Sausage, Kale, & Sweet Potato Quinoa

Sweet potatoes, chicken apple sausage, and kale combine to form one of the best and easiest quinoa bowl recipes.  All of the ingredients are cooked in one pot, or skillet, to make a healthy recipe that is full of sage and savory Fall flavors!

Want other healthy quinoa bowl recipes?  You might also enjoy these other ideas: Thai Peanut Quinoa Salad, Sweet Potato Broccoli Quinoa Bowl, and this Vegan Quinoa Salad with Oranges.

Fall-Inspired Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls

With Fall just around the corner, sweet potatoes, apple, sage, and pumpkin are definitely on the brain!

So in an effort to bring Fall flavors to the plate, this quick and easy quinoa bowl recipe was born.

(Because the season is DEFINITELY not reflected in the hot Texas temps yet!)

Not only is it full of subtle apple and sage flavors, but it is also super easy to throw together for those busy back-to-school Fall days.

One-Pot Wonders!

One-pot and one-skillet meals are an absolute lifesaver when weeknights get a little hectic.

There’s no need to pull out a gazillion pots or pans and cleanup is an absolute breeze.

It’s also super easy to meal prep these ingredients ahead of time so you can have it ready to eat in a jiff!

Ingredients

The ingredients needed for this Fall quinoa bowl recipe are pretty easy-to-find in most grocery stores.  There are also a few substitutions you can make if you do not have the below on hand:

• Sweet Potatoes – These brightly colored orange potatoes not only give a wonderful color to this dish but also a subtle sweetness to this dish. (There are a ton more Sweet Potato Recipes to explore, too!)
• Sweet Onion – A red or white onion can also be used.
• Sausage – Read below to find out more information about the best type to use.
• Chicken Broth – Water mixed with “Better than Bouillon” chicken base can also be used in place of chicken broth.
• Quinoa – There are a few different types you can use in this recipe.  Find out more information below.
• Kale – Feel free to substitute with other greens such as spinach or collard greens.
• Sage – Ground sage gives a large majority of the earthy flavor to this dish.  If you must, you can substitute dried rosemary or sage.

Best Type of Sausage

The inspiration behind this recipe actually came after eating a link of Aidell’s Chicken & Apple sausage.

It has a subtle sweetness from the apple, a nice earthy flavor from some herbs and spices, and is also free of antibiotics and artificial ingredients!

If you have trouble finding this particular chicken sausage, you can always substitute with another type (Applegate also makes a great chicken and apple sausage!) or use regular pork sausage instead.

What Color Quinoa?

There are numerous types of quinoa ranging from tri-color, red, or the traditional white quinoa.

While they all tout loads of nutritional benefits, the tri-color quinoa definitely is the most eye-catching to use in this recipe.

However, if you can only find white quinoa, it will still taste amazing!

Cook’s Tip: No matter what color you get, make sure you RINSE and DRAIN the quinoa thoroughly through a fine mesh strainer before cooking for the best results.

How to Make

This easy skillet recipe is super easy to make and only requires a few extra steps beyond simply cooking quinoa on the stovetop.

1. Sear sausage in a large skillet or shallow pot over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet.
2. Sauté onion until tender.  Add garlic and continue to sauté for an additional minute.
3. Push onion and garlic to the side of the pan and add the sweet potatoes.  Cook for 5 minutes or until potatoes begin to soften.
4. Stir in chicken broth, quinoa, sage, paprika, and salt.
5. Cover the pot with a lid and reduce heat to low.
6. Cook quinoa for 20-25 minutes or until it is light and fluffy.
7. Stir in chopped kale and add sausage back to the skillet.  Heat up for 3-5 minutes.

Variations to Try

Don’t have all of the ingredients on hand?  Or perhaps you just want to change it up a bit?

There are numerous ways you can tweak this recipe to your taste or dietary preference:

• Are you vegan or vegetarian?  Simply leave out the sausage or substitute for vegan sausage and use a vegetable broth instead.
• Don’t have sweet potatoes?  Butternut squash would also taste great in this recipe.
• Ran out of ground sage?  Dried rosemary or thyme will substitute well.
• Have kiddos?  Add the kale in after serving them their portion.
• On a Whole30 or Paleo diet?  Use a Paleo and Whole30 compliant chicken apple sausage.

Meal Prepping Tips

This dish can be meal prepped ahead of time and pulled out on a busy weeknight.

If meal prepping, simply dice the red onion and cut the sweet potatoes into cubes and store separately in the refrigerator.

You can also go as far as cooking the sausage and storing it until ready to use.  (Just make sure to cook the recipe within 1-2 days of cooking it!)

FAQs

What is the best way to store this recipe?

If you think you are going to have some leftover, store the quinoa mixture in the refrigerator before adding in the kale.  Add in the kale just before serving the leftovers.

How long will this recipe last in the refrigerator?

This recipe will last in an airtight container up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze this quinoa bowl recipe?

Yes!  You can freeze this recipe for up to 4-6 months.  However, do not add the kale until it has been defrosted for the best texture.

Other Healthy Quinoa Recipes

Sweet Potato Black Bean Burger with Quinoa

Black Bean & Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers

Nutty Oatmeal Quinoa Granola Bars

Summer Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Tap stars to rate!

4.29 from 21 votes

Sausage, Kale, & Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl Recipe

Sweet potatoes, chicken apple sausage, and kale combine to form one of the best and easiest quinoa bowl recipes.  All of the ingredients are cooked in one pot, or skillet, to make a healthy quinoa recipe that is full of sage and savory Fall flavors!

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Yield 4 servings

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 35 minutes mins

Total 45 minutes mins

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• ▢ 6 oz. chicken apple sausage cut into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1 small sweet onion finely diced
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic crushed
• ▢ 1 medium sweet potato cut into ½-inch cubes
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup tri-color quinoa rinsed and drained
• ▢ 2 ¼ cup chicken broth*
• ▢ ¾ tsp. salt to taste
• ▢ ¼ tsp. paprika
• ▢ ½ tsp. sage ground
• ▢ 2 cups kale finely chopped

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Instructions 

• In a large skillet over medium heat add 1 tablespoon of oil with the cut sausage. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until sausage is seared.
• Remove sausage from the skillet and place on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Add remaining oil to the skillet with diced red onion and saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in crushed garlic and continue cooking over medium heat for 1 minute.
• Push onion and garlic to one side of the skillet and add in cubed sweet potato. Cook for 5-6 minutes over medium heat, or until potatoes begin to soften. (They do not need to be completely cooked through yet!)
• Mix in quinoa, broth, salt, paprika, and ground sage. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low.
• Simmer quinoa for 20-25, or until fluffy and cooked through.
• Add sausage back to the skillet along with the chopped kale. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until sausage is heated through. Serve and enjoy!

Tap stars to rate!

4.29 from 21 votes

Notes

• Aidell's has the best chicken apple sausage and is what was used in this recipe.
• Water can be used in place of the chicken broth along with 1 teaspoon of "Better than bouillon" chicken base.
• Make sure you RINSE and DRAIN the quinoa thoroughly through a fine mesh strainer for the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 30mg, Sodium: 1325mg, Potassium: 801mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 11729IU, Vitamin C: 54mg, Calcium: 119mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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