghee is a form of clarified butter commonly used in Indian cooking. However, since it contains dairy, it's not vegan-friendly.

Other easy vegan meals:

Roasted Vegetable Bowl with Peanut Sauce
Butternut Squash Stew with Quinoa & Beans
Italian Chickpea Soup

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Vegetable Curry Quinoa Bowls {Vegan}

This delicious (and easy!) plant-based Vegetable Curry Quinoa Bowl recipe are a fantastic way to work a healthy dose of vegetables and protein into your day!

5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Healthy Dinner Recipes

Prep Time: 12 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 239.5kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

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Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons ghee or olive oil (olive oil for vegan)
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 cups small cauliflower florets
• 2 cups chopped zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper seeded & chopped
• 2 tablespoons mild curry paste
• ¾ cup lite coconut milk
• 1 cup canned chickpeas drained & rinsed
• ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper or to taste
• 3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup cooked quinoa

Instructions

• Heat the ghee or oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and bell pepper, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the curry paste and stir until the vegetables are coated. Stir in the coconut milk and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat slightly and simmer until the vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
• Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the parsley.
• Divide the quinoa between four bowls. Top each with 1 cup of the curry. Serve.

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 5 (Blue – Freestyle SP) / 5 (Green) / 3 (Purple)

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the Sparks nutrition calculator and Weight Watchers points are calculated using the Recipe Builder on their site. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup Curry + ¼ Cup Quinoa | Calories: 239.5kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11.6g | Saturated Fat: 4.1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 652.4mg | Fiber: 8.1g | Sugar: 4.1g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

This post was first published on February 20, 2017 and updated on February 2, 2021.

Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.