This pumpkin chickpea quinoa bowl is a warm salad built on maple-roasted pumpkin, fluffy quinoa, chickpeas and baby spinach that wilts right into the hot grains, all tossed in a creamy avocado balsamic dressing. It's a cozy, high protein pumpkin salad (about 27 grams of protein per bowl) that eats like a full meal, and it's vegan, gluten-free and oil-free too.
Why You'll Love This High Protein Pumpkin Salad
Most people picture a salad as a bowl of lettuce with a few nuts and seeds that leaves you hungrier than when you started. This one is the opposite. Because the quinoa and pumpkin go in hot, it's really a warm salad served in a bowl: comforting like a grain bowl, fresh like a salad, and filling enough for dinner.
The quinoa and chickpeas bring plenty of plant-based protein and fiber, which makes it a great refuel after a workout. The roasted pumpkin adds sweetness and a seasonal touch, and the avocado dressing coats everything without a drop of oil. It also keeps well, so one batch covers several lunches.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pumpkin. Use a sweet, dense cooking pumpkin like sugar pie pumpkin, kabocha, red kuri squash or Jarrahdale. Skip carving pumpkins, which are watery and bland. Butternut squash is an easy swap.
- Maple syrup. A tablespoon of pure maple syrup helps the pumpkin caramelize. Agave or brown rice syrup work the same way.
- Quinoa. White, red or tri-color quinoa all work. Rinse it first to remove any bitterness. You'll need about 1 ½ cups cooked if you're using leftovers.
- Chickpeas. Home-cooked or canned chickpeas (one 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed). White beans are a good substitute.
- Baby spinach. It's stirred in at the end so the heat of the quinoa and pumpkin just wilts it. Baby kale or arugula work too.
- Carrot, red onion and green peas. Carrot ribbons add crunch, red onion adds bite, and frozen peas (just thawed) add little pops of sweetness.
- Avocado balsamic dressing. Mashed avocado, balsamic vinegar and fresh garlic make a creamy, tangy dressing with no oil. Lemon juice can stand in for the balsamic.
- Walnuts. Optional, but chopped walnuts add crunch and healthy fats. Pecans or pumpkin seeds work too.
Tips for the Best Pumpkin Quinoa Bowl
Cut the pumpkin evenly. Aim for ¾-inch cubes so every piece is tender at the same time. Peel with a sharp knife or a sturdy vegetable peeler, and use the same peeler to shave the carrot into ribbons.
Give the pumpkin room to roast. Spread the cubes in a single layer on a sheet lined with parchment paper and flip them halfway. Crowded pumpkin steams instead of browning, and those caramelized edges are where the flavor is.
Cook the quinoa while the pumpkin roasts. Simmer rinsed quinoa with twice its volume of water for 15 minutes, then let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes before fluffing. That resting time is what makes it light instead of mushy, and both parts finish at about the same time.
Add the spinach while everything is hot. Toss the baby spinach with the warm quinoa and pumpkin for about a minute. It wilts just enough to soften without turning soggy, which is what makes this a warm salad rather than a cold one.
Mash the avocado well. A smooth dressing coats every grain. If your avocado is a little firm, add a splash of water or extra balsamic to loosen it, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Variations
- Use squash instead. Butternut, acorn or delicata squash roast the same way. Our guide on how to roast butternut squash covers the prep.
- Swap the beans. Try white beans, black beans or cooked green or brown lentils in place of the chickpeas. Each one keeps the protein high.
- Make it a grain bowl. Use farro, brown rice or couscous instead of quinoa, and arrange the pumpkin, chickpeas and greens in sections over the grains, with the dressing on top. Our guide to building a perfect meal bowl has more ideas.
- Add some spice. Toss the pumpkin with smoked paprika, cumin or a pinch of chili flakes before roasting.
- Change the dressing. A lemon tahini dressing works in place of the avocado and keeps better if you're packing lunches.
- Make it vegetarian. Not vegan? Crumbled feta or goat cheese is great on top.
Serving Ideas
This bowl is a complete meal on its own, with protein, whole grains and plenty of vegetables. Serve it warm for a cozy fall dinner, or pair it with a cup of roasted pumpkin soup if you're feeding a hungry crowd.
It's also one of my favorite meal prep lunches. Roast the pumpkin and cook the quinoa on Sunday, divide the base between glass meal prep containers, and add the spinach and freshly mashed avocado dressing each morning. Eat it cold as a salad, or warm the base for a minute before adding the toppings. Our vegan meal prep guide has more tips for planning a week of lunch bowls.
Storing & Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you can, keep the avocado dressing separate and make it fresh, since mashed avocado darkens after a day. Leftovers are good cold, or warm them in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes before stirring in fresh spinach and dressing.
Don't freeze the finished bowl, because the avocado, spinach and raw vegetables turn watery once thawed. You can freeze the roasted pumpkin and cooked quinoa separately for up to 3 months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, reheat until warm, and then add the fresh ingredients.
More Pumpkin and Quinoa Recipes
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy (plus our full list of easy vegan pumpkin recipes):
- Roasted Pumpkin Quinoa Salad with Lime & Chili
- Moroccan Butternut Squash Stew with Chickpeas
- Quinoa and Tempeh with Tomato Sauce
- Falafel Bowl
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ lb pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾-inch cubes (about 4 cups)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup quinoa, uncooked, rinsed
- 1 cup water
- 1 ½ cups chickpeas, cooked (or one 15-oz can, drained and rinsed)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into ribbons*
- ½ medium red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup green peas, frozen, thawed
- 2 cups baby spinach, lightly packed
- 1 medium avocado, ripe
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2-3 tablespoon chopped walnuts, optional, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, toss the cubed pumpkin with the maple syrup, garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of the salt and the black pepper until evenly coated. Spread it out in a single layer on the baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the pumpkin is fork-tender and caramelized at the edges.
- While the pumpkin roasts, add the rinsed quinoa and water to a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Take the pan off the heat, leave it covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Make the dressing: in a small bowl, mash the avocado with the balsamic vinegar, minced garlic and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt until mostly smooth.
- Add the warm quinoa to a large bowl with the chickpeas, peas, carrot ribbons and red onion. Fold in the hot roasted pumpkin, then add the baby spinach and toss gently for about a minute, until the heat from the quinoa and pumpkin just wilts the leaves.
- Stir in the avocado dressing and season with more salt and pepper to taste. Divide between two bowls, top with the chopped walnuts and serve warm. (Or chill for an hour and serve it as a cold salad.)
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