Bean

Mediterranean Vegetable Bowls with Quinoa, Toasted Chickpeas, and Harissa Tahini

July  8, 2015
4.6
5 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Full of texture and flavor, these bowls celebrate summer produce at the peak of its season. Feel free to swap one vegetable or grain for another. If you have any leftover odds and ends from the recipe components, you can add them to lunch salads or additional grain bowls. —Gena Hamshaw

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Ingredients
  • For the bowls:
  • 1 medium eggplant
  • 2 large zucchini
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to season
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
  • Pepper
  • 1 cup dry quinoa
  • 6 cups tightly packed, washed greens of choice (arugula, baby spinach, baby kale, mizuna, and/or mesclun would all be great)
  • For the harissa tahini sauce:
  • 1/2 cup tahini
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 large clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • 3/4 teaspoon harissa paste or powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Trim the eggplant and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Place the eggplant cubes into a colander and sprinkle them liberally with salt. Allow them to sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Pat any moisture that collects on the eggplant dry with a paper towel. Meanwhile, trim the zucchini and cut it into 1/4-inch strips lengthwise.
  2. For the toasted chickpeas, mix the chickpeas, paprika, chili powder, salt, lemon juice, and olive oil in a mixing bowl. Transfer the coated chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  3. Lay both the zucchini and the eggplant onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with oregano, salt, and pepper. Transfer all three pans—the chickpeas, the zucchini, and the eggplant—to the oven. Roast the vegetables for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once through, or until they’re golden and tender. Allow the chickpeas to cook for 30 to 35 minutes, or until they’re well toasted and browning. Remove all roasted ingredients from the oven and set aside.
  4. Rinse the quinoa through a fine sieve for about a minute. Transfer it to a medium-sized pot. Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until all of the water has been absorbed into the grain. Fluff the grain lightly with a fork, cover it again, and allow it to sit for ten minutes more.
  5. While the quinoa cooks, make the sauce. Blend the tahini, lemon, vinegar, garlic, maple syrup, harissa, paprika, cumin, salt, and water in a food processor or blender till smooth.
  6. To assemble the bowls, place 1 1/2 cups tightly packed greens at the bottom of each bowl. Layer one quarter each of the cooked quinoa, roasted vegetables, and chickpeas on top. Drizzle the entire bowl generously with harissa tahini sauce. Serve.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

9 Reviews

drbabs April 13, 2020
Wow, this was delicious. I used leftover roast broccoli and Brussels sprouts in place of the eggplant, and had to substitute almond butter for the tahini, but it was great. Thank you for a delicious recipe!
Deedledum February 3, 2016
I love bowls too, and would love to see more of your recipes Gina.
Mary D. November 13, 2015
I love this kind of dish :)
wendy September 27, 2015
I haven't tried this yet but I have tried Delia Smith's Roasted Vegetables and Couscous in a Harissa Sauce and love it. Will definitely try this to compare since I'm always looking to incorporate more vegetables when cooking.
ortolan August 2, 2015
This recipe has solidified its place in my repertoire. It is incredibly delicious and filling! I had a few golden beets and no eggplant, so I used them instead. Very harmonious combination of flavors, textures, and beautiful to look at. Thank you for this recipe.
Danika E. July 23, 2015
Looks delicious, I can't wait to try it out. I would also recommend a friends cookbook who is raising funding on Kickstarter 'Myrtlewood - Home Cooking from the Pacific Northwest' https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/750124889/myrtlewood-home-cooking-from-the-pacific-northwest
lynx60489 July 15, 2015
Great recipe! I have been trying to eat less animal protein and have packed this for lunch every day this week. It's a really satisfying meal and is delicious, flavorful, and healthy.

The ingredients reminded me of hummus/baba ghanoush so I decided to charr baby eggplants under a broiler instead of roasting them. The smokiness and texture of the eggplant cooked this way worked really well.
Sue H. August 17, 2015
Thanks
jerry W. July 13, 2015
Great meal, would not change anything.