We’ve nearly made it through January (!), and I don’t know about you, but my body is still craving vegetable-rich, healthy entrées.
One of my favorite easy, go-to meals is gado-gado – a traditional Indonesian dish we discovered when we went to Bali way back in 2013. The concept is simple: rice topped with raw or lightly steamed veggies and a spicy peanut sauce.
That’s my kind of meal (and you better believe I ate plenty during our trip). Shall we?
Origin of Gado-Gado
Gado-gado is believed to have originated in Jakarta, Indonesia in the 16th century. It’s typically made with vegetables, protein, a nutty sauce, and sometimes rice or rice crackers.
Our inspired version uses the same basic concept, but with a few ingredient swaps. You can find a more authentic preparation of gado gado here.
How to Make Quinoa Gado-Gado
This 30-minute recipe is adapted from my Sweet Potato Gado-Gado Bowl.
In place of rice, I subbed quinoa for even more plant-based protein. For the vegetables, I kept things light and fresh (even omitting the classic steamed potatoes) for green beans, mung bean sprouts, red pepper, carrots, and cabbage.
I didn’t hold out on the sauce though. When in doubt, add more peanut sauce. (That should totally be my life motto.)
Traditionally gado-gado peanut sauce is on the spicier side, so I add plenty of chili garlic sauce. But, if heat isn’t your thing, hold off and keep it on the sweet and tangy side. No judgments here.
I hope you guys love this bowl! It’s:
Healthy
Hearty
Colorful
Nutritious
Satisfying
Quick + Easy
Customizable
& Delicious
This would make the perfect plant-based meal when you’re craving tons of veggies but also plenty of staying powder. Each serving boasts more than 20 grams of protein! And it’s so easy to customize. If you’re needing more carbs, add quartered, steamed baby potatoes. If you’re needing more protein, add my 25-Minute Crispy Tofu! Peanut-sensitive? Sub with another nut or seed butter (options listed below). The possibilities are endless.
Plus, leftovers store and pack beautifully, making it ideal for lunches throughout the week. Total win. And, if you’re looking for even MORE healthy recipes, check out our 12-Recipe Detox Guide (!) – free when you sign up for our email list.
More Quinoa Bowls
- Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Harvest Bowl
- Quinoa Chickpea Buddha Bowl
- Rainbow Quinoa Salad with Chili Garlic Sesame Dressing
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
Quinoa Gado-Gado Bowl (30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
GADO-GADO
- 1/2 cup white or red quinoa (well rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup greens beans (trimmed)
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 3/4 cup mung bean sprouts
- 2/3 cup thinly shredded red cabbage
- 2 whole carrots (thinly sliced with a knife or mandolin)
SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
- 1/3 cup salted creamy peanut butter (or sub almond butter, cashew butter, or sunbutter)
- 1 Tbsp gluten-free tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)
- 2-3 Tbsp maple syrup (to taste)
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp chili garlic sauce (more to taste // 1 Thai red chili, minced // or 1/4 tsp red pepper flake // amounts as original recipe is written)
- 3-4 Tbsp water (to thin)
FOR SERVING optional
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Red pepper flake
Instructions
- Heat a small saucepan over medium heat and add rinsed, drained quinoa. “Toast” for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, to remove excess liquid and add a nutty flavor to the quinoa. Then add water, stir, and bring to a low boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 18-20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Fluff with a fork, remove lid, and set off heat.
- While quinoa is cooking, steam green beans until just tender. You can do this either in the microwave (covered, in 1-minute increments) or by placing green beans in a steamer basket inside a large saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Bring the water to a simmer on medium-high heat, cover, and cook until just tender – about 4 minutes.
- Once steamed, add green beans to a bowl of ice water to “shock” them (stop them from cooking). Set aside.
- Make peanut sauce by adding peanut butter, tamari, maple syrup, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce/Thai chili/red pepper flake to a small mixing bowl and whisking to combine. Then add water 1 Tbsp (15 ml) at a time until a semi-thick but pourable sauce is formed.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more tamari for saltiness, lime juice for acidity, maple syrup for sweetness, or chili garlic sauce/Thai chili/red pepper flake for heat! You want this to be a balance of tangy, sweet, salty, and spicy, so don’t be shy with the seasonings!
