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Spiced Chickpea Quinoa Bowl

Name: Spiced Chickpea Quinoa Bowl
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 140 g quinoa, rinsed; 280 ml water; 2 g fine sea salt; 240 g cooked chickpeas, drained; 20 ml olive oil; 4 g smoked paprika; 3 g ground cumin; 2 g ground coriander; 1 g chili flakes; 3 g fine sea salt; 1 g black pepper; 40 g tahini; 30 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed; 30 ml water; 1 small clove (4 g) garlic, finely grated; 5 ml maple syrup; 2 g fine sea salt; 60 g baby spinach; 100 g carrot, peeled into ribbons; 100 g cucumber, thinly sliced; 40 g red onion, very thinly sliced; 120 g cherry tomatoes, halved; 10 g parsley, roughly chopped; 1 tsp lemon zest; 10 ml olive oil

Warm, nutty quinoa, smoky spiced chickpeas, crisp vegetables, and a silky tahini lemon dressing come together in a bowl that feels both vibrant and satisfying. It is colourful, generous, and full of contrast—creamy, crunchy, fresh, and warmly spiced in every bite.

50 min

2 servings

598 kcal

Mediterranean

Ingredients

For the quinoa

140 gquinoa, rinsed
280 mlwater
2 gfine sea salt

For the spiced chickpeas

240 gcooked chickpeas, drained
20 mlolive oil
4 gsmoked paprika
3 gground cumin
2 gground coriander
1 gchili flakes
3 gfine sea salt
1 gblack pepper

For the tahini lemon dressing

40 gtahini
30 mllemon juice, freshly squeezed
30 mlwater
1 small clove (4 g)garlic, finely grated
5 mlmaple syrup
2 gfine sea salt

For the vegetables and finish

60 gbaby spinach
100 gcarrot, peeled into ribbons
100 gcucumber, thinly sliced
40 gred onion, very thinly sliced
120 gcherry tomatoes, halved
10 gparsley, roughly chopped
1 tsplemon zest
10 mlolive oil

Instructions

1
Rinse the quinoa under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Put it in a small saucepan with the water and salt, bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the grains are tender and the liquid is absorbed.
2
Turn off the heat and let the quinoa stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Then fluff it with a fork so the grains stay separate rather than clumping.
3
While the quinoa cooks, pat the chickpeas very dry with a clean towel for better browning. In a bowl, toss them with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
4
Heat a wide frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the chickpeas for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly crisped in spots and fragrant. If the spices start catching, reduce the heat slightly.
5
Make the dressing by whisking together the tahini, lemon juice, water, grated garlic, maple syrup, and salt until smooth and pourable. If it tightens up at first, keep whisking; tahini loosens again as the liquid incorporates.
6
Dress the vegetables lightly for freshness and shine: in a bowl, combine the spinach, carrot ribbons, cucumber, red onion, cherry tomatoes, parsley, lemon zest, and olive oil. Toss gently so the spinach stays airy and the carrot ribbons keep their shape.
7
Divide the quinoa between 2 bowls. Top with the spiced chickpeas and the dressed vegetables, arranging the tomatoes and carrot ribbons on top for colour. Spoon over the tahini lemon dressing and serve straight away.

Nutrition per serving

598 kcal

Calories

21g

Protein

65g

Carbs

30g

Fat

16g

Fiber

Notes

•For the best texture, dry the chickpeas thoroughly before seasoning; moisture prevents them from crisping in the pan.
•If you want more heat, add an extra pinch of chili flakes at the end rather than during cooking, so the spices do not burn.
•A wide shallow bowl shows off the layers beautifully and helps the dressing coat each bite evenly.
•You can swap parsley for mint or dill for a slightly different Mediterranean profile.

Background

Modern grain bowls like this one draw on classic Mediterranean pantry staples such as chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon, and fresh herbs. While the composed bowl format is contemporary, its flavours are rooted in the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant, where pulses, grains, and sesame-based sauces have long been everyday essentials.

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