I love me some Sweetgreen. What I love even more is when I find how to hack Sweetgreen’s dressings and create something just as good at home. I give you Creamy Sesame Tahini Quinoa Bowls. They’re sweet and spicy, while also filling and oh-so-hearty thanks to the quinoa and chicken. The Creamy Sesame Dressing is a blend of tahini and sesame oil adding a savory, umami kick to tie things together.
Ingredients (serves 4).
For the Bowl:
- 1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1/2 c shredded carrots
- 4 T dried unsweetened cranberries
- 4 c spinach
- 2 c cooked chicken breast, chopped
- 1 c quinoa, cooked
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Creamy Sesame Dressing (makes 6-8 T):
- 1/8 c nonfat plain Greek yogurt
- 1 T tahini
- 1 t agave
- 1 t toasted sesame oil
- 1 T reduced sodium soy sauce
- Dash of cayenne
- 2-4 T warm water
Directions.
- Warm the quinoa and chicken, assuming you prepped ahead of time. If not,
- Cook quinoa according to package directions.
- Lightly season chicken with salt and pepper and bake at 350º F until internal temp is 165º F and juices run clear.
- Place sweet potato in a microwavable container. Microwave for 1.5-2 min to steam and cook potatoes. Carefully remove from heat, watching for the steam.
- Alternatively, you can roast these in the oven, but I went for the fastest, most convenient cooking method.
- For the dressing, combine all ingredients and mix well. Add warm water as needed to help thin the dressing.
- Measure out 1 c spinach, 1/4 c warmed quinoa, 3 oz cooked chicken (about 1/2 c of chopped chicken), 1/8 c shredded carrots, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 of cooked sweet potato and 1 T of cranberries. Drizzle with 2 T of dressing and red pepper flakes (optional).
- Enjoy!
Nutrition for 1 bowl with 2 T of dressing.
396 calories • 15.2 g fat (31%) • 44.8 g carbs (40%) • 32.1 g protein (29%) • 12.3 g fiber • 11.2 g sugar
Nutrition for 2 T of dressing.
47 calories • 3.4 g fat (63%) • 2.7 g carbs (23%) • 1.7 g protein (14%) • 0.6 g fiber • 1.6 g sugar
* These are estimates based off specific products I used and how I entered ingredients in a fitness tracker. This is completely subjective and used to give a rough nutritional estimate.