Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with Sesame Miso Sauce
A healthy Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad that is easy to make and great for meal prep. Once made, drizzle with the Sesame Miso Sauce and enjoy each bite.
There is just something about making a nourish bowl and pouring over a creamy sauce. After making this delicious bowl of Roasted Potato Salad with BBQ Chickpeas, it just made sense to try a similar concept but with a different flavor profile. And it’s perfect for all of you that have asked for a different saucy combo not using BBQ sauce.
So we are using some of my favorite Asian ingredients to create a savory sweet combo that you’ll want to use for your next meal prep.
Why You’ll Love This Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potato
- High in plant-based protein, fiber and iron
- An easy way to get in more vegetables
- Can be meal prepped for easy grab and go lunches through the week
- Easy to customize to your preference
- It’s vegan, gluten-free and nut-free
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Quinoa: The whole grain for our salad. This provides fiber and part of the protein in this salad. You can always opt for an alternative to quinoa if desired like farro, millet, or couscous.
- Sweet Potato: This compliments the flavors of the sweet miso sauce that it roasts in. You can choose butternut squash as an alternative or even regular potatoes if you prefer a less naturally sweet option.
- Broccoli: I always like adding an extra veggies to the plate, but this one is easy to swap with other veggies you love. Try asparagus, zucchini, peppers or even carrots. Just note they will have different roasting times.
- Miso Paste: Use a yellow or white miso paste for the coating and salad dressing. Miso provides the salad with savory umami flavor.
- Maple Syrup: Helps to balance the miso paste. You can swap for a different liquid sweetener of your choice.
- Chickpeas: I used a can of chickpeas. You can always skip the chickpeas and add in thawed edamame or baked tofu at the end for a protein boost.
How to Make This Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
The best part of this salad is that its mostly roasted in the oven.
Prep the quinoa in advance so that it can cool as you prep the other ingredients. To make, combine quinoa, vegetable broth and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Let stand and fluff with a fork.
Mix together the oil, garlic sauce, maple syrup, ginger and garlic powder. Add your potatoes and chickpeas to a large sheet pan and the broccoli to a separate sheet pan. Drizzle with the sauce and toss to coat. Spread it out on a single layer, leaving enough space for the veggies and chickpeas to roast evenly.
Roast the sweet potatoes and chickpeas first for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and flip, then place back in the oven to roast with the broccoli and roast again until sweet potato is fork tender. As this roasts, whisk the tahini sauce together until smooth.
To a bowl, toss the quinoa, potato, broccoli, scallions and cilantro along with a drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss to coat, then serve with the dressing and sesame seeds.
Expert Tips
- Pay attention to roasting times. Since we are cooking the sweet potato the longest, make sure to only add your broccoli to the baking tray in the last 12-15 minutes of baking so it doesn’t overcook.
- Use more than one sheet pan. Spreading your veggies out on a single layer on your sheet pan allows the veggies and chickpeas enough space in between each other to roast and prevent them from steaming.
- Store the sauce separate from the salad. Add the creamy sauce overtop when you are ready to serve the salad.
- Allow the quinoa to cool to room temperature before adding the other ingredients to the salad. This will prevent the salad from getting mushy. It may be helpful to prep this part in advance if you can.
- Rinse your quinoa before you cook it. This process helps to remove a bitter compound called saponin from the surface. It will result in a better flavored quinoa.
Frequently Asked Questions
This totally depends on your preference. This salad can be served warm or cold, which makes it perfect for grab and go meals if you are taking it to work or school.
This salad will keep for up to 5 days when not dressed with the sesame miso dressing. Place the leftovers in an airtight container and place in the fridge. Do not freeze this salad as it will make it mushy if thawed.
Yes. It’s technically a seed and does not contain any wheat or gluten.
I would recommend white quinoa for this as it is fluffier and less seedy than red or black quinoa.
Per serving, quinoa only contains 6 grams of protein. Many people assume it has a larger amount of protein, but if anything it should be used as an accessory piece to other protein rich components to build a nutritious meal.
How to Serve
This salad is best when served with the creamy miso ginger tahini sauce. Drizzle over top the salad and serve. If you wish to add more protein, you can add some baked tofu.
All together, this meal is complete in nutrition as it provides protein from both the quinoa and chickpeas, veggies, complex carbohydrates from the quinoa and sweet potatoes and healthy fats from the avocado oil and tahini dressing. For more crunch, feel free to sprinkle with some seeds like pepitas.
More Quinoa Recipes To Try
- Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Nourish Bowl
- Cilantro Lime Quinoa Salad
- Cauliflower Quinoa Soup
- Creamy Quinoa Coconut Soup
- Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies
Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with Sesame Miso Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A healthy Roasted Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad that is easy to make and great for meal prep. Once made, drizzle with the Sesame Miso Sauce and enjoy each bite.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, about 1 medium head
- 1, 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed, drained and pat dry with a clean towel
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Salt
Sesame Miso Sauce
- 4 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp yellow or white miso paste
- 1 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2–3 tbsp water
Assembly
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely diced
- 2 tsp gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add the quinoa to a large sauce pan with vegetable broth and a pinch of salt. Bring the quinoa to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover with a lid. Let it cook for 15 minutes, remove from heat and sit for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork. Once cooked set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375F. To a large sheet pan add the sweet potatoes and chickpeas. To another sheet pan add the broccoli.
- Whisk together the oil, chili sauce, maple syrup, ginger and garlic in a bowl then drizzle it over the potatoes, chickpeas and broccoli. Toss everything to coat and spread everything out on a single layer to roast evenly on their respective sheet pans.
- Sprinkle the trays with a pinch of salt and place the potatoes and chickpeas in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Give the potatoes a flip and toss the chickpeas and return back to the oven along with the tray of broccoli and roast for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Make the sesame tahini sauce by whisking all the listed sauce ingredients together until smooth. If too thick, thin out with 1-2 extra tbsp of water.
- To a large mixing bowl add the quinoa, potato, chickpeas, broccoli, cilantro, scallions, soy sauce, sesame oil and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. Plate and serve with dressing and sesame seeds.
Notes
Pay attention to roasting times. Since we are cooking the sweet potato the longest, make sure to only add your broccoli to the baking tray in the last 12-15 minutes of baking so it doesn’t overcook.
Use more than one sheet pan. Spreading your veggies out on a single layer on your sheet pan allows the veggies and chickpeas enough space in between each other to roast and prevent them from steaming.
Store the sauce separate from the salad. Add the creamy sauce overtop when you are ready to serve the salad.
Allow the quinoa to cool to room temperature before adding the other ingredients to the salad. This will prevent the salad from getting mushy. It may be helpful to prep this part in advance if you can.
Rinse your quinoa before you cook it. This process helps to remove a bitter compound called saponin from the surface. It will result in a better flavored quinoa.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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