Mediterranean Dinner Grain Bowl (Printable)
A nourishing Mediterranean bowl with grains, fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and zesty lemon-tahini dressing.
# What You'll 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 It:
01 - Rinse quinoa or rice thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine grains with water or broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes for quinoa or 35-40 minutes for rice until tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, water, salt, and black pepper until smooth and creamy. Add additional water as needed to reach desired consistency.
03 - Halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and bell pepper, thinly slice the red onion, and chop the fresh parsley.
04 - Divide cooked grains evenly among four serving bowls. Arrange chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, and spinach on top of the grains.
05 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and fresh parsley over each bowl.
06 - Drizzle generously with lemon-tahini dressing. Serve immediately while warm, or refrigerate for a refreshing cold meal.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Everything can be prepped ahead, making busy weeknights feel effortless and nourishing
- The lemon tahini dressing is so good you will want to put it on everything else too
02 -
- The dressing thickens in the refrigerator, so add another splash of water and whisk before serving leftovers
- Quinoa cooks faster than brown rice, so choose based on how much time you have that evening
03 -
- Rinse quinoa thoroughly unless you want a bitter soapy taste in your final bowl
- Let the dressed grains sit for five minutes before serving to absorb the flavors