- To serve, divide quinoa between 2 serving bowls (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and top with green beans, red bell pepper, mung bean sprouts, and carrots. Serve with peanut sauce and any additional toppings (optional), such as cilantro, lime wedges, and red pepper flake.
- Store leftovers separately in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days (peanut sauce keeps for 1+ week). Best when fresh.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with all of the dressing and without additional toppings (cilantro, lime, etc.).
*To reduce calories/fat, simply cut back the amount of sauce made (i.e. 3 Tbsp (48 g) peanut butter instead of 1/3 cup).
Kathleen says
So delicious and colourful. The peanut sauce is amazing!
Thanks so much, Kathleen! We’re so glad you enjoy this one! xo
Megan says
Yummy! I feel so good after I eat this. Another hit, I didn’t make any changes except to the sauce, I added more chili sauce. Great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Megan! Thanks so much for sharing!
julie says
Hi,
i like peanut sauce but was hoping for a lighter vinegar (or other type) dressing. Any suggestions? I cant wait to try this!
Hi Julie, maybe this one? https://minimalistbaker.com/quick-ginger-garlic-miso-tahini-dressing/
julie says
thanks! ill try it out :)
Kathryn says
YUM!
I used sriracha in the sauce and added a bit of garlic. This was delicious! And easy – a great weeknight meal.
I made 1.5 batch, figuring I’d have leftovers for today’s lunch, but hubby loved it so much we polished off the whole thing. Will have to make a double batch next time!
Julie Ann says
Such a beautiful dish! This has been my survival meal since baby #2 arrived. Rice/ kamut/ quinoa topped with a handful of veggies/ arugula / cabbage and some sort of sauce. I did it know it had a name! Will have to try your peanut sauce next time:)
KATHY GROUNDS says
Hi, Julie would love to know what other sauces you put on your survival meals. Thanks! ❤
Megan says
A quick and easy meal, love the flavors and it’s so colorful!
Margaret Hoekstra says
Making it again tonight. So so good.
Yay!
Margaret says
Made it last night for dinner with the crispy tofu. Was so good. Best recipe ever.
Yay! If you could leave a star review, that would help us out a ton! :)
Bella says
What do I do with the cabbage?
Hi Bella! We like to thinly slice the cabbage for this recipe. Hope this helps!
June says
The cabbage isn’t listed in the paragraph describing the serving and topping of the dish, so I actually forgot it at that point in the process, since I was following along word for word.
Rosa says
Do you think this will work with soba noodles? Imo
It would be different than the original recipe but I think it could work, yes!
Hillary says
I made this the other night and absolutely loved the sauce, as did my fiance. We are moving towards a plant-based diet and this will definitely be a staple. I will be using this sauce on top of many other dishes and as a go-to. Thank you, Dana!
Jeanny says
I’ve made this recipe multiple times when I had guests over and everyone seriously loves it. My non-vegan variation: I added 3 tbsp fish sauce (red boat makes a good quality one, I bought at Whole Foods) and then used water to thin it. Sooo good and better than any peanut sauce I get at Vietnamese restaurants! I use this sauce recipe for spring rolls too. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing your changes to the recipe, Jeanny! Glad you loved it!
Carlene Williams says
So yummy! This is my absolute favorite food blog. Makes me happy :) I couldn’t find sprouts, and I am not a super fan of green beans so I substituted them for your roasted cauliflower (from the taco recipe) and an avocado. Delicious!
Laura Stevenson says
Made this for lunches for the week and was delicious! Decided not to cook the veggies for more crispness and also added a handful of fresh basil, mint, and cilantro to add even more flavour- so yummy!
Heather says
This was super tasty! I didn’t have enough quinoa to say so, but I did have plenty of rice so I subbed rice for the base. I also didn’t have any very exciting veggies in my fridge- I did have celery, lettuce, avocado and carrots. So I threw all that in the bowl w the rice and sauce. So tasty! You could prob put this sauce on anything and it would be delish, tbh. I also added an egg. Hearty dinner! Happy belly!
