Chickpea Power Bowl (Printable)

Protein-rich bowl with spiced chickpeas, roasted vegetables, quinoa, and creamy tahini sauce.

# 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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Set oven to 425°F (220°C).
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 cooked (quinoa: 15 minutes; rice: 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 on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and slightly 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 tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and water together in a small bowl, adding water gradually to reach desired consistency.
06 - Divide cooked grains evenly among four bowls. Top with roasted vegetables, crispy chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, avocado slices, fresh herbs, and seeds. Drizzle generously with tahini sauce.
07 - Serve immediately while components are still warm.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's genuinely filling without that sluggish afternoon crash you get from heavier meals.
  • Everything cooks at once if you time it right, which means you're not juggling five pans like a circus act.
  • You can eat it warm, cold, or room temperature, making it the kind of bowl that adapts to whatever your day throws at you.
  • The tahini sauce is so creamy and bright that you'll find yourself drizzling it on everything else in your fridge.
02 -
  • Pat your chickpeas dry before roasting them—wetness is the enemy of crispiness, and damp chickpeas will steam themselves into softness instead of shattering between your teeth.
  • Tahini sauce looks broken and tragic at first when you add the lemon juice, but whisking it and adding water gradually transforms it into something silky and cloud-like.
  • Make your tahini sauce while the vegetables are roasting so you're not scrambling at assembly time, and if it thickens as it sits, just whisk in a touch more water.
03 -
  • Use two baking sheets and time the vegetables to finish just as the chickpeas reach their golden point so everything is hot when you assemble.
  • Make the tahini sauce the night before and store it in an airtight container—it actually develops deeper flavor and stays creamy in the refrigerator for up to five days.
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