If you’ve been eating oatmeal on autopilot and wondering why you’re hungry again by 10am, this is your answer.
A savory quinoa breakfast bowl is the kind of breakfast that actually keeps you full jammy soft-boiled egg, creamy avocado, sauteed peppers and spinach, all on top of fluffy cooked quinoa. It doesn’t taste like health food. It tastes like a good meal that happens to be breakfast.
Need a quick meal prep bowl for lunch? Try this harvest bowl or this Cava honey harissa chicken recipe.
Quinoa has more protein per serving than oatmeal and a complete amino acid profile, which is why it keeps you satisfied longer. But honestly, the reason to make this is just that it’s really good. The egg yolk breaks over the quinoa, the avocado goes creamy against the chewy grains, the peppers add a little sweetness. This is the breakfast that makes you actually look forward to mornings.
Meal prep it on Sunday and you have breakfast ready for the week in about 20 minutes.
We’ve been stocking up on veggie-packed morning meals lately, like this brussel sprout hash.
Looking for something to feed a crowd? Try breakfast nachos or cheesy breakfast sliders.
Why Quinoa for Breakfast
Why quinoa works better than oatmeal for savory bowls:
Oatmeal is great for sweet breakfasts. For savory, quinoa is the better base it has a naturally nutty, slightly earthy flavor that pairs well with eggs, vegetables, and bold seasonings. One cup of cooked quinoa has about eight grams of protein and all nine essential amino acids, which makes it a more complete protein source than most grains. It cooks in 15 minutes and keeps in the fridge for five days, which makes it genuinely great for meal prep.
Reasons to Love Quinoa Breakfast Bowls
Fast: Make a big batch of quinoa on the weekend and enjoy this healthy breakfast in less than 10 minutes each morning. Our mornings are crazy, so we love having quick meals ready to go (kind of like our pumpkin overnight oats).
Healthy: quinoa bowls are wholesome and nutritious on many levels. It includes qhole foods that are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free.
Filling: balance your blood sugar with dietary fiber, fat, and protein for a filling breakfast to stave off hunger all morning.
Ingredients
The base:
- Quinoa – use any color. White quinoa is fluffiest; red has slightly more chew; tricolor is a good middle ground. Rinse it before cooking to remove the bitter outer coating (saponin).
- Broth or water – cooking quinoa in vegetable or chicken broth instead of water adds a layer of savory depth.
The vegetables:
- Bell peppers – any color, diced. They soften and sweeten in the pan.
- Baby spinach – stirs in at the end and wilts immediately. One big handful per serving.
- Cherry tomatoes – sliced in half, added raw. Juicy and bright against the warm quinoa.
The toppings:
- Jammy soft-boiled egg – six to seven minutes in boiling water, immediately into an ice bath. The yolk should be set on the outside and soft in the center. This is the star of the bowl.
- Avocado – sliced or mashed. The fat in the avocado makes the bowl more satisfying and helps you absorb the fat-soluble vitamins from the spinach.
- Seasoning – salt, pepper, red pepper flakes if you like heat. A drizzle of olive oil or a squeeze of lemon over the top right before serving ties everything together.
Optional additions:
- Crumbled feta or goat cheese
- Roasted chickpeas for crunch
- Everything bagel seasoning
- A drizzle of tahini or hot sauce
- Sauteed mushrooms
How to Make A Soft-Boiled Egg
The runny center of a jammy egg creates a pseudo sauce for these savory quinoa breakfast bowls and brings the whole dish together. We love the method from Bon Appetite because they turn out perfect every time.
Start by bringing a medium to small saucepan of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Carefully lower each egg into the boiling water one at a time using a slotting spoon. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and immediately set the timer for 6 1/2 minutes, Every second counts so pay close attention to the clock.
While they’re simmering, fill a large glass bowl with water and ice. When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to transfer each egg to the ice bath and allow them to cool for 3-4 minutes, until they’re cool enough to handle. Crack the eggs at the wider end, where the air bubble sits, and carefully slice them in half to serve.
How to Make a Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
Here are the step-by-step instructions, with photos, to make a quinoa breakfast bowl. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
Step 1: Cook the quinoa
Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer. Combine with broth or water in a saucepan (1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let it steam, covered, for five minutes. Fluff with a fork. This is the only step that takes any real time — everything else comes together while the quinoa cooks.
Step 2: Soft-boil the eggs
Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Lower the eggs gently into the water and cook for exactly six to seven minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water for at least two minutes. Peel when cooled. Six minutes gives you a very jammy, almost runny yolk. Seven minutes is soft-set. Find your preference.
