Chickpea Power Bowl (Printable Version)

Protein-packed bowl with spiced chickpeas, roasted vegetables, grains, and tahini.

# 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 fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
24 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, optional

# Steps:

01 - Set oven temperature to 425°F.
02 - Rinse quinoa or rice thoroughly. Combine with water or broth in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until fully cooked (approximately 15 minutes for quinoa or 30 to 40 minutes for rice). Fluff with a fork before serving.
03 - Toss sweet potato, bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Distribute evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until vegetables are tender and lightly browned.
04 - Combine drained chickpeas with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Spread on a separate baking sheet and roast for 15 to 20 minutes until edges are slightly crispy.
05 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add water while whisking until desired consistency is achieved.
06 - Distribute cooked grains evenly among four serving bowls. Arrange roasted vegetables and chickpeas on top. Add cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with toasted seeds if desired. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce.
07 - Present bowls immediately while grains and vegetables are warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a one-bowl dinner that feels complete without any guilt about what you're skipping.
  • Everything can be prepped and roasted simultaneously, so you're actually done in under an hour instead of hovering over the stove.
  • The tahini sauce ties everything together with a richness that makes even the simplest vegetables taste like they belong in something special.
02 -
  • The chickpeas won't look crispy when they come out of the oven if you check them at 15 minutes—give them the full time and they'll be golden and slightly crunchy, which is exactly what transforms them from just protein to something you actually crave.
  • Don't skip rinsing the canned chickpeas or patting them dry; one learns this by experience, usually resulting in steamed rather than roasted chickpeas that taste fine but miss the textural magic entirely.
03 -
  • If your tahini sauce breaks or gets too thick, whisk in a tiny bit of warm water and it'll come back together—never throw it out.
  • Toss your hot roasted vegetables with a pinch of fleur de sel after they come out of the oven; this final seasoning amplifies everything.
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