Green goddess grain bowls are easy to make, packed with flavor, satisfying and ready in just 20 minutes from start to finish. This green goddess bowl recipe is perfect for lunch or dinner and can even be made for meal prep.
If you love quick and easy weeknight meals like this, you have to try my sweet potato black bean bowls or blackened shrimp bowls, both are ready in under 20 minutes and so flavorful.
Green Goddess Bowl Highlights
- Easy to make – quick saute the zucchini while the quinoa cooks in the instant pot then just assemble and enjoy!
- Ready in 20 minutes – thanks to the instant pot, the quinoa cooks quickly without needing to be watched, leaving you time and energy to cook the veggies.
- Packed with flavor – thanks to the green goddess dressing
- Great for meal prep – this can be enjoyed the next day cold, at room temperature or warmed through.
- Versatile – use whatever veggies you have on hand, add more protein to make it more filling.
Ingredient spotlight
- Roasted red pepper – this is one of my go-to ingredients for quick cooking meals, it adds so much flavor and doesn’t require any cooking! If you have a lot of bell peppers on hand, I recommend using your air fryer to make roasted peppers at home.
- Green goddess dressing – to make this recipe as easy as possible, I’m using a jarred green goddess dressing. If you have a favorite recipe, you could also make this from scratch.
How to make green goddess grain bowls
Make the grains: Rinse the quinoa then add it to the instant pot with water. Cook for 1 minute high pressure, let pressure naturally release for 5-10 minutes then manually release. When quinoa is done cooking, fluff with fork.
Cook the zucchini: Slice zucchini, cook in a hot pan over medium heat, adding salt, garlic powder and italian seasoning. Cook 5-7 minutes until start to brown.
Prep the chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
Assemble the bowls: Add quinoa, zucchini, chickpeas roasted red peppers, avocado and top with green goddess dressing.
Time saving tip
To make this even quicker, use frozen quinoa or use shelf stable quinoa packs (that reheat in the microwave in just 60 seconds). My favorite is the quinoa mix packs from Thrive Market.
Goddess bowl variations
- Other veggies: Add broccoli, peas (fresh or frozen), bell peppers, onion, yellow squash, mushrooms to saute with zucchini
- Swap chickpeas for white beans (to keep it vegan) or add shredded chicken, air fryer salmon bites or cooked shrimp
- Herby addition: add fresh herbs like basil, parsley or dill for even more fresh flavor
- Potatoes: Add roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes to make this even more filling
- Hummus: you can add some hummus to make this even more filling and to add a creamy texture (if making these for meal prep, wait to add the hummus until after reheating).
- Change the dressing: use whatever dressing you have on hand that you love. Some other great options would be creamy cilantro and tahini dressing, tahini balsamic dressing, Italian, Greek, or basil dressing.
Common questions
Can you make this for meal prep?
Yes! This green goddess bowl is perfect for meal prep. You can prep the quinoa, cook the zucchini and assemble the bowls (minus the avocado and green goddess dressing). When you are ready to eat, you can eat cold, at room temperature or warmed up. Add chopped avocado and pour dressing over top before enjoying.
Substitutions
- Quinoa – swap for rice, cauliflower rice, or orzo
- Zucchini – swap for your favorite vegetable
- Chickpeas – swap for white beans or your favorite protein
- Roasted red pepper – omit or use tomatoes
- Green Goddess Dressing – use Italian, Greek or Creamy Basil Dressing
Storing leftovers
Fridge: Store leftover goddess bowls in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. I recommend waiting to cut the avocado until right before serving and wait to add dressing until right before serving if you plan on heating this up when eating leftovers.
If you love quinoa bowls, you should try
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inse the quinoa then add it to the instant pot with water. Cook for 1 minute high pressure, let pressure naturally release for 5-10 minutes then manually release. When quinoa is done cooking, fluff with fork.
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Slice zucchini, cook in a hot pan over medium heat, adding salt, garlic powder and italian seasoning. Cook 5-7 minutes until start to brown.
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Drain and rinse the chickpeas., chop the roasted red peppers.
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Assemble the bowls by adding quinoa, zucchini, chickpeas roasted red peppers, avocado and top with green goddess dressing.
Top tips
- Don’t have an instant pot? You can cook quinoa on the stove (same measurements). Bring quinoa to a boil, then cover and let cook 15 minutes on low heat.
- You can use pre-cooked quinoa or rice (you can usually find it frozen or you can freeze it yourself in advance). There are also some great shelf stable quinoa packs (I love the quinoa mix blend from Thrive Market) that is ready in 60 seconds.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Amount per Serving
Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database.