Step 3: Saute the vegetables
Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the peppers and cook for three to four minutes until softened. Add the spinach and toss just until wilted, about one minute. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4: Assemble
Scoop the quinoa into bowls. Add the sauteed vegetables, sliced avocado, halved egg, and tomatoes. Season the egg with a pinch of flaky salt. Drizzle a little olive oil or squeeze of lemon over everything. Eat immediately, or refrigerate the components separately for meal prep.
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Meal Prep Section
This is a genuinely great meal prep breakfast. Here’s how to do it:
- Cook a big batch of quinoa on Sunday. Four cups of dry quinoa makes eight to ten servings. It keeps in the fridge for five days.
- Saute the vegetables in bulk and store separately from the quinoa.
- Soft-boil the eggs for the week. Unpeeled soft-boiled eggs keep in the fridge for up to five days. Peel right before eating.
- Keep avocado separate until serving — it browns quickly.
- Assembly each morning: quinoa + vegetables (reheat in the microwave for 60 to 90 seconds) + fresh avocado + cold egg + toppings. Actual assembly time: about three minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes and it’s underused as a breakfast ingredient. It has more protein than oatmeal, a complete amino acid profile, and a naturally nutty flavor that works well for both sweet and savory preparations. It also has a lower glycemic index than most breakfast grains, which means a more gradual energy release rather than a spike and crash.
Yes. Cook the quinoa and sauteed vegetables ahead and store them separately in the fridge for up to five days. Soft-boil eggs for the week and peel them when ready to eat. Add fresh avocado and tomatoes at serving time.
The egg is the primary protein here, and quinoa itself contributes. For more protein, add crumbled feta, a dollop of Greek yogurt on the side, roasted chickpeas, or a strip of cooked turkey bacon. The bowl as written has approximately 18 to 20 grams of protein per serving.
Depends on what you want. If you want sweet and warm, oatmeal is great. If you want savory, high-protein, and filling with more versatility, quinoa is the better base. Quinoa has more protein and a more complete amino acid profile. Both are genuinely good breakfasts.
Yes. Sauteed mushrooms, roasted sweet potato, kale, or zucchini all work well. Use whatever you have. The structure is the same: cooked quinoa, sauteed veg, jammy egg, creamy topping.
Yes, naturally. Quinoa is gluten-free.
Recipe Variations
Different veggies: not in the mood for peppers? Try mushrooms, zucchini or brussel sprouts.
Toppings: get creative and top them with chia seeds for extra fiber, everything bagel seasoning for flavor or hot sauce for spice.
Don’t like soft-boiled eggs? make a fried egg instead and still enjoy the runny texture as the sauce
Swap the baby spinach: Use baby kale instead
Storage Instructions
You can eat this recipe hot or cold, making it perfect to meal prep. For a warm, runny egg, make each component, except for the eggs, ahead of time then boil the eggs and serve in the morning. Alternatively, make everything from start to finish, except slicing the avocado, and store individual portion sizes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Top with sliced avocado before serving.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More Savory Breakfast Recipes
- Bacon and brussel sprout hash
- Steak and potato breakfast hash
- Sheet pan breakfast hash
- blueberry breakfast casserole
- Breakfast sliders
Quinoa Breakfast Bowl
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Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 3 cups baby spinach roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 avocados sliced
- 4-6 eggs
- Toppings: hemp seeds, everything bagel seasoning, or hot sauce
Instructions
- Make the quinoa according to the package directions if you haven’t already. For more flavor cook your quinoa in vegetable broth.
- While it’s cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add the red pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes, until soft. Add another tablespoon of olive oil then add the spinach and cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach is wilted, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cooked quinoa and salt to the pan with the veggies and toss well. If you’re using leftover quinoa or pre-cooked quinoa, toss well until it’s heated all the way through. If you just made it, it should still be warm.
- To make the soft-boiled eggs, use the same saucepan as the quinoa (if applicable). Add the eggs to a saucepan and cover completely with warm water. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a rolling boil over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes (10 minutes if you don’t want them runny). Remove the eggs from the water and run them under cold water until they’re cool to the touch. Remove the shell then slice in half lengthwise.
- Add the quinoa mixture to a serving bowl and top with avocado, sliced tomatoes, and prepared eggs. Sprinkle with more salt, everything bagel seasoning, hemp seeds or more salt, if desired.
Notes
Video
Equipment
- Skillet
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I have made countless recipes from Pinterest and never loved one so much that I took the time to leave a review. This is a delicious breakfast that I could eat literally every day. Thank you for sharing it!