Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowl

This Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowl is a delicious make-ahead option for busy mornings. It has quinoa, poached eggs, avocado and feta.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Meal prep friendly: These bowls are great for prepping. Make them in advance, then enjoy them on busy mornings!
• High protein: You'll feel full for longer thanks to all the protein in this bowl from the quinoa and poached eggs.

Ingredients and substitutions

• Water – you could also cook the quinoa in chicken or vegetable broth.
• Quinoa – use any kind of quinoa of your choice.
• Eggs – swap these out for another protein. You could even use tofu for a vegan option.
• Vinegar – white vinegar or white wine vinegar are best.
• Avocado, kale, bell pepper and onion – use any vegetables of your choice in these bowls like spinach or mushrooms.
• Feta cheese – goat cheese would also be good or you can leave the cheese out altogether.
• Hot sauce – leave this off if you're not a fan of spice or swap out for another sauce.

How to make a quinoa breakfast bowl

Step 1: Cook the quinoa.

Cook the quinoa in a rice cooker or a pot on the stovetop until the liquid is absorbed, and prep any veggies of your choice.

Step 2: Poach the eggs.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add the vinegar and salt. Stir in a circular motion, crack the eggs in one at a time, and cook until the yolks are runny.

Step 3: Sauté the veggies.

Sauté the veggies in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale and cook until wilted.

Step 4: Assemble your bowls.

Divide the cooked quinoa among your bowls, then top with veggies, eggs, feta and hot sauce. Serve immediately or store for later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to eat quinoa for breakfast?

While it might not be a traditional breakfast food, quinoa is a great food to eat for breakfast. It's one of the healthiest grains, and is full of important nutrients like fiber and magnesium. It's also a complete protein, which means it contains all nine of the essential amino acids.

How do you cook it so it's not mushy?

To prevent your quinoa from getting mushy, make sure you're not adding in too much liquid. For every 1 cup of dry quinoa, you'll need to add 2 cups of liquid (water, broth, etc.). Make sure you're carefully measuring, or you might end up with excess liquid in your quinoa.

Are these bowls gluten-free?

Quinoa is naturally gluten-free, but you'll want to check the label's nutrition facts and ingredients to make sure it is gluten-free.

Can you make sweet quinoa instead?

This breakfast recipe is more savory, but if you want something sweet, you can make a few tweaks to the instructions. Simmer the quinoa in a small saucepan over medium heat with dairy-free milk like coconut milk or almond milk, and a pinch of cinnamon and/or vanilla extract. Add on toppings like maple syrup, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, almonds, nut butter like peanut butter, chocolate chips and more. It's basically oatmeal, but with quinoa!

Storing these bowls

This quinoa breakfast recipe is perfect for meal prep. Store everything in glass bowls or airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. I'd recommend leaving the avocado off until right before you're ready to eat, as it will brown if you leave it out. I'd recommend eating the bowls cold so you don't overcook the poached eggs, but you could keep the quinoa separate, then reheat for 1-2 mins in the microwave before adding on all your toppings.

Meal prep tools

• Grab some glass meal prep bowls to pack up your weekly breakfasts.
• A rice cooker is invaluable for saving time, and it cooks other grains, too!
• Here is my favourite hot sauce.
• **Get my full list of tools here**