Michelel says
Awesome just made this the sauce is so delicious and all the fresh vegetables are perfect for summer:) Thanks for the inspiration!!!
Adrienne J says
We’ve been eating YOUR vegan recipes for about 8 months now and your site is my go-to for planning our week of meals. I just made this tonight and my wife and I loved it! We will definitely make it again soon! Thank you for all you do! (By the way we have made MANY recipes from your site and have not come across one we haven’t liked!)
lex says
I made this today and I just used the veggies I had on hand, like dino kale, cucumber, cilantro, and green onion and it was delicious! I also used the crispy tofu recipe and it was amazing! The tofu was perfect, crispy and flavorful. Yum!
Jess says
One word….AWESOME.
Just made it tonight. Easy, fresh, healthy and packed with flavor!
Amanda says
Gado Gado is one of the first things I fell in love with after moving to Indonesia. It’s definitely one of the only consistently vegetarian options! It’s usually served with crispy tofu too, my favorite part.
Alli Barker says
I made this tonight for the first time. I was expecting big things as I love the buddha bowl from this site. and this recipe did not disappoint (and may actually have surpassed the buddha bowl as my favourite). Thanks for a super yummy and nutritious dinner x
Amy says
Omg I made this with the peanut tempeh on top and brown rice instead of quinoa, super winner combo!! The sauce is TO DIE FOR, better than the tofu spring roll sauce from Trader Joe’s (you know what I’m talking about (; )
Also you literally just bake the tempeh and cook the rice, chop the veg, mix the sauce and it’s DONE! Like what!!
Heather says
Oh my goodness, you guys, the sauce! It is soooo good! I could put it on everything. Dana, thank you for another winner!
Ashley says
Very good! I love how fresh this recipe is with the raw veggies. Also, as a busy mom, I love how quick this dish came together.
Robyn G says
The dressing alone for this recipe would have justified a five star rating! However, the fresh and varied combination of toppings, combined with the filling quinoa base, further ensured this recipe’s place in my family’s regular dinner rotation. I didn’t have bean sprouts, so I subbed in some soy-maple glazed mushrooms. Excellent!
Regan Ogilvie says
So good! Added tamari-marinated tofu and green onion. I chopped enough veg and cooked enough quinoa for the week, so I just throw it together every day for lunch. So easy and tasty.
Sandra says
I was skeptical, but this was amazing! Oh Dana, how could I ever doubt you.
Kate says
Never disappointed with your recipes! This one is delicious, the sauce totally makes it. Thanks for sharing.
Taylor Van Antwerp says
Love this recipe. I followed everyone’s advice and sauté the vegetables. We tweaked the peanut sauce a bit due to lack of ingredients but, none the less, this was a fantastic meal. Threw in extra veggies for leftovers today. A keeper! Thanks for sharing!
Karen says
This was absolutely delicious. I didn’t think it was possible to improve on peanut butter but that sauce was divine! Thank you for this recipe. It’ll be a regular feature in our household now.
Susan says
Made this last night – yummy! Doubled the quinoa and probably more than doubled the veggies for our family of 4. No bean sprouts (trying to shop zero waste and can’t buy those without packaging). Glad I read the comments first, too, because giving all the veggies a quick sauté was a great idea. The sauce was just enough as is. Will definitely make again and I loved how colorful it was!
Thanks for sharing, Susan! xoxo
Pam says
I made this Saturday and it was delicious! I have been following the blog for a few months now and I am very impressed. I made the PB&J balls and thought they were so good that now I keep them on hand most of the time. Your crispy tofu method worked great and I added it to the Gado-Gado. I just purchased your cookbook so I can get it “messy” like you suggest.
So kind! Thanks Pam! xoxo
Ellen Lederman says
Superb! Easy to make. So flavorful. And the rainbow of colors.
We didn’t have time to make sprouts, so used cooked adzuki beans as a sub.
