Vegetable and Legume Bowl (Printable)

Roasted seasonal vegetables with protein-rich chickpeas and lentils over fluffy quinoa or brown rice, drizzled with creamy tahini dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, brown rice, or farro
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Legumes

04 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas or 1 can, drained and rinsed
05 - 1 cup cooked green or brown lentils

→ Vegetables

06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 zucchini, sliced
08 - 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 2 cups broccoli florets
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

15 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 1 avocado, sliced
17 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
18 - Lemon wedges

→ Dressing

19 - 2 tablespoons tahini
20 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
21 - 1 tablespoon water, or more as needed
22 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
23 - Salt and pepper to taste

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Set oven to 425°F.
02 - In a medium saucepan, bring water or broth and salt to a boil. Add grains, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender. Quinoa requires 15 minutes, brown rice requires 40 minutes, and farro requires 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
03 - Toss bell pepper, zucchini, onion, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.
04 - Place in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until tender and slightly charred.
05 - If desired, heat chickpeas and lentils in a small pan with a splash of olive oil, salt, and pepper for 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add additional water as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.
07 - Divide cooked grains evenly among four bowls. Top each with roasted vegetables and warmed legumes. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing.
08 - Top each bowl with fresh parsley, avocado slices, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent the whole day cooking.
  • Every ingredient earns its place, so nothing goes to waste and you actually feel energized afterward.
  • You can use whatever vegetables are on sale that week and it never feels repetitive.
02 -
  • Don't skip spreading vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet because crowding them steams them instead of roasting them, and you'll miss out on those magical caramelized edges that make the whole dish come alive.
  • The tahini dressing is thinner and more lemony than you might expect from store-bought tahini preparations, which is exactly why it works as a finishing drizzle rather than a heavy sauce.
03 -
  • Cut your vegetables roughly the same size so they finish roasting at the same time and you avoid burnt broccoli with undercooked peppers.
  • Toast your pumpkin seeds in a dry pan for two minutes right before serving to wake up their flavor and add texture that makes the difference between a good bowl and one you actually crave.
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