These Caprese Quinoa Lunch Bowls are contemporary, flavorful and straightforward to throw collectively! They are often ready forward of time for wholesome, vegetarian meal prep lunches, or loved as a colourful aspect salad to accompany dinner. These summer time impressed lunch bowls are full of protein, whereas additionally feeling mild and refreshing.
The youngsters are again to high school, which type of makes it really feel like summer time is over, however actually, it’s in full swing! My cherry tomato crops are additionally in full swing and producing recurrently now. I’m excited to lastly be capable to share my first recipe utilizing them, together with a giant handful of backyard basil 🙂 These Caprese Quinoa Lunch Bowls are bursting with contemporary summer time flavors and nice for vegetarian meal prep
Cherry tomatoes are my favourite factor to develop within the backyard, so this yr I made certain to plant a couple of completely different varieties. I really like all the colours and every one style just a bit bit completely different. Contemporary tomatoes are nice for these Caprese Quinoa Bowls, however any type will work nice!
Why You’ll Love These Refreshing Quinoa Salad Meal Prep Bowls!
- Straightforward to make – There isn’t a lot precise cooking concerned on this recipe, apart from making ready the quinoa. I really like meals with minimal preparation, particularly in the summertime.
- Style like summer time – Tomato and basil are such basic summer time flavors, and this recipe is bursting with each! You’re greater than welcome so as to add any further backyard veggies or herbs you might have available.
- Nice for meal prep – This recipe is nice as a result of you possibly can prep each the quinoa and caprese chickpea salad forward of time and assemble these bowls simply earlier than work, or in the beginning of the week.
Caprese Quinoa Bowl Recipe Elements
- Quinoa – I like to make use of quinoa as a base to those lunch bowls as a result of it’s fast and straightforward to arrange and it’s full of protein and vitamins. You should use a special grain in case you want although.
- Cherry Tomatoes – I used my backyard cherry tomatoes, however any type of tomatoes will work. If utilizing a big tomato, simply cube it into smaller, chunk sized items earlier than including in.
- Basil + Garlic – Contemporary basil is a should for this recipe! It provides a lot taste and completely compliments the tomatoes. I additionally like so as to add a couple of cloves of freshly minced garlic, use as a lot as you want!
- Chickpeas – Chickpeas are usually not conventional in a caprese salad, however they add further protein and are gentle in taste, so I added them in. White beans might be used as nicely.
- Roasted Pink Peppers – Roasted pink peppers are additionally not conventional in a caprese recipe, however I had some available and so they assist praise the sweetness from the tomatoes and baslamic vinegar.
- Vinegar + Oil – I dressed these bowls with a easy sauce, utilizing simply olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. You can even use a store-bought balsamic French dressing in case you want.
- Mozzarella Pears – I added a couple of mozzarella pears to the highest of every bowl. You can even simply cube up a giant ball of contemporary mozzarella. I’d recommend utilizing contemporary, because it has a creamier texture that goes nicely with this recipe.
- Greens – I like so as to add some contemporary greens to those lunch bowls. You should use lettuce greens, kale, spinach, arugula or another inexperienced you favor. They simply add some further colour and vitamins.
How To Make Straightforward Caprese Quinoa Lunch Bowls
- Prepare dinner quinoa based on bundle instructions. Let quinoa sit, with lid on for about 10 minutes earlier than fluffing with a fork. Put aside and permit to chill.
- To a big mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, roasted pink pepper, basil and garlic. Subsequent, pour over the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Give every part a very good combine and season with salt and pepper, to style.
- You possibly can both assemble all of the bowls without delay and retailer till able to eat, or you possibly can put together the quinoa and tomato salad and retailer individually till able to assemble and eat bowls. Should you assemble every part without delay, you do run the chance of the greens wilting extra shortly.
- To every lunch bowl: 1 cup cooked quinoa, a handful of contemporary greens, 1/4 of the tomato/chickpea combination (use a slotted spoon so you allow behind many of the liquid dressing. Subsequent, add in about 5 mozzarella pears to the highest and a few contemporary basil leaves, if desired. You possibly can then spoon desired quantity of additional dressing over particular person parts.
Recipe Continuously Requested Questions
- This recipe is gluten free.
- Make this recipe vegan by utilizing a vegan mozzarella cheese substitute. Today they’ve fairly good ones at specialty grocery shops like Entire Meals.
- Can this recipe be made as a giant salad? Sure, as a substitute of packing this recipe into particular person meal prep containers, you possibly can simply put every part into a giant bowl collectively and blend it up. I’d recommend chopping up the greens and the mozzarella pears into smaller items.
- Can these bowls be made forward of time? Sure, I’d recommend making ready the quinoa and tomato salad forward of time. Then, every morning you possibly can shortly throw collectively a bowl that’s contemporary and scrumptious!
- How lengthy do leftovers final? If saved in an air-tight container within the fridge, leftovers ought to final about 4-5 days.
Have a query I didn’t reply? Ask me within the remark part under and I’ll get again to you ASAP!
Wanting For Extra Straightforward Vegetarian Meal Prep Recipes?
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Chickpea Fajita Bowls with Cilantro Lime Pesto
Curried Chickpea Salad Meal Prep Bowls
Caprese Quinoa Salad Lunch Bowls
Complete Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Weight loss plan: Vegetarian
Description
These Caprese Quinoa Salad Lunch Bowls are contemporary, flavorful and straightforward to throw collectively! They are often ready forward of time for wholesome, vegetarian meal prep lunches, or loved as a colourful aspect salad to accompany dinner. These summer time impressed lunch bowls are full of protein, whereas additionally feeling mild and refreshing.
- 1 1/2 cups dried quinoa, white or tri-color
- 2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1/2 cup small diced roasted pink peppers
- 1–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped contemporary basil
- 1 (8 oz) container mozzarella pears
- 2 tablespoons further virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- Salt and black pepper, to style
- Balsamic glaze, if desired
Directions
- Prepare dinner quinoa based on bundle instructions. Let quinoa sit, with lid on for about 10 minutes earlier than fluffing with a fork. Put aside and permit to chill.
- To a big mixing bowl, add the chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, roasted pink pepper, basil and garlic. Subsequent, pour over the olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Give every part a very good combine and season with salt and pepper, to style.
- You possibly can both assemble all of the bowls without delay and retailer till able to eat, or you possibly can put together the quinoa and tomato salad and retailer individually till able to assemble and eat bowls. Should you assemble every part without delay, you do run the chance of the greens wilting extra shortly.
- To every lunch bowl: 1 cup cooked quinoa, a handful of contemporary greens, 1/4 of the tomato/chickpea combination (use a slotted spoon so you allow behind many of the liquid dressing. Subsequent, add in about 5 mozzarella pears to the highest and a few contemporary basil leaves, if desired. You possibly can then spoon desired quantity of additional dressing over particular person parts. A drizzle of balsamic glaze can be good too, in case you like. Place lid on and refrigerate till able to eat.
Notes
prepare dinner the quinoa: Rinse and drain 1 1/2 cups dried quinoa nicely after which add to a small saucepan. Add in 3 cups of water and place the lid on. Flip burner on medium warmth till combination begins to simmer. As quickly because it involves a simmer, flip warmth to the bottom setting and permit quinoa to prepare dinner, with the lid on, till all of the water has absorbed and cooked out. Let quinoa sit, with lid on for about 10 minutes earlier than fluffing with a fork. Put aside and permit to chill.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Prepare dinner Time: 20 minutes
- Class: Lunch, Vegetarian
- Methodology: Stovetop
- Delicacies: Italian Impressed
