Roasted Chickpea & Veggie Bowls with Green Tahini Sauce

Serves 2

Mediterranean-inspired bowls with spicy chickpeas, roasted veggies, grains, and a herby green tahini sauce. A nourishing, quick and easy plant-based meal.

A slightly tweaked and simplified recipe from: Minimalist Baker

Ingredients

For the veggies

• ½ large aubergine, cut into 1 inch cubes

• 1 small courgette, thinly sliced in circles 

• ½ red (or any colour you like) bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces 

• 1 red onion, cut into bite size pieces 

• 50g (or a large handful) of green olives, sliced in half 

• Olive oil 

• Salt 

For the chickpeas 

• 1 tin of chickpeas, drained 

• A big punch of salt 

• 1tsp ground cumin 

• ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 

• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 

• For serving, your favourite grains (quinoa, spelt, brown rice or a combination of grains work especially well!)

Green Tahini Sauce

• 100g tahini 

• 2tbsp sesame oil (olive oil works as well!)

• 75ml cold water 

• A good pinch of salt 

• A squeeze of lemon juice 

• A handful of any green, leafy herb you have to hand (such as: mint, parsley, coriander, dill or basil) finely chopped  

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan.
   

2. Firstly, add all the prepared vegetables to a roasting tray, drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, using your hands or a large spoon, evenly then place in the oven to roast for 30-35 minutes, tossing halfway through, or until soft and slightly caramelised. 
   

3. Meanwhile, for the chickpeas, place the drained chickpeas onto a separate roasting tray and sprinkle over the herbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil, season with salt and toss to coat. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, until slightly crisping on the outside. 
   

4. While the veggies and chickpeas are roasting, cook your favourite grains according to the packet instructions and set aside. 
   

5. Finally, to make the green tahini sauce, in a small bowl whisk the tahini and sesame (or olive) oil until combined, then add the water and whisk again until smooth. It will split and seem as if it is wrong but keep whisking and it will emulsify! After a couple of minutes, it will come together in a thick, creamy sauce. Season with salt, to taste, and add the chopped herbs along with the lemon juice and stir to combine. Set aside until the veggies and chickpeas are cooked. 
   

6. To serve, divide grains, roasted veggies, and chickpeas between two bowls and drizzle with green tahini sauce (there will be leftover sauce*). Enjoy!
   

   *Leftovers will keep separately in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. It is delicious drizzled over fish, falafel, chicken and other salads! It is not freezer friendly.