Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl

This Mediterranean chickpea bowl is fluffy quinoa and chickpeas topped with crunchy cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, olives and feta, on a bed of baby spinach, all dressed with lemon, garlic, oregano and olive oil. It’s a filling vegetarian meal that takes about 25 minutes, serves 4, and packs about 19 g of protein and almost 14 g of fiber per bowl. It keeps well for 3 days, so it’s ideal for packed lunches.

• Serves: 4
• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 15 minutes for the quinoa
• Total time: about 25 minutes

Ingredients

Bowls

• 120 g (⅔ cup) uncooked quinoa, about 370 g cooked
• 2 cans (400 g each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed, about 480 g drained
• 100 g (3 to 4 handfuls) baby spinach or mixed leaves
• ½ large cucumber (about 200 g), diced
• 200 g (1⅓ cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ small red onion (about 50 g), thinly sliced
• 40 g (about 12) Kalamata or black olives
• 80 g (⅔ cup) feta, crumbled
• A small handful of parsley or mint, chopped

Lemon oregano dressing

• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• A pinch of salt and black pepper

Method

1. Rinse the quinoa in a sieve under cold water, which removes its slightly bitter coating.
2. Put it in a pan with 240 ml (1 cup) of water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and you can see the little curled “tails.” Turn off the heat, leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
3. While the quinoa cooks, whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. Add the chickpeas and red onion to the dressing and stir. Leaving them to sit for a few minutes lets the chickpeas absorb the flavor and softens the onion.
5. Add the warm or cooled quinoa, cucumber and tomatoes and toss.
6. Divide the spinach among 4 bowls and spoon the chickpea mixture on top.
7. Finish with olives, feta and herbs.

Tips

• Rinse canned chickpeas to remove some of the salt and the starchy liquid.
• Dress the chickpeas first. They soak up the lemon and garlic, so every bite has flavor.
• Cool the quinoa before mixing if you’re making lunches ahead, so the leaves don’t wilt.
• Crisp the chickpeas for extra crunch: roast half of them at 200°C (400°F) for 20 to 25 minutes with a little oil and smoked paprika.
• Add a dollop of hummus or tzatziki for creaminess.

Swaps and variations

• Grains: use bulgur wheat, couscous, farro or brown rice instead of quinoa.
• Protein: add grilled chicken, salmon, a boiled egg or halloumi.
• Vegan: skip the feta, or use a plant-based version, and add avocado or extra olives.
• Vegetables: add roasted peppers, artichoke hearts, grated carrot or sun-dried tomatoes.
• Lower carb: use half the chickpeas and replace the quinoa with extra greens and cucumber.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

One serving is a quarter of the recipe. These figures were calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for cooked chickpeas, cooked quinoa, spinach, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, ripe olives, feta, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, dried oregano and salt.

One bowl provides almost half the 30 g of fiber a day recommended by the NHS, mostly from the chickpeas and quinoa. Chickpeas and quinoa together provide good-quality plant protein, as our guide to plant-based protein explains, and our guide to beans and legumes covers chickpeas in more detail. Most of the fat is unsaturated, from olive oil and olives. This is the kind of meal at the heart of the Mediterranean diet.

Contains: milk (feta). Gluten-free as written; check that your quinoa is labeled gluten-free if you have coeliac disease.

Storage and meal prep

Store bowls in the fridge in sealed containers and eat within 3 days, as the USDA advises for leftovers. Keep the leaves, feta and dressing separate if possible, and add them just before eating. Cool cooked quinoa quickly and refrigerate it within 2 hours. For lunch on the go, pack the bowl with an ice pack. Our guide to meal prep for beginners has more tips.

Common questions

Is quinoa a grain?

It’s a seed, cooked and eaten like a grain. It’s naturally gluten-free and contains more protein than most grains.

Can I use dried chickpeas?

Yes. Soak 200 g of dried chickpeas overnight, then simmer for 1 to 1½ hours until tender. That gives about 480 g cooked, the same as two cans.

Is this bowl good for weight loss?

It’s high in fiber and protein, which help you feel full. For a lighter bowl, use less feta and olive oil, or a smaller portion of quinoa.

This article is general information, not medical advice. Nutrition figures are estimates from USDA FoodData Central and will change with the brands and amounts you use. If you follow a diet for a medical reason, check the recipe with your doctor or dietitian.