Chickpea Power Bowl (Printable version)

Protein-rich bowl with chickpeas, grains, roasted vegetables, and tahini sauce for a wholesome meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa or brown rice, uncooked
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth

→ Chickpeas

03 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Roasted Vegetables

09 - 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
10 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
11 - 1 small zucchini, sliced
12 - 1 red onion, sliced
13 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
14 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Tahini Sauce

16 - 1/3 cup tahini
17 - Juice of 1 lemon
18 - 1 clove garlic, minced
19 - 2 to 4 tablespoons water
20 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Toppings

21 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
22 - 1 avocado, sliced
23 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
24 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, optional

# Directions:

01 - Set oven temperature to 425°F (220°C).
02 - Rinse quinoa or rice thoroughly. Combine with water or broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender (quinoa requires 15 minutes; rice requires 30 to 40 minutes). Fluff with a fork.
03 - Toss sweet potato, bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and lightly browned.
04 - Toss drained chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt. Spread on a separate baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly crispy.
05 - Whisk tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and water together in a small bowl. Add water gradually to achieve desired consistency.
06 - Divide cooked grains evenly among four bowls. Top each with roasted vegetables, chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, fresh herbs, and seeds. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce.
07 - Serve immediately while grains and vegetables are warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It feels indulgent and nourishing at the same time, like you're treating yourself while actually fueling your body.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, and most of that is just oven time while you do something else.
  • You can prep components ahead and assemble in minutes, making it perfect for meal prep chaos or unexpected guests.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the chickpeas or you'll end up with a starchy coating that prevents them from getting crispy, and the whole spice situation gets muted.
  • Make the tahini sauce last because it hardens as it sits and you'll end up frustrated trying to thin it out again—better to whisk it fresh right before serving.
03 -
  • Invest in a decent tahini because cheap tahini tastes bitter and chalky—a good one changes the entire sauce from functional to something you'd want to drink with a spoon.
  • Toast your own seeds right before serving by throwing them in a dry pan for two minutes; they taste fresher and more intentional than pre-toasted seeds.
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