Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl (Printable)

A vibrant bowl with spiced chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and creamy tahini dressing for a wholesome lunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chickpeas

01 - 2 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 2 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp ground cumin
04 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
07 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Fresh Vegetables

08 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
09 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
10 - 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
11 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
12 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
13 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

→ Grains

14 - 2 cups cooked quinoa or brown rice (optional)

→ Tahini Dressing

15 - 1/4 cup tahini
16 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
17 - 1 tbsp olive oil
18 - 1 clove garlic, minced
19 - 2 to 3 tbsp water (to thin)
20 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Garnishes

21 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional, omit for vegan)
22 - Lemon wedges

# How To Make It:

01 - Set oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for roasting chickpeas.
02 - Pat chickpeas dry with paper towels. In a bowl, combine chickpeas with olive oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
03 - Arrange chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until golden and crisp.
04 - While chickpeas roast, halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slice red onion, pit and slice olives, and chop parsley. Set all aside.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and water until smooth and slightly runny. Adjust water quantity as needed.
06 - Distribute cooked quinoa or brown rice evenly into four bowls if using. Layer with roasted chickpeas, prepared vegetables, olives, and parsley.
07 - Drizzle each bowl with tahini dressing, sprinkle crumbled feta if desired, and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Roasted chickpeas replace the need for meat, getting golden-crispy edges that make you forget you're eating vegetables.
  • The tahini dressing is silky enough to make everything taste intentional, even when you're just throwing things together.
  • It comes together in 30 minutes but tastes like you planned it all morning.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the chickpeas—I learned this the hard way after making a batch that steamed instead of roasted, and they stayed stubbornly soft no matter how long I left them in.
  • The tahini dressing breaks if you add water all at once; whisk it in slowly and it stays silky.
  • This bowl is best eaten fresh, but you can store everything separately and assemble five minutes before eating.
03 -
  • Make extra roasted chickpeas and eat them as a snack straight from the fridge; they're addictive.
  • If your tahini is old or separated, stir in a tablespoon of lemon juice before making the dressing—it brings it back to life.
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