Chickpea Power Bowl (Printable)

Vibrant bowl with spiced chickpeas, roasted vegetables, and creamy tahini over wholesome grains.

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

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chickpeas get legitimately crunchy in the oven, which sounds simple but changes everything about the texture of the bowl.
  • It's vegan and dairy-free without ever feeling like you're missing anything, because the tahini sauce is genuinely creamy and satisfying.
  • Everything cooks simultaneously—grains and vegetables on their own timelines—so you're done in under an hour and actually want to eat what you made.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd your baking sheets when roasting vegetables or chickpeas—they need space to caramelize, not steam in their own moisture, which I learned by making soggy bowls twice before understanding why.
  • The tahini sauce thickens slightly as it sits, so make it just before serving and don't stress if it seems slightly runny when you're whisking—it'll reach the perfect consistency by the time you're drizzling.
03 -
  • Taste the tahini sauce as you're adding water and adjust the lemon juice if it feels too rich—sometimes one extra squeeze of lemon makes it snap into focus.
  • If your chickpeas aren't getting crispy, your oven temperature might be running low, or you didn't dry them well enough after rinsing—use paper towels to pat them truly dry before tossing with oil.
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