Spring Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Burrata

Along with spring rain showers, sunshine and flowers come spring vegetables. It’s April, and it’s finally time to put away the hearty braise recipes (even though I do love them) and break out the light and bright salad recipes. I still like to add grains to salads to make them more filling meals.

This recipe combines fresh spinach leaves with quinoa and harissa spiced chickpeas tossed in carrot-orange vinaigrette. This bowl is also filled with sautéed asparagus and mushrooms with fresh peas and served topped off with creamy burrata.

Spring Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Burrata

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Quinoa – Cooking the quinoa in vegetable broth makes for a more flavorful quinoa. Water can be substituted for the broth in a pinch.
• Mushrooms – I typically use crimini also known as baby Bella mushrooms when I cook. They have a meatier, earthier mushroom flavor compared to white mushrooms. I recommend buying whole mushrooms and slicing them yourself so they are more evenly cut than pre-cut mushrooms. Use a damp paper towel to wipe away dirt before slicing the mushrooms.
• Chickpeas – Chickpeas, also called garbanzo beans add texture and protein to this recipe while keeping it vegetarian. Using canned chickpeas in this recipe cuts down on the prep time in this recipe. Swapping with dried chickpeas requires a bit more foresight. They need to be soaked for a long period of time then boiled. I season the chickpeas in this recipe with harissa.
• Harissa – Harissa is a North African spice paste, specifically from Tunisia. It’s made from red chilies, garlic, oil, vinegar or lemon and aromatic spices like cumin, coriander and caraway. This spicy and smokey condiment adds a great depth to a dish. It can be found in tubes or jars at the grocery store or can be made at home.
• Peas – While cutting the peas in half lengthwise makes for a pretty presentation, for a more approachable meal I recommend slicing them on the bias.
• Burrata – Burrata, a soft cow’s milk cheese from Italy, is essentially mozzarella filled with a creamy interior. It has become very popular in recent years for its rich, clean flavor. To make this dish vegan, omit the burrata.

How to Make This Spring Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Burrata

• Make the chili-orange vinaigrette. In a small bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and set aside. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Whisking again if dressing separates.
• Cook the quinoa. Bring the vegetable stock to a boil over medium heat, then stir in the quinoa. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering until stock has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
• Make the harissa chickpeas. In a medium saucepan stir together the chickpeas, vegetable stock and harissa over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Cook the asparagus. Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Add the asparagus and cook stirring occasionally until the asparagus is slightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then remove and roughly chop.
• Cook the mushrooms. Add the remaining olive oil and heat through. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Assemble. In a large mixing bowl toss together the cooked quinoa and spinach with carrot-chili vinaigrette. Divide among 4 salad bowls. Top with a scoop of harissa chickpeas, sautéed vegetables, spinach, snap peas and burrata. Divide the burrata into 4 pieces and top the salad.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

• Omit the burrata to make this recipe vegan.
• To cut down on prep, make the dressing, quinoa and the chickpeas ahead of time.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Honey Lemon Vinaigrette
• Shrimp Fajita Bowl with Quinoa
• Coconut Quinoa Oatmeal with Maple Syrup
• Watermelon Salad with Grains and Grilled Halloumi

Spring Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Burrata

Print Pin

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

Carrot-orange vinaigrette:

• ¼ cup carrot juice
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt

For the quinoa:

• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 1 cup quinoa

For the harissa chickpeas:

• 1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup vegetable stock
• ¼ cup harissa

For the sautéed vegetables:

• 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 5 ounces thin stalk asparagus, trimmed
• Kosher salt, as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced

For assembly:

• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 1 cup stringless snap peas
• 8 ounces burrata

Instructions:

Chili-orange vinaigrette:

• In a small bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients until emulsified. Season to taste with salt and set aside. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Whisking again if dressing separates.

For the quinoa:

• Bring the vegetable stock to a boil over medium heat, then stir in the quinoa. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover, simmering until stock has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

For the harissa chickpeas:

• In a medium saucepan stir together the chickpeas, vegetable stock and harissa over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chickpeas are tender, about 15 minutes.

For the sautéed vegetables:

• Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Add the asparagus and cook stirring occasionally until the asparagus is slightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper then remove and roughly chop.
• Add the remaining olive oil and heat through. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

For assembly:

• In a large mixing bowl toss together the cooked quinoa and spinach with carrot-chili vinaigrette. Divide among 4 salad bowls. Top with a scoop of harissa chickpeas, sautéed vegetables, spinach, snap peas and burrata. Divide the burrata into 4 pieces and top the salad.

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