Mediterranean Meal Bowl (Printable Version)
A vibrant bowl featuring grains, chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and lemon-tahini dressing.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa or brown rice
02 - 2 cups water
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
→ Protein
04 - 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
07 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
→ Fresh Vegetables
09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
11 - 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
12 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
13 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional, omit for vegan)
→ Greens & Herbs
14 - 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
15 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
→ Lemon-Tahini Dressing
17 - 1/4 cup tahini
18 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
19 - 2 tablespoons water
20 - 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
21 - 1 garlic clove, minced
22 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
23 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# Directions:
01 - Rinse quinoa or brown rice under cold water. In a medium saucepan, combine with water and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes for quinoa or until tender for brown rice. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
02 - Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chickpeas, smoked paprika, ground cumin, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes until chickpeas become lightly crispy. Remove from heat.
03 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl until smooth. Add additional water if needed to achieve pourable consistency.
04 - Divide cooked grains among four serving bowls. Layer with baby spinach or mixed greens, sautéed chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese if using.
05 - Drizzle lemon-tahini dressing evenly over each bowl. Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and mint. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.
# Top Tips:
01 -
- It comes together in 40 minutes, which means you can go from hungry to satisfied without losing your mind.
- Every component tastes vibrant on its own, but somehow tastes even better when you eat them all together in one spoonful.
- The leftovers actually get better after a day in the fridge, making it the perfect meal prep moment.
02 -
- Don't mix the dressing into the bowl right away—let people drizzle their own amount, because everyone has different tahini opinions.
- If you're meal prepping, keep the greens and dressing separate until you eat it, otherwise everything wilts into sadness by day two.
- The chickpeas really do need that moment in the skillet; boiling them doesn't give you the same satisfaction.
03 -
- Toast your tahini jar before opening it by running it under hot water for 30 seconds—it loosens up the tahini and makes whisking easier.
- If your dressing breaks and looks grainy, you probably added the lemon juice too fast; start fresh and whisk the tahini with water first, then add lemon slowly.