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You are here: Home / Main Course Recipes / Crispy Quinoa Chickpea Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Meyer Lemon Tahini Sauce

Crispy Quinoa Chickpea Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Meyer Lemon Tahini Sauce

January 2, 2019 By Spices in My DNA 21 Comments

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These Crispy Quinoa Chickpea Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Meyer Lemon Tahini Sauce are a hearty, wholesome meal that are perfect to make for meal prep! The quinoa gets crisped up in a pan which makes for such incredible texture, and the chickpeas are roasted with harissa seasoning until crispy! The tahini sauce is absolutely delicious, citrusy, and slightly sweet – such a perfect bowl of healthy goodness!

Overhead shot of a bowl with quinoa, chickpeas, roasted broccoli, sliced avocado, a lemon wedge, and tahini sauce with a black and silver fork next to the bowl

I don’t know about you, but I’m READY for vegetables. Holidays are always so much fun, but they don’t always leave me feeling the best. Between all the Christmas cookies, abundance of sweets, carbs on carbs, and wine, I’m in need of some green things in my life. Now don’t get me wrong, I always try to get in as many veggies as I can, regardless of the season, but even if I have my usual green smoothie or avocado toast for breakfast and a salad for lunch during the month of December, the nightly holiday indulgence still catches up to ya. You know?

Overhead shot of a bowl with quinoa, chickpeas, roasted broccoli, sliced avocado, a lemon wedge, and tahini sauce with a black and silver fork in the bowl

Hence why I’m sharing these super delicious vegetable and whole food goodness packed bowls on this lovely January 2nd. These are SO good you guys. They’re super simple, just some grains, legumes, veggies, and tahini sauce – but that combo never, ever fails.

Many of my meals come in the form of something that looks like this – a grain, some kind of protein (in this case, chickpeas), loads of vegetables (whatever is in season), and a SAUCE.

Sauces make everything infinitely better. I truly can’t really really enjoy a meal unless it has some kind of incredible sauce, dressing, pesto, etc. They’re just such game changers!

Overhead shot of a bowl of tahini sauce with a juiced lemon next to it and a hand whisking the sauce with a bronze colored whisk

The sauce in this case is a meyer lemon tahini sauce! And oh my goodness is it good. I always look forward to winter citrus season, mostly because of blood oranges (duh), but meyer lemons are also a favorite of mine! They’re sweeter and not quite as tart and “lemony” as regular lemons, if that makes any sense!

They add the perfect amount of tart and sweet to this tahini sauce and it’s incredible on just about anything you want to add it to!

Overhead shot of a black nonstick skillet filled with crispy quinoa and a wooden spoon scooping some of the quinoa

The other game changer here: CRISPY QUINOA! I love quinoa as it is, and I think it has a great texture in it’s natural state, but here I crisped it up in a pan with a little olive oil and it’s SO good. It gets extra nutty too! Basically the only way I want to eat quinoa now!

Overhead close up shot of a bowl with chickpeas, sliced avocado, quinoa, roasted broccoli, tahini sauce, and a lemon wedge with a dark grey linen next to it

These are also super customizable. I know a lot of people are doing Whole 30 this month or people who follow a more paleo lifestyle in general, so you could totally use cauliflower rice instead of quinoa, or whatever vegetable rice you like!

Overhead shot of a rimmed baking sheet filled with roasted broccoli and roasted chickpeas

Same goes for the veggies, and the spices on the chickpeas too! You could sub cauliflower or whatever other veg you have on hand for the broccoli, and use whatever spices you like on the chickpeas. I happen to be obsessed with this dry harissa seasoning I found at Whole Foods, but you can use a mixture of garlic powder, smoked paprika, or even some curry powder! Basically, anything will work!

Overhead shot of a quinoa chickpea avocado roasted broccoli bowl being drizzled with tahini sauce with a spoon

My only requirement is that you make the tahini sauce and be generous with it. It’s soooo good! And this tahini is the only tahini worth buying, in my opinion. It’s absolutely insane. Super creamy, and it has incredible flavor. And no bitterness at all. Do yourself a favor and get some!

Close up shot of a bowl with chickpeas, sliced avocado, quinoa, roasted broccoli, tahini sauce, and a lemon wedge with a dark grey linen next to it

Also! I forgot to mention – I’ll be sharing mostly plant based recipes on the blog this month, as a way to kick off the New Year eating lots of super fun meals, loaded with vegetables. Definitely not sacrificing any flavor here. Mostly plant based is actually the way I eat most of the time in real life, and you guys made it clear that you wanted to see more of that this year!

So excited to share 2019 with you guys! Thank you as always