Mediterranean Grain Bowl
A colorful, protein-packed bowl of warm quinoa topped with roasted chickpeas, fresh cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and a bright lemon-olive oil drizzle. Ready in 25 minutes with minimal cleanup.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 438
- Protein
- 15g
Ingredients
- ¾ cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 can (15 oz) canned chickpeas, drained and patted dry
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium cucumber
- 1 whole lemon
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 400°F and wait until the indicator light tells you it has finished preheating, about 8 minutes.
- 2
Pour the drained chickpeas onto a paper towel and gently pat them until they feel dry to the touch, removing any loose skins.
- 3
Spread the dried chickpeas in a single layer on a sheet pan, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper over them, and toss with a spoon until all are evenly coated.
- 4
Slide the sheet pan into the oven and roast the chickpeas until they turn golden brown and feel crispy when you pick one up, about 12 to 15 minutes.
- 5
While the chickpeas roast, measure the quinoa into a medium pot and rinse it under cold running water for 30 seconds, stirring gently with your fingers until the water runs mostly clear.
- 6
Pour 1.5 cups of water into the pot with the rinsed quinoa, add a pinch of salt, and place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat.
- 7
Bring the water to a rolling boil — you'll see large bubbles breaking the surface constantly — then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 12 minutes.
- 8
Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes so the quinoa absorbs all the remaining water.
- 9
While the quinoa cooks, slice the cucumber in half lengthwise from root to tip, then lay each half cut-side down and cut crosswise into quarter-inch-thick half-moons.
- 10
Cut each cherry tomato in half by placing it on the cutting board and slicing straight down through the middle.
- 11
Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into a small bowl using your hands or a citrus juicer.
- 12
Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bowl with the lemon juice, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and whisk with a fork until the dressing looks blended and uniform.
- 13
Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork to separate the grains, then divide it evenly between two serving bowls.
- 14
Top each bowl with half of the roasted chickpeas, half of the cucumber slices, and half of the tomato halves, arranging them in small mounds on top of the quinoa.
- 15
Drizzle the lemon-olive oil dressing evenly over both bowls, starting from the center and moving outward to coat all ingredients.
Tools you’ll need
- sheet pan
- paper towels
- medium pot with lid
- small bowl
- fork
- cutting board
- knife (8-inch chef's knife)
- spoon
- citrus juicer or hands
- whisk or fork
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