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The Vitality Bowl

A vibrant, high-protein quinoa and chickpea salad with fresh vegetables and a creamy lemon-tahini dressing.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 bowls
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Healthy, Mediterranean-Inspired
Calories: 480

Ingredients
  

Salad Base
  • 1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 large English cucumber diced
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
  • 1 large red bell pepper diced
  • 0.5 medium red onion finely diced
  • 1 large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
  • 0.5 cup fresh dill roughly chopped
  • 2-3 green onions thinly sliced
Lemon-Tahini Dressing
  • 0.33 cup tahini well-stirred
  • 0.25 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 small clove garlic minced
  • 0.5 tsp fine sea salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
  • 5-7 tbsp warm water to thin
For Assembly
  • 3-4 handfuls baby spinach
  • 1 tbsp za'atar spice blend
  • 1 tbsp olive oil for chickpeas
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika optional

Equipment

  • Medium Saucepan
  • Baking sheet
  • Mixing bowls
  • Chef’s knife
  • Cutting board

Method
 

  1. Cook quinoa with 2 cups water: bring to boil, simmer covered 15 min, let sit 10 min, then fluff and cool.
  2. Optional: Roast chickpeas. Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss dried chickpeas with 1 tbsp oil, paprika, S&P. Roast 20-25 mins until crispy. Cool.
  3. Dice cucumber, bell pepper, red onion. Halve tomatoes. Chop parsley, dill, and slice green onions. Place in large bowl.
  4. Make dressing: Whisk tahini and lemon juice until thick. Whisk in oil, garlic, salt, pepper. Add warm water gradually until creamy and pourable.
  5. In the large bowl with veggies, add cooled quinoa and chickpeas. Drizzle with 3/4 of the dressing and toss gently to combine.
  6. To serve, place spinach in bowls, top with quinoa salad mixture. Drizzle with remaining dressing and sprinkle generously with za'atar.

Notes

For best meal prep, store the dressed salad mixture, dressing, and greens separately. Assemble just before eating to maintain texture.