It has been a while since I posted a recipe on here. This recipe post is a quinoa bowl with grilled chicken, veggies and goat cheese – yum!
Winter in Minneapolis was just not very good for taking food photos and I kind of lost the desire to do it. But this past weekend was 80 and sunny so it was the perfect time to make a recipe and take some yummy food photos!
I have been enjoying this recipe for a while now. It’s easy to make a big batch and take it to work during the week for lunches. I got the inspiration for this recipe from Cooking Classy.
This Quinoa Bowl with Grilled Chicken, Veggies, and Goat Cheese is the a well-balanced, complete meal because it has carbohydrates, protein, fat, and veggies! It’s delicious and nutritious!
I prepped the chicken breasts by coating each side with a little salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I baked them for 20 minutes at 450 degrees. While the chicken breasts were baking, I prepared the quinoa and chopped and sautéed the veggies in a little bit of oil.
Did you know that quinoa is like a higher protein brown rice? I love using quinoa in recipes. I prefer its texture to brown rice but you can absolutely swap out the quinoa for brown (or any other kind of) rice, if you prefer!
You can also use whatever veggies you like. This time around I used green and red bell peppers, onion, zucchini, and broccoli. If you need or want more carbohydrates, you can add in corn, beans, or edamame.
If you want some variety in temperature and/or texture, I’ve also made this recipe and added chopped cucumber and diced Granny Smith apple before! The combination of hot and cold, with a yummy crunch and crisp flavor, was excellent!
I’ve also added shredded carrots before, which adds another color to the mix! Getting a variety of colorful fruits and veggies is a great way to get your vitamins and minerals. The different colors provide different nutrients!
Have I mentioned that I love goat cheese?! The goat cheese really makes this recipe delicious! It is very flavorful so a little bit goes a long way.
In addition to the flavor, the cheese also adds some moisture.
If the recipe is still too dry for your liking, try adding olive oil, balsamic vinaigrette, or lemon juice. I may even try tzatziki sauce next time!
Quinoa Bowl with Grilled Chicken, Veggies, and Goat Cheese
- 1 pound chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup quinoa, dry
- 1 green bell pepper
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 large head of broccoli
- 3 zucchini
- 1/4 cup goat cheese
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil, lemon juice, or balsamic vinaigrette
- Prepare the chicken breasts using whatever seasoning you prefer. I used salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.
- Cook the quinoa according to package instructions (about 15-20 minutes).
- Dice the bell peppers, onion, broccoli, and zucchini and sauté in olive oil until heated through.
- Once the chicken is cooked, cut into small piece.
- Combine chicken, quinoa, veggies, and top with goat cheese.
- Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, or balsamic vinaigrette, as desired.
The great thing about this recipe is you can easily modify the ingredients to make as much or as little as you want. Get creative with the veggies you use and add more or less of any ingredient to fit your needs!
What is your favorite kind of cheese?
Have you ever tried quinoa?
This looks amazing! So packed with good nutrition and love that it’s a meatless dish. I’ve been trying to do meatless Mondays at our house and will have to try this.
-Linh
Hmm… well chicken is a meat but you can definitely substitute a vegetarian protein option such as tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, etc.!
YUM the goat cheese is the perfect addition to this dish! Would also be delish to serve it cold and throw in some feta 🙂
XO Amanda | http://www.glitterandspice.com
Yes, it can definitely be modified to your preferences!
WE love quinoa and this recipe sounds amazing. Pinned!
It really is delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Yummmm!! I love quinoa and grilled veggies, so this is perfect!!!
Thanks Natalie! I am loving quinoa these days. Even tried making this recipe with brown rice one day and it was not as good!
This. Looks. So. Good!!!!!!
Thanks Ruthie!