Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl

For a healthy yet incredibly satisfying meal, try this Mediterranean chickpea bowl. It's loaded with spiced roasted chickpeas and vegetables, fried egg, spicy Calabrian chile hummus, and a lemon herb yogurt sauce to deliver maximum flavor in one bowl!

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Greek yogurt: Use plain, Greek yogurt as the base for the lemon herb yogurt sauce which gives a thicker consistency than regular yogurt.
• Tahini: The sesame paste adds a creamy texture and nutty flavor to the hummus. My favorite brand for tahini is Soom Foods.
• Calabrian chilies: For a spicy kick, add Calabrian chilies to the hummus. These chilies are a medium-hot level, slightly milder than cayenne peppers.
• Brown rice: For a healthier grain option, use brown rice in the pilaf.
• White wine: The wine adds another layer of flavor to the rice pilaf; however, you can replace it with vegetable stock if you dislike alcohol.
• Feta: To add a salty element, add crumbled feta to the bowls.
• Eggs: To add more protein, add fried eggs to the chickpea bowls. Other protein options include steak, salmon, roasted chicken, tuna, or seitan.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: Although this recipe is vegetarian, you can add protein such as roasted chicken, salmon, steak, or shrimp.
• Vegetables: You can add additional vegetables such as roasted broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, or braised kale.
• Grains: Barley, spelt, or wheat berriYou can substitute the brown rice with white brown, quinoa, or farro.
• Toppings: You can also use goat cheese, seared halloumi, or another type of cheese you prefer.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Make sauces

For a twist on classic hummus and a little kick, I decided to make Calabrian chile hummus. Calabrian chilies are medium-hot, spicier than jalapenos but milder than cayenne peppers. If you can't find Calabrian chilies, substitute them with Fresno chilies.

To make ultrasmooth hummus, use a food processor or Vitamix. There's a constant debate on whether you should use dried or canned chickpeas but I use canned chickpeas for the sake of ease.

To add a creamy healthy sauce, I decided to whip up a lemon herb yogurt sauce. This sauce is tzatziki without the cucumber and with extra herbs. It's simple but adds a refreshing element to the Mediterranean chickpea bowl.

Feel free to make both sauces the day before. In fact, the yogurt sauce is better as it sits.

Step 2: Roast chickpeas and vegetables

Set aside the sauces and prepare the cooked components. To be healthier, I chose a brown rice pilaf but you can use any grain you desire. Just make sure to adjust the amount of stock according to the grain. If you're not a fan of white wine, you can omit it but it does add another layer of complexity to the rice.

Keep the rice warm while you roast the chickpeas and vegetables. Toss the ingredients in the spices and spread them on a sheet pan.

Roast the chickpeas and vegetables for about 20 minutes or until lightly charred. Make sure to toss the vegetables halfway through to get even browning.

Step 3: Assemble bowls

Now it's time to assemble the Mediterranean chickpea bowls. Portion the rice into bowls and top them with roasted vegetables, fried eggs, avocado, crumbled feta, both sauces and fresh herbs.

I wanted to keep my dish vegetarian so I chose eggs as my protein. However, you can easily swap the eggs for other meat including shrimp, salmon, chicken, or even meatballs. The sky is the limit!

I was worried that this Mediterranean chickpea bowl wouldn't be substantial enough for the hubs. Luckily, it was very satisfying! And might I add, incredibly delicious. There are so many different textures and flavors happening but they all work so well together. I'll be enjoying this bowl many times this month!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The lemon herb yogurt sauce, Calabrian chile hummus, and brown rice pilaf can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. The roasted chickpeas are best when freshly roasted, but you can prepare the spice mix ahead for quicker assembly.
• Store: Store any remaining components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The components (except fried eggs) can be reheated or assembled into a bowl when ready to eat.

Frequently asked questions

More one-bowl recipes

Looking for more one-bowl dishes? Try these:

Recipe

Print Recipe

Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mediterranean

Keyword: vegetarian

Servings: 2

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Lemon herb yogurt sauce

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove grated
• salt and pepper

Calabrian chile hummus

• 14 ounce canned chickpeas
• ¼ cup reserved canned chickpea liquid
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1-2 tablespoon Calabrian chilies
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper

Brown rice pilaf

• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ medium onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup brown rice
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

Roasted chickpeas

• 14 ounces canned chickpeas drained, rinsed and dried
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper sliced
• 1 red onion sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• salt and pepper

Remaining ingredients

• 2 fried eggs
• 1 avocado sliced
• ¼ cup crumbled feta
• 1 tablespoon chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
• Make lemon herb yogurt sauce. Combine Greek yogurt with parsley, dill, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined and let sit for at least 30 minutes.
• Make Calabrian chile hummus. In a blender or food processor, blend canned chickpeas with ¼ cup reserved canned liquid, tahini, Calabrian chiles, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice. Add extra Calabrian chilies for a spicier hummus. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add chopped onions and garlic and saute until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Add brown rice and white wine and bring to a boil. Add chicken stock and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, cover pot, and reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid has been evaporated and rice is tender. Remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork. Keep warm.
• Toss chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, sliced red bell pepper, and red onion with olive oil, garlic powder, coriander, onion powder, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, tossing vegetables halfway through cooking time.
• Meanwhile, fry eggs until desired degree of doneness.
• Assemble bowls. Portion rice into two bowls and top with chickpea mixture, sliced avocado, and fried eggs. Place a dollop of hummus and lemon herb yogurt sauce and top with crumbled feta, mint, and dill. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Notes

The Calabrian chile hummus and lemon herb yogurt sauce can be prepared the day before.