Vegetable and Legume Bowl (Printable)

Roasted vegetables and protein-packed legumes over hearty grains with creamy tahini dressing

# What You 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 medium 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

→ Tahini Dressing

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

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 425°F and allow to fully preheat.
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 approximately 15 minutes, brown rice 40 minutes, and farro 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork upon completion.
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 vegetables are tender and lightly 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 additional water as needed to achieve a pourable consistency.
07 - Divide cooked grains among four bowls. Top each with roasted vegetables and legumes. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing.
08 - Top bowls with fresh parsley, avocado slices, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with lemon wedges.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than scrolling through your phone, yet tastes like you've been planning it all week.
  • Every vegetable gets charred and sweet while the grains stay tender, so there's real texture and flavor happening in each bite.
  • You can build it with whatever's in your fridge, making it your recipe, not mine.
02 -
  • Don't rinse your roasted vegetables off the pan into the bowl—let them cool slightly so they don't steam everything into mush, and scrape that caramelized bottom off the sheet because that's where the flavor lives.
  • Tahini separates, so whisking it with acid (lemon juice) first makes it smooth and prevents lumps—this one trick turns a dressing from gritty to silken.
03 -
  • Toast your pumpkin seeds in a dry pan for a minute before serving—this small gesture transforms them from ordinary to the thing you reach for first.
  • Add the avocado last, right before eating, so it stays bright and creamy instead of oxidizing into sadness on the counter.
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