Mediterranean Dinner Grain Bowl (Printable)
Vibrant bowl with quinoa, fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and creamy lemon-tahini dressing. A healthy, satisfying weeknight meal ready in 45 minutes.
# What You Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked quinoa or brown rice
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
07 - 1 cup baby spinach or arugula
→ Legumes & Protein
08 - 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
→ Toppings & Garnishes
09 - 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
10 - 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced
11 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
→ Lemon-Tahini Dressing
12 - 1/4 cup tahini
13 - 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
14 - 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
15 - 1 garlic clove, minced
16 - 2 tbsp water (plus more as needed)
17 - 1/2 tsp salt
18 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
# How To Make:
01 - Rinse quinoa or rice thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine grains with water or vegetable broth. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes for quinoa or 35-40 minutes for brown rice. Cook until grains are tender and liquid is fully absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and let cool for 5 minutes.
02 - In a small mixing bowl, combine tahini, fresh lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, minced garlic, water, salt, and black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and creamy. If the dressing is too thick, gradually add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
03 - Rinse all vegetables thoroughly. Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber into 1/2-inch pieces, dice the red bell pepper, and thinly slice the red onion into half-moons. Roughly chop the fresh parsley. Keep spinach or arugula whole for the base layer.
04 - Open the can of chickpeas and pour contents into a colander. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water for 30 seconds to remove the canning liquid. Shake well to drain excess moisture.
05 - Divide the cooked grains evenly among four serving bowls, spreading them across the bottom. Arrange chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and leafy greens in sections over the grains.
06 - Scatter crumbled feta cheese and sliced Kalamata olives over each bowl. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley. Drizzle generously with the lemon-tahini dressing immediately before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The dressing alone is worth keeping tahini in your pantry permanently
- You can prep everything Sunday and eat like royalty all week
02 -
- Tahini dressing thickens in the fridge so add a splash of water before serving leftovers
- Warm grains make the dish feel like a meal while cold grains turn it into a perfect salad
03 -
- Toast your quinoa in a dry pan before adding water for a nutty depth
- Double the dressing because you will want to put it on everything else