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mediterranean-chickpea-bowl

Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl

These Mediterranean Chickpea Bowls are loaded with crispy roasted chickpeas, quinoa, fresh veggies, and a creamy tahini sauce. A vibrant, high-protein vegan meal that's perfect for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups chickpeas 2 x 15-ounce cans, drained
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • sprinkle of salt
  • 1/2 cup tahini paste make sure it is stirred
  • 1/4 –1/3 cup water more to desired consistency
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice more to taste
  • 1 –2 tablespoons olive oil optional, feel free to leave it out if you prefer oil-free
  • 2 fresh garlic cloves finely minced – grate it or use a garlic press
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • Optional: add 1-2 teaspoons of Zaatar or 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin and coriander)
  • 4 cups cooked quinoa
  • 1 cup cucumber slice into bite sized pieces
  • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes sliced
  • 1 cup sweet bell peppers chopped
  • 1/2 cup red onions thinly sliced (see notes)
  • 1/2 cup castelvetrano olives or kalamata olives
  • 1/2 cup fresh herbs chopped (a mix is nice-basil, dill, parsley, oregano)
  • optional: pickled peppers like Peperoncinis
  • Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and micro greens if desired

Instructions
 

  • Crispy roasted chickpeas (optional, see notes):
  • Drain and rinse chickpeas. Spread the chickpeas out on a towel-lined baking sheet, gently rub them to dry, and remove any peels. You can opt to peel all the chickpeas; they do tend to crisp up more, or leave them on. Remove towel and place the baking tray in the oven while it preheats, set oven to 350°F. This will dry them out helping them to crisp up fully. Once the oven heats up to temperature, about 20 minutes, remove tray from oven and drizzle chickpeas with olive oil and put tray back in the oven.
  • Roast the chickpeas for 45 minutes, rotating and stirring half way through baking. They should be dry, crispy, and lightly toasted. If not quite done, turn oven off and leave tray in until done. They crisp more while they cool.
  • Toss with seasonings while still warm. Store on the counter at room temperature, uncovered, for a day. If there are any left after this, seal in an airtight container. They are at their finest when freshly baked.
  • Tahini Sauce: Whisk together tahini paste, water, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Adjust to taste, adding more water, lemon, or salt.
  • Assemble Chickpea Bowls: Divide quinoa and chickpeas among the bowls, and arrange cucumbers, tomatoes, bell pepper, onions, and olives. Sprinkle with fresh herbs and generously drizzle with tahini sauce.

Notes

Chickpeas: short on time? Skip the baking- just drain and rinse, and serve cold (or warmed up).
Reheat Chickpeas: They will crisp up a bit when reheated. Airfryer: 300°F for 4 minutes. Oven: 325°F 4-6 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1 bowlCalories: 464Sugar: 5.6 gSodium: 796.9 mgFat: 12.6 gSaturated Fat: 1.6 gCarbohydrates: 72.4 gFiber: 15.4 gProtein: 18.4 gCholesterol: 0 mg