Quinoa Chickpea Bowl (Printable Version)
Fluffy quinoa and crispy roasted chickpeas topped with fresh veggies and lemon-tahini dressing.
# What You Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water
03 - Pinch of kosher salt
→ Legumes
04 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Vegetables
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1 cucumber, diced
12 - 1 medium carrot, shredded
13 - 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
14 - 2 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
→ Lemon-Tahini Dressing
15 - 1/4 cup tahini
16 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
17 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
18 - 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
19 - 1 garlic clove, minced
20 - 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or agave nectar
21 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
→ Garnish
22 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
23 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
24 - Lemon wedges
# Directions:
01 - Rinse quinoa under cold running water. Combine with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let steam for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
02 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pat drained chickpeas dry with a clean towel. Toss with olive oil, ground cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and crispy, stirring halfway through cooking.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, water, minced garlic, and maple syrup until smooth and creamy. Add additional water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach your desired drizzling consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
04 - Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber, shred the carrot, and thinly slice the red onion. Wash and pat dry the baby spinach or mixed greens.
05 - Divide the fluffed quinoa evenly among four serving bowls. Arrange roasted chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, shredded carrot, red onion, and greens over each portion. Drizzle generously with the lemon-tahini dressing.
06 - Finish each bowl with chopped fresh parsley and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with lemon wedges on the side. Enjoy immediately for the best texture and flavor.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The roasted chickpeas get so crunchy and spiced that you will want to eat them straight off the baking sheet before they ever reach a bowl.
- Everything comes together in about forty minutes, and most of that is hands off oven time while you chop vegetables at your own pace.
- The lemon tahini dressing is the kind of thing you will start putting on everything from sandwiches to steamed broccoli.
02 -
- If you skip drying the chickpeas after draining them, they will steam instead of roast and you will end up soft instead of crunchy, which I learned the hard way on my second attempt.
- The dressing thickens considerably as it sits in the fridge, so always whisk in a splash of warm water before using leftovers.
03 -
- Let the quinoa rest off the heat with the lid on for the full five minutes before fluffing, because this is what makes each grain tender on the inside and separate on the outside.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for two minutes before garnishing, and the nutty aroma alone will make the extra step worth it.