Vegan Mediterranean Roasted Bowl (Print)
Roasted Mediterranean vegetables with chickpeas and creamy tahini-lemon dressing in a nourishing bowl.
# What You Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced into rounds
02 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
03 - 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
04 - 1 red onion, cut into wedges
05 - 1 small eggplant, cubed
06 - 7 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
→ Legumes
07 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
→ Marinade
08 - 2 tbsp olive oil
09 - 2 tsp dried oregano
10 - 1 tsp dried thyme
11 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
12 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Grains
13 - 7 oz cooked quinoa or brown rice
→ Tahini-Lemon Dressing
14 - 3 tbsp tahini
15 - Juice of 1 lemon
16 - 2 tbsp water
17 - 1 garlic clove, minced
18 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
19 - Salt to taste
→ Garnishes
20 - Fresh parsley, chopped
21 - Pitted kalamata olives
22 - Lemon wedges
# How To Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 425°F.
02 - In a large bowl, combine zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and chickpeas.
03 - Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables and chickpeas. Add oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
04 - Spread the mixture on a large parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.
05 - Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until vegetables are golden and tender.
06 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, cumin, and salt until smooth and creamy. Add more water if a thinner consistency is desired.
07 - Divide cooked quinoa or brown rice among 4 serving bowls.
08 - Top each bowl with the roasted vegetable and chickpea mixture. Drizzle generously with tahini-lemon dressing.
09 - Finish with fresh parsley, kalamata olives, and lemon wedges. Serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The tahini lemon dressing is the kind of thing you will want to drizzle on everything in your fridge
- It comes together with almost zero active cooking so you get huge flavor for very little effort
02 -
- Overcrowding the baking sheet is the single most common mistake and it will ruin the texture of everything
- Tahini dressing can seize up and look grainy when you first add lemon juice but keep whisking and it will smooth out
03 -
- Cauliflower rice works beautifully as a grain free base and it adds a nice subtle crunch
- A handful of sun dried tomatoes folded in after roasting adds an intense umami boost that takes the bowl somewhere unexpected