Instant Pot Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Lemon Garlic Chicken

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Quite possibly the most amazing bowl of food I've ever devoured!  This Instant Pot Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl loaded to the brim with healthy toppings and topped with a bright Romesco Sauce exceeded my expectations and had me dreaming of leftovers for days!

In my future restaurant, the description for this dish will go a little somethin' like this:

Instant Pot Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl and tangy Lemon Garlic Chicken, smothered in Hummus Sauce with a dollop of Roasted Red Pepper Sauce (AKA Romesco Sauce) and topped with fresh, crunchy vegetables, tangy goat cheese, and delightfully crunchy chickpeas.  All drizzled with a squeeze of lemon.

Tell the truth, would you order it?!

Here is a snapshot of my first taste of this Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl.

FIRST BITE: oooooh, this is good.

SECOND BITE: oh my gosh, THIS IS SO GOOD!

THIRD BITE: At this point I'm out of my chair, giggling and clutching my bowl close and saying to my kids, “do you know how lucky you are to get food like this?  DO YOU!?” and their shaking there heads no and asking what the scary red sauce is . . . so I ignore those little pessimists, turn to my husband with a cute hair toss and a look that says, “Aren't you glad you picked me instead of your high school fling” and I am just on CLOUD NINE with my healthy, heavenly, flavor explosion bowl of quinoa yumminess.

Then my husband says, “ya know, it's not my favorite, kinda weird, probably don't make this one again.”

What the . . .

I didn't talk to him the rest of the night, in fact, he did dishes while I sulked and threw him looks that said, “How could you?”

Well, being the sophisticated grown up that I am, we ate it again the next night, I handed him a bottle of hot sauce and everyone was happy again.

Point of the story, my husband is 100% wrong, wrong, wrong-o on this one and you need to make it and gobble it up with someone who hasn't destroyed their palate with hot sauce.

We're still happily married, no worries.  Thanks to Headspace, I can usually become reasonable again.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS HEALTHY QUINOA BOWL

• Every bite has you giddy for the next in a “wow this is healthy AND tasty!” kind of way, not a “one pop and I can't stop even if I want to stop” Pringles kind of way
• Quinoa and chicken cook up all in the same pot while you prep toppings like a boss
• The Roasted Red Pepper Sauce – it's everything!  Coincidently it also tastes amazing on everything
• Perfectly crunchy, salty Biena Chickpeas, these gems take things to the next level!

HOW TO MAKE A ONE POT QUINOA BOWL

1. Marinate chicken in a flavorful lemon-garlic rub
2. Put the quinoa, broth, and chicken in the pressure cooker pot, set it to cook 1 minute
3. Combine Romesco ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor
4. Blend to desired consistency (I like it mostly smooth, but still with texture from the almonds)
5. Let the pressure in the pot release naturally
6. Stir and fluff the quinoa and chicken, serve and top to your heart's content!

I want to add, I know the ingredient list is long with toppings.  That's because I have no control and I wanted every classic Mediterranean food in my bowl.

This is your bowl!  You top it how you like: with abandon, like I do, or with the bridled maturity of a real adult.  Just don't leave out the Romesco sauce, kay?

If you eat it at my house though, this is how the table spread will go down

MAKINGS OF THE BEST MEDITERRANEAN BOWL EVER!

INSTANT POT LEMON GARLIC CHICKEN

• This marinade/rub is so simple yet it packs a delightful lemon-y garlic punch.  I highly suggest some marinating time, but in a pinch, it can be used right away

ROASTED RED PEPPER SAUCE

• Otherwise known as Romesco Sauce, it is a sweet, salty, roasted tasting sauce traditionally made of roasted red bell peppers (I buy them in a jar) and almonds.  I didn't feel like this sauce needed the olive oil, but if you want to be traditional, add a swirl when blending it together

HUMMUS SAUCE

• I've yet to create my own version of Hummus, but I love Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus, Trader Joes Roasted Garlic Hummus, and this Homemade Hummus.  Thin it with a little water to make it a “sauce”

CRUNCHY CHICKPEAS

• I eat these Biena Sea Salt Chickpeas in my daily chocolate smoothie and Homemade Instant Pot Chocolates.  I never had much luck making my own roasted chickpeas and since I discovered this brand, I won't ever try again.  They are so good!  Try the dark chocolate ones, yum!

