20-Minute Quick Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Chickpeas

Jan 29, 2019 (Last updated Aug 7, 2026) by Hannah Sunderani

This quick veggie quinoa bowl with chickpeas is simple, wholesome and nourishing. Made by sautéing fridge-friendly versatile veggies like cabbage, kale, and zucchini in a skillet, finished with chickpeas and cooked quinoa for a filling dish. The dish is tossed with a simple curried coconut sauce. It’s quick to toss together, made with real food ingredients and lots of flavour!

This veggie quinoa bowl makes for a wholesome and satiating main dish thanks to the chickpeas and quinoa. The recipe also uses popular vegetable staples, but it’s very simple to personalize by swapping the veggies for whatever you have in your fridge. So, let me tell you exactly how to make this recipe so that you can enjoy it pronto!

Ingredient Notes:

This recipe uses simple wholefood ingredient that likely you already have on hand! Which is what I love about it, because the recipe can be made at a moments notice.

• Quinoa: The base of our grain bowl. I love using quinoa in vegan salads or stir-frys to help feel full and satiated, especially since the bowls are meat-free. I like to cook a batch of quinoa early in the week so that I have it on hand for dishes like this. The recipe card uses cooked quinoa, but see notes in the recipe card if you need to cook the quinoa first. I also recipe tested this veggie bowl with brown rice and it was delicious!
• Chickpeas: A lovely meat-free alternative to add to our veggie bowl! The chickpeas help to keep you satiated. It offers a nice meaty bite to contrast the sauteed vegetables. Canned chickpeas are incredibly handy to keep in the pantry for nourishing vegan bowls like this.
• Zucchini: Sautéed in a skillet until soft, I love using this fast cooking vegetable for this quick recipe! It absorbs flavour nicely and is so easy to cook.
• Cabbage and Kale: A more sturdy veg that gives our veggie bowl a little crunch, even after sauteeing! They also add beautiful colour to our veggie quinoa bowl! Other nice vegetables that are similar in terms of crunchy texture and good shelf-life would be chopped brocolini and shredded carrots.
• Coconut Milk: Canned coconut cream is used for the creamy sauce poured into the quinoa bowl and tossed to combine. It elevates the bowl into a rich dish that’s so easy to eat; where otherwise it would be a bland.
• Curry Powder: Used for spicing the coconut sauce and bringing in flavour! It really enhanced the sautéed veggies for a flavourful dish.
• Lemon Juice: Brightens and lightens the flavours in this dish and makes it feel so fresh! Lime would also be great in this recipe.

How to make this veggie quinoa bowl with chickpeas

Making this recipe is easy and straightforward.The whole dish is made in a skillet. It’s a simple sautee recipe that packs a lot of punch for how simple it is. I’ve provided all the details in the recipe card below.

If you want to personalize the dish feel free to adjust the flavouring, adding more spice, coconut cream or lemon to the mix until you have the perfect flavouring.

So there we have it – a super quick, warm veggie quinoa bowl for Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Chickpeas! You will be so surprised just how delicious and satiating this bowl is given the minimal effort and time required to toss together. I think you’re going to love it too.

If you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I truly love hearing from you, and I’m always here to answer any questions you might have. And of course, tag me on Instagram with your pictures using the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.

GF

20-Minute Quick Veggie Quinoa Bowl with Chickpeas

5 from 2 votes

By Hannah Sunderani

This is a quick and easy veggie quinoa bowl with chickpeas, zucchini, cabbage and kale. It takes me no more than 20 minutes to toss together for a comforting and nourishing main dish.

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Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Serves 1 person

Ingredients

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 zucchini chopped
• 1/2 cup purple cabbage shredded
• pinch sea salt
• 3/4 cups quinoa cooked
• 1/4 cup chickpeas cooked
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 lemon juiced
• pinch cayenne pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/2 cup kale , chopped (or spinach)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• In a deep skillet add coconut oil and zucchini. Bring to medium-high heat and cook zucchini for 2-3 minutes to soften, then add cabbage and pinch salt. Cook veg for another 5-6 minutes until cabbage has slightly softened.
• Add quinoa and chickpeas to the skillet and toss. Season with cumin and curry powder, and pour in coconut milk and lemon juice. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper and mix to combine.
• Finally add chopped kale to skillet. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until kale has wilted and gone a brighter green colour.

Notes

Veg can be replaced with whatever you have on hand. I like this recipe to use up any sad looking vegetables I have handy. Broccoli and spinach are also delicious, as well as cauliflower and carrot.

If you don’t have cooked quinoa this can be done while you’re satueeing your veg. Add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water, bring to boil and let simmer for 15 minutes. Or until cooked. Save any leftover quinoa to top on salads, or buddha bowls, or try my Creamy Quinoa Porridge for breakfast. 

Approvals

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 442mg | Potassium: 1026mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 5g

DID YOU

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