And since there’s no place to comment on recipes from your book, I’ll say here that the simple curried carrot and lentil soup is one of the best soups ever! And I do mean ever! So delicious. Just a tad too spicy for me, but that’s my fault since I used heaping Tablespoons of the green curry paste and then added some extra to finish off the can. But definitely worth the burn!
So kind! Thanks Ellen! xoxo
Jon Mumford says
Just made this tonight. We’ve never had gado gado and my wife and I both really enjoyed it. I made a batch of your crispy tofu and mixed it in with the remaining peanut sauce. Fantastic! Will definitely be making again. Thanks a million!
Lauren says
This is one of the most refreshing and tasty meals I have ever made! Definitely a new staple.
lindsey mcilvena says
Thank you so much for your website! I love it so much–always looking through it to get inspiration and new ideas. Your photos are beautiful and your commentary is hilarious, informative, and basically the bomb. Just prepped the peanut sauce for our dinner tonight–this is going to be delish.
On a professional note, thank you again for this resource. I’m a plant-based MD who specializes in Lifestyle Medicine and chronic disease reversal… I send my patients to your website frequently:) drmcilvena.com
So kind! Thanks for the love, praise + referrals! xoxo
Michelle says
So great! As a previous commenter said, you never disappoint. Light, spicy, crisp! We garnished with some peanuts and loved the extra crunch. Could go so many ways with this – thanks for sharing your passion with us!
So kind! Thanks Michelle! xoxo
brian murrell says
made this last night to rave family reviews. absolutely delicious. a nice *fresh* veggie dinner. would be a great hot summer day meal as it’s great served cold. of course, it’s all in the sauce.
this one is another keeper! ab fab! thanks dana!
brian murrell says
btw, i used almond butter due to daughter’s peanut aversion. works great; still delish.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Brian!
Mary says
Did you buy or make the mung sprouts? I have a recipe to make them.
I bought mine but homemade are awesome!
Karissa says
Delicious! I love how colorful and customizable this recipe is! And it is indeed quick to make.
Thanks! I will definitely make this again.
Cristy says
Just made it, and ate it. Then I ate more! After a week of awful food, or eating out, this was just what we needed. So easy, and delicious. My picky 10 year old just yelled out that she likes it too!
I had carrots, green beans, red peppers, and a big handful of raw ‘broccoli slaw’ sitting in the fridge. I added the carrots to the steamer with the beans for the last couple minutes, both were perfectly al dente. My little store didn’t have the bean sprouts or red cabbage. I think many or any veg will work!
So glad I have enough for lunch tomorrow…
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Cristy!
Kristi Jones says
This looks fantastic. I’m planning to use powdered peanut butter, to drop those fat calories down a bit, but I LOVE peanut sauce and quinoa. Thanks for the recipe!
Kristi Jones says
I made this yesterday. As I planned, I used powdered peanut butter, to save on fat, and I used Agave because I had no maple syrup. I also substituted millet for the quinoa (I just prefer millet) and it was very tasty. The only change I think I’ll make next time around will be to saute’ the veggies slightly to tie it together a bit, but overall, delicious! I enjoy your site!
Yay! Thanks for sharing!
MSVCP140 says
:-) OK !
Amy says
This looks delicious! I love a good homemade peanut sauce ♥
Amy
Kimberly says
I made this for dinner this evening……..AMAZING! I stir fried some chicken and shrimp for the kids and my 6 and 8 year old raved about “the best peanut sauce ever!” Thank you for a colorful and delicious recipe! Your sight rocks!!!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing!
G says
Any thoughts on a sub for soy sauce? I can’t have soy or coconut (so no coconut amminos) and I have been searching for a peanut sauce I can actually eat. Love your site with so many yummy recipes!
Michelle says
Tamari sauce :)
Tamari or coconut aminos!
Orgeat Cooperative says
Hey G, I bet you already know that tamari is made with soy :p A savory substitution is to reduce mushroom broth (homemade or storebought, if you can find one without soy) and a splash of sake or mild white wine wayyyyy down.
