Quinoa Green Goddess Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas and Lemon-Tahini Dressing
Spinach, cucumber, avocado, cherry tomatoes, and crispy chickpeas tossed with quinoa and a bright lemony dressing makes for some seriously flavorful healthy goodness. Packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and a whole host of essential vitamins and minerals, this vegan miracle meal will make you feel like a god/goddess almost immediately.
Ingredients
- 1 15- ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- ½ seedless cucumber peeled and diced
- 1 cup heirloom cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cups packed spinach finely chopped (You could also use kale or arugula if you prefer.)
- 1 avocado diced
For the dressing:
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 2 tablespoons warm water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 cloves garlic grated or finely minced (I like to use a microplane to grate the garlic so that it mixes smoothly into the dressing)
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
For Garnish: (optional)
- Lemon wedges
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Start with the chickpeas, friends. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and place them between two paper towels. Gently pat them dry. When you do this, you’ll notice that some of the “skins” on the chickpeas will come loose. That’s a good thing. Just pick off the loose skins and discard them. Place the chickpeas on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with the smoked paprika, salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Toss to coat. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and crispy, stirring once after about 15 minutes. The cooking time will vary a little bit depending on the size of your chickpeas, so make sure to check on them after 30 minutes.
- While the chickpeas are roasting, cook the quinoa. Pour the quinoa into a small pot with 1½ cups of water and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 12-15 minutes until all of the water is absorbed. Let the quinoa rest, still covered, for five minutes, then fluff with a fork and turn it out into a larger bowl to cool to room temperature. (I like to pop the bowl in the fridge to help it cool faster, but I’m impatient like that.)
- Moving on to the dressing! In a medium bowl, whisk together the tahini and warm water until smooth. Add the lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, cayenne and olive oil to the tahini and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.
- When the quinoa has cooled, add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, spinach, avocado and half of the cooked chickpeas to the bowl. Pour the dressing over everything. and gently fold the ingredients together. Taste and season with a little extra salt if necessary.
- Serve in bowls topped with the remaining roasted chickpeas and scallions (if using) with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
If you’re preparing the your Quinoa Green Goddess Bowls in advance, wait to add the avocado and chickpeas until just before serving.