Vegetable and Legume Bowl (Printable Version)

A vibrant bowl featuring roasted seasonal vegetables, protein-rich legumes, and hearty grains with creamy tahini dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, brown rice, or farro
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Legumes

04 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas or 1 can, drained and rinsed
05 - 1 cup cooked green or brown lentils

→ Vegetables

06 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
07 - 1 zucchini, sliced
08 - 1 small red onion, cut into wedges
09 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
10 - 2 cups broccoli florets
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnishes

15 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
16 - 1 avocado, sliced
17 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds
18 - Lemon wedges

→ Dressing

19 - 2 tablespoons tahini
20 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
21 - 1 tablespoon water, plus more as needed
22 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
23 - Salt and pepper to taste

# How to Prepare:

01 - Heat oven to 425°F
02 - In a medium saucepan, bring water or broth and salt to a boil. Add grains, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender. Quinoa requires 15 minutes, brown rice 40 minutes, and farro 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
03 - Toss bell pepper, zucchini, onion, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer.
04 - Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and slightly charred.
05 - If desired, heat chickpeas and lentils in a small pan with a splash of olive oil, salt, and pepper for 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add more water as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.
07 - Divide cooked grains among four bowls. Top each with roasted vegetables and legumes. Drizzle with tahini dressing.
08 - Top with parsley, avocado slices, and pumpkin seeds. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's the kind of meal that actually fills you up without weighing you down, and you won't find yourself hungry again in two hours.
  • Once you nail the basic formula, you can swap vegetables with whatever looks good that week, so it never gets boring.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, which means weeknight dinner without the stress of complicated timing.
02 -
  • Don't skip spreading vegetables in a single layer on the baking sheet—if they're stacked or overlapping, they'll steam instead of roast, and you'll lose that caramelized flavor that makes everything taste better.
  • Make the tahini dressing last, right before assembling, because it thickens as it sits and you'll end up adding more liquid than you originally needed.
03 -
  • If your tahini dressing breaks or looks separated, it means it got too cold or you added water too quickly—just start over with a fresh garlic clove and tahini, then slowly whisk in your lemon juice and other ingredients like you're building an emulsion, which you basically are.
  • Make extra grain on the weekend because having cooked quinoa or rice in the fridge means this bowl comes together in literally 10 minutes on nights when you're tired, turning what could've been takeout into something nourishing you made yourself.
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