Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls

5 from 4 votes
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These Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are the perfect vegetarian meal prep recipe to make so you can enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner the entire week! I often make a variation of these on Sundays so that my husband and I can have a veggie-packed lunch throughout the week. What I love about these quinoa bowls, is that the veggie options are endless! I’ve made these with peppers, onions, and mushrooms and they’re so good!

These Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe to make so you can enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner the entire week!
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“Ooh, Spicy! Just the right amount of heat for me, and the quinoa does a nice job balancing all that flavor. Do make the dressing…it adds so much pizzazz to this! YUM!” – Romy

These Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are kind of like a buddha bowl with grains and veggies but with a Kung Pao twist. They’re super easy to make and are the perfect healthy dinner, all wrapped up in one delicious bowl. And these bowls are super customizable to your liking. You can add whatever type of grains, veggies, and toppings you like to make them truly your own. 

What is in these Kung Pan Quinoa Bowls?

We love using quinoa for this grain bowl as it’s packed with fiber and has a deliciously nutty flavor and fluffy texture. 

As for the veggies, we sauté green onions, chickpeas, broccolini, and matchstick carrots in our homemade Kung Pao sauce. The sauce is made with sriracha, chili paste, tamari soy sauce or coconut aminos, and honey for the perfect blend of spicy, savory, and sweet. 

Finally, we top everything off with our Greek goddess dressing and sauce. We used cilantro instead of basil and added a little bit more olive oil to thin it out for the perfect green sauce for this bowl. You could also use store-bought Greek goddess dressing if you like. 

These Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe to make so you can enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner the entire week!

FAQ

Can I use something other than quinoa?

Absolutely! Feel free to use brown rice or cauliflower rice for a more low-carb option. 

Can I use different veggies other than what’s listed?

Yes! You can really use any kind of veggies you have on hand. Try adding peppers, onions, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, bok choy, or spinach. 

What is Kung Pao sauce?

It’s traditionally made with soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and some type of spicy chilis. However, this recipe is a more mild version with soy sauce, sriracha, and chili paste. It’s only slightly spicy. 

Can I reduce the spice in this recipe?

Absolutely. Feel free to dial back on the sriracha or chili paste for a less spicy sauce. 

Can I make meal prep bowls with this recipe?

Absolutely! Just make a huge batch of quinoa and double up on your veggies to spread them out throughout the week! You can also increase the sauce ingredients. 

These Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe to make so you can enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner the entire week!

quick meal prep tip!

Make the quinoa the day before and chop up all your veggies so you have everything ready to go!

Storage

Store Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls in an airtight container or meal prep containers in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you add protein, the bowls will keep for 3-4 days. 

These Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe to make so you can enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner the entire week!

Serving Suggestions

If you want to add a protein boost, add some:

If you don’t want to use the Greek goddess dressing or peanuts, feel free to garnish with these instead:

5 from 4 votes

Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls

These Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are a healthy, vegetarian twist on kung pao chicken. They're made with quinoa, broccolini, and a green sauce on top.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
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Ingredients 

Quinoa

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water

Kung Pao Veggies

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup green onion, minced
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas
  • 4 cups broccolini
  • 1 heaping cup matchstick carrots
  • 2 tablespoons tamari, soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha
  • 1 tablespoon chili paste
  • 1 tablespoon honey

Other

  • peanuts, sesame seeds, and green onion
  • 1/2 cup green goddess dressing, store bought or homemade

Instructions 

For the Quinoa

  • In a large pot, bring quinoa and water to a boil. Cover and lower the heat to low and let simmer for around 20 minutes or until all the water has evaporated.

For the Kung Pao Veggies

  • Place sesame oil in a large pan and heat on medium/high heat.
  • Then, add in the vegetables and beans and sauté for 3-5 minutes to lightly cook the veggies so that they are still crunchy.
  • Once veggies are at the desired texture add in the sauce ingredients and sauté for a few minutes.

For the Bowls

  • Prep bowls by separating the quinoa out into 4 portions.
  • Then do the same with the veggies. Top with peanuts, sesame seeds, green onion, and a few tablespoons of the Green Goddess Dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 400 kcal, Carbohydrates: 59 g, Protein: 15 g, Fat: 10 g, Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 8 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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These Vegetarian Kung Pao Quinoa Bowls are the perfect meal prep recipe to make so you can enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner the entire week!

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Hoor
Hoor
December 22, 2017 2:14 pm

For the dressing do you add cilantro to the other herbs. Or do you remove basil or parsley?

Cassie Tran
August 6, 2017 2:36 pm

Oh my gosh, can we just take a moment. I love the idea of making deliciously healthy kung pao vegetables and pairing them up with quinoa! Looks absolutely perfect!

Ellie
April 21, 2017 5:53 pm

I have been looking for interesting recipes for quinoa!!! This looks amazing, I usually meal prep on Sundays so I will definitely be trying this.

Thank you!

Manasi Deshmukh
April 19, 2017 7:01 am

Nice recipe thanks for sharing this

Lori parsons
March 9, 2017 12:09 am

The recipes look amazing I canto try them’t wait

Lexi
January 28, 2017 2:36 pm

I love these bowls!!!

Sarah
January 27, 2017 8:36 pm

This sounds so good! I think I like broccolini better than regular broccoli.

Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness
January 27, 2017 2:28 pm

You can NEVER go wrong with a good Kung Pao! And in a bowl? I could eat this ALLL day.

Gina @ Running to the Kitchen
January 27, 2017 10:10 am

I’ve become a sauce girl myself too. Bowl meals are the easiest way to eat and sauce totally makes or breaks the dish. ps- kung pao FTW! Always.

Kathy
Kathy
January 27, 2017 4:47 am

Thank you for your “rant” about your climate change in Minnesota. Its happening here in Pennsylvania, too. No snow yet – 50 degrees this week. Yes, that does often happen in January. But gosh, the whole temperature average has been up – and climbing – the last few years!

PS Just joined your group. Love what you do to find and share healthy, yummy food!