“It’s Complicated” Golden Hour Quinoa Bowl
🌿 Nancy Meyers Aesthetic, Made Vegan
There’s a dreamy dinner scene in It’s Complicated — the one where Meryl Streep’s character gathers her family around a glowing table, sharing laughs, vegetables fresh from her garden, and effortless, elegant dishes that feel like home. That moment is the blueprint for this bowl: rustic but refined, full of color and texture, and made with ingredients you can imagine harvesting just steps from the kitchen. It’s the kind of meal you’d picture her making barefoot in her sun-soaked Santa Barbara kitchen, linen apron on, jazz humming softly in the background.
🥗 What’s Inside
Roasted carrots – caramelized, earthy, and golden
Crispy chickpeas – protein-packed with a savory crunch
Fresh arugula + basil – peppery and fragrant
Thinly sliced radishes – crisp and cooling
Toasted pumpkin seeds – nutty and grounding
Fluffy quinoa – hearty enough for a main dish
Sweet mustard vinaigrette – tangy, bright, and lightly sweet
It’s not fussy. It’s flavorful. And it’s exactly the kind of thing you’d serve in a wide ceramic bowl at a rustic wood table, surrounded by lavender, good bread, and better conversation.
🍴 Full Recipe
Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup carrots, sliced and roasted
½ cup chickpeas, roasted or pan-crisped
1 large handful arugula
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2–3 radishes, thinly sliced
2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp maple syrup or agave
2 tbsp olive oil — I use Graza drizzle finishing oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss carrots and chickpeas with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 20–25 minutes until golden and crisp.
While roasting, whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients.
In a large serving bowl, layer quinoa, roasted veggies, arugula, basil, radishes, and pumpkin seeds.
Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.
💚 Why It Feels Like It’s Complicated
A grain bowl that doubles as a full, beautiful meal
Bursting with seasonal garden flavors
Balanced, feel-good, and visually stunning
The kind of dish you serve barefoot, with a glass of wine and the people you love
📌 Save this recipe for your next dinner party, meal prep moment, or night when you want a little Nancy Meyers magic in your kitchen.
✨ Nancy Meyers Aesthetic, Made Vegan continues next week — because feel-good food and dreamy kitchens deserve to be plant-based.
Let me know in the comments what you think — or tag @kellysgreenkitchen_ on Instagram so I can see your version!