MEDITERRANEAN BOWL TOPPINGS

• Now it's your turn to take creative liberty of your bowl.   I will say I consider olives, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, and goat cheese to be non-negotiable

MAKE AHEAD MEALS

• Make sure and prep plenty of toppings!  Once that work is done, you've got an easy lunch/dinner ready to go all week!  If you want to have it prepped and ready right out of the fridge, I HIGHLY recommend these microwavable glass containers with a leak-proof seal

I'm so excited for you to try this!  It is feel-good, healthy, flavorful food at it's finest, and I do believe you'll be dancing around your own kitchen while you eat it!

If you're looking for a simple, basic quinoa, see this post on Instant Pot Quinoa.

Enjoy!

EXTRA TIDBITS

WHAT IS A MEDITERRANEAN DIET?

A Mediterranean diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole grains, herbs and spices, seafood, and extra virgin olive oil.  Poultry, eggs, cheese, and yogurt are eaten in moderation, red meat is rarely eaten, and refined/processed/sugar-sweetened foods are avoided.

Basically, it's lots of fresh flavors, herbs and spices, healthy fats, and in my opinion, the makings of some of the best recipes in the world.

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT MEDITERRANEAN QUINOA BOWL

• Instant Pot
• Roasted Red Bell Peppers
• Pre-rinsed Quinoa
• Biena Sea Salt Chickpeas
• Magimix Food Processor

Instant Pot Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Lemon Garlic Chicken

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Mediterranean Quinoa Bowl with Lemon Garlic Chicken all cooked up in one pot and topped with Dreamy Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 minute
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Entree
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Lemon Garlic Chicken Marinade

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into large bite size pieces

For the Quinoa

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa (rinsed if the package instructs to do so)
• 1 ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
• juice of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt

For Serving (choose your favorites)

• Romesco Sauce (see directions below)
• Hummus (store bought or homemade) thinned with a little hot water to the consistency of a thick salad dressing
• quartered artichoke hearts (I like the jarred, brined ones)
• sliced black or kalamata olives
• chopped cucumber
• halved grape tomatoes
• chopped avocado
• banana pepper rings (from a jar)
• crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
• fresh spinach leaves
• Biena Sea Salt Chickpeas (can substitute with canned chickpeas, but you won’t get that salty crunch)
• lemon wedges

Romesco Sauce – can be made up to 5 days ahead

• 8 ounce tomato sauce
• 1 cup lightly salted, roasted almonds
• 12 ounce bottle of roasted red bell peppers, drained
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients.  Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and marinate for 6-10 hours (can be cooked right away if needed, but marinating the chicken gives it more flavor).
2. After chicken has marinated, place quinoa, chicken broth, lemon juice, and salt in the pressure cooker pot, making sure all of the quinoa is immersed.  
3. Scatter chicken over the quinoa making sure they aren’t clumped together.
4. Secure the lid and turn pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 1 minute.
5. While quinoa is cooking, prepare Romesco Sauce by placing the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.  Taste and add extra salt if desired.
6. When cooking is complete, use a natural release.
7. Stir and fluff chicken and quinoa.
8. To serve, put a scoop of chicken and quinoa in a bowl.  Load it up with toppings, drizzle with hummus, and top with a big scoop of Romesco Sauce. 

Notes

• Romesco Sauce can be made 5 days in advance.  Leftover sauce freezes very well
• Quinoa/chicken mixture also freezes well
• Toppings can be chopped and prepped beforehand to make this a quick and easy meal
• Nutritional information includes chicken and quinoa, facts will vary depending on your toppings

Keywords: instant pot, mediterranean bowl, quinoa bowl

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