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Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Peppers and Kale

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with turmeric, sautéed bell peppers, onion, and kale, topped with a runny egg and avocado – a well-rounded superfood paleo breakfast to keep you energized and on track throughout the day.

This post is sponsored by Thrive® Culinary Algae Oil.

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Peppers and Kale | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #breakfast #paleo #glutenfree #recipe

How do you feel about a savory quinoa for breakfast?! 

I’ve been a big savory breakfast eater for the past decade and a half, and I can tell you without hesitation that these breakfast bowls are loaded with an amazing amount of micronutrients with a decent macronutrient balance.

In the five years I’ve been blogging, I’ve watched various products and types of foods go in and out of fashion (goodbye cookie butter, red velvet everything, and cake pops; hello chia seeds, turmeric, and matcha) including the subset of oil.

Within the health and nutrition world, the jury on oil has been pretty convoluted within the last few years.

When I first began blogging, the country was just drizzling a little olive oil on it, much like the father from My Big Fat Greek Wedding was spraying everything with Windex.

The olive oil craze moved to grapeseed oil, moved to coconut oil, and now the health community is saying, “ixnay on the oilay!” altogether, as high amounts of saturated fat have been linked with colon cancer and heart disease.

As is true with most topics in our country, we’re very much all or nothing people, then we kick ourselves later for going to such extremes.

There is now plenty of evidence to conclude dietary cholesterol does not contribute to high cholesterol, and eating plenty of fat is more beneficial than going too low in fat.

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Peppers and Kale | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #breakfast #paleo #glutenfree #recipe

The upside to the madness is we’re paying more attention to our food intake than ever before, and we’re cognizant of the effect said food has on our bodies.

When it comes to oil, everyone has their immediate go-to’s, either for health reasons, convenience, or affordability.

I, for one, go in the direction of health regardless of price tag or level of convenience. Which brings me to the topic of this blog post: algae oil.

If you haven’t tried it, algae oil is a great high-temperature cooking oil that won’t burn during roasting or sautéing. Don’t worry if you don’t have access to algae oil – you can easily replace it with avocado oil or olive oil.

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Peppers and Kale | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #breakfast #paleo #glutenfree #recipe

Let’s talk quinoa.

I added some ground turmeric and fresh ginger to the pot while the quinoa was steaming to infuse some health benefits and flavor into the mix.

One of my secrets to achieving the ultimate fluffy quinoa is adding oil during the cooking process. So in this case, I added some Thrive® Algae Oil to ensure the quinoa turned out nice and tender with tasty flavor.

Once it was finished cooking, I added some nutritional yeast to boost the flavor – if you don’t have any on-hand, no big deal. The quinoa will still be great without it. You can always add cheese if you don’t eat a vegan diet.

Side note #1: turn this into a savory breakfast porridge by cooking the quinoa in 3 cups of vegetable broth versus 2 and/or drizzling warm coconut milk over the quinoa just before serving.

Side note #2: if quinoa doesn’t sit pretty with your digestive system, you can make this recipe using your favorite type of rice (or grain like barley or faro if you aren’t gluten-intolerant).

Topping this quinoa is a sautéed onion, pepper, and kale situation with a sunny side up egg (or poached or fried) for protein, and some avocado for yum. All things combined awards you a well-rounded breakfast that will keep you satisfied for days…okay, hours.

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Peppers and Kale | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #breakfast #paleo #glutenfree #recipe

The best part of waking up is… nutritious food in your breakfast bowl. Just bowl with it…I mean roll with it…I mean…

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Peppers and Kale | TheRoastedRoot.net #healthy #breakfast #paleo #glutenfree #recipe

Savory Quinoa Breakfast Bowls with Peppers and Kale

Savory breakfast quinoa with peppers, eggs, and avocado is a lovely way to start the day!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
3 Servings

Ingredients

For the Quinoa:

  • 2 cups vegetable broth, see note*
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • 1 tablespoon Thrive Algae Oil**
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Toppings:

  • 2 tablespoons Thrive Algae Oil**
  • 1 small yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 green bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
  • 1 head kale, chopped
  • 2 eggs, Sunnyside up
  • 1/2 large avocado, sliced

Instructions

Prepare the Quinoa:

  • Bring 2 cups of vegetable broth (or water) to a boil. Add the quinoa, algae oil, turmeric, ginger, lemon zest, and sea salt and return to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates, about 12 to 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork, cover and allow it to sit another 5 minutes. Add the nutritional yeast and stir well. Taste quinoa for flavor and add sea salt and/or a drizzle of lemon juice to taste.

Prepare the Toppings:

  • Heat the algae oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the peppers and continue sauteeing, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened but are still al dente, about 5 to 8 minutes.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the chopped kale leaves to the skillet and cover. Cook until kale has wilted, about 2 minutes. 
  • Prepare the breakfast bowls by dividing the quinoa between two bowls, followed by the sauteed onions, peppers, and kale. Top each bowl with 1 to 2 sunnyside up (or fried) eggs, along with a few slices of avocado. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

*You can also use water or chicken broth instead of vegetable broth
**Replace the algae oil with avocado oil or olive oil.
Make this a low FODMAP meal by omitting the onion

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving - Calories: 432kcal - Carbohydrates: 59g - Protein: 15g - Fat: 19g - Fiber: 10g - Sugar: 6g
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: healthy breakfast recipes, porridge recipes, quinoa porridge, quinoa recipes, savory quinoa breakfast bowls, turmeric recipes
Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 432kcal
Author: Julia
Recipe Rating




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Joanne Bruno

Tuesday 21st of March 2017

Well, controversy notwithstanding I shall be an olive oil-believer until the day I die...probably because my grandparents lived into their late 90s living on Italian food alone! However, I am definitely open to adding new oils to my repertoire. I have honestly never seen algae oil out there in the world but now I'm definitely going to be looking for it!

Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health

Wednesday 15th of March 2017

I get so overwhelmed with food trends too. I think as long as we are avoiding processed foods and eating plenty of plants then all is right in the world.

But I also think there is something to be said for saturated fat and heart disease. The SAD includes meat at virtually every meal, some cheese, processed foods with oil and barely any fiber. It's a heart attack waiting to happen! With that in mind, I appreciate that Thrive offers an alternative for those who are already sick and trying to get better or are genetically predisposed to heart disease. I also love that it has a high smoke point and am really impressed with the neutral flavor too.

These bowls look incredible! I love that you included so many veggies and turmeric spiced quinoa. Yes please!!

Ashley@CookNourishBliss

Wednesday 15th of March 2017

Seriously - the rate at which trends come and go is crazy!! haha But anyway, I am loving the sound of these bowls! I've yet to use algae oil but I am super intrigued!

marcie

Wednesday 15th of March 2017

I'll pay more for quality, healthy ingredients -- you can't put a price on that where I'm concerned. And I love Thrive! I've been using it since late last year and am hooked on that light neutral flavor. These breakfast bowls are packed with ingredients to start the day of right, and I'd gladly eat them for any meal of the day!

Julia

Wednesday 15th of March 2017

I'm in the same boat - I definitely believe you are what you eat, so mindfully consuming quality ingredients is a wise choice. I'm so glad you're a fellow Thrive lover and that you like the bowls! We've been enjoying them for dinner as well ;)

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