Deb says
If you’re not vegan you can use a little Asian fish sauce. Start small – it’s very salty but very flavorful! Making an easy broth from dried shitake mushrooms would also be flavorful.
Krista Nugent says
I can’t wait to try this! I went to Bali just back in September and I ate this whenever I could. Thank you for creating this! It looks so fresh and tasty
Elise says
I just ate this dish, and it was deeeeelicious! However, I would’ve prefer if the veggies were slightly cooked, they would be easier to eat. I will clearly do that receipe again, thanks! :)
Thanks Elise!
Lauren says
I’m living in the Pacific Islands and have been a salad eating bender. This will be a perfect addition to my repertoire. The only shame is that peanut butter is $15 a jar ^ – ^ .
Melissa Griffiths says
Lauren- that is so expensive?! Can you get peanuts for a lower cost? You can make peanut butter by throwing peanuts in a blender or food processor (I prefer to use roasted salted peanuts and a drizzle of honey!). That might be a cheaper option for you?
Lauren says
There are local nuts here but not peanuts. An imported 500g packet of peanuts is $25. We usually just wait for relatives to visit with jars of peanut butter to stash.
Andrea Bemis says
“when in doubt, add more peanut sauce.” Yes! This sounds easy, delicious and perfect for a late January meal.
Kathy says
When I saw this post, I got so excited because I have fond memories of eating gado gado in Hawaii long ago. I haven’t had it since…until now! I just made it, and it is simply delicious. I love its simplicity and the vibrant colors and how it tastes so fresh and healthy! Thank you so much for another amazing recipe. You never disappoint!
McKel Hill says
This is such a great idea for a quick dinner! I’ve never tried gado gado but can’t wait to try out your take!
Julia @ HappyFoods Tube says
Spicy peanut sauce? Now that is something I am definitely trying. I like when recipes are customizable like this one and when there is quinoa it’s a winner for me.
Melissa Page Boeshans says
Made this today; sauted the veggies first though, still crisp, but warm. DELICIOUS! My carnivous hubby even liked it! I will adjust some of my ingredients next time; I used a chili garlic sauce that was way to salty/vinegary and took away from the peanuts taste. Next time I will only use Sombal or chili flakes. I have been vegan for years now, but absolutely LOVE your site! I just purchased the 31 day recipe guide and am also wondering if we can get any of the prior versions?! I would love them and would pay for them! Love that you take real food and simply adapt it to be vegan; I do this as well and have been told to blog about too! Really love your recipes! Thank you!
Thanks Melissa! As far as the earlier version of 31 Meals, it’s no longer available! So sorry!
Kayla says
This looks so good! I think I might prefer the other vegetables to be slightly cooked as well though – even if it’s only a tad! Any suggestions on the best way to do that? Would a quick sauté work well?
I would recommend a quick sauté!
Gustavo Woltmann says
It looks so simple and delicious. I love peanut sauce. Thank you for sharing.
– Gustavo Woltmann
jan says
I am very fond of Gado Gado and this recipe looks even better than the version I love thanks to the quinoa and tofu.
I use “Paprika” to save recipes and your format didn’t allow this. Would you reconsider the format?
annette wass says
its got tofu in it? I dont see that in the recipe…
Dani D says
Paprika always works for me on this website! I even saved this recipe specifically last week. Maybe re-load and try again when you get that error?
Robin says
This looks like my new favorite dish.
Dana V. says
Sounds and looks wonderful. Can’t wait to make. But curious how spicy the chili garlic sauce is (never used it before). Will the 1 tsp. make it a mild, medium, or hot spice? Thanks for sharing. :)
Fairly spicy, but also very flavorful. Start with 1/2 tps and go from there!
Rani says
My husband loves peanut sauce (he’s African). I’ll have to try this one. Thanks!
Katherine says
I can’t believe I’ve never heard of this dish! Looks so amazingly simple and delicious
Anna C says
You had me at spicy peanut sauce! Everything is yummy with peanut sauce.
Dana V. says
I agree! :)
Karlie says
I’ve never heard of gado-gado, but this looks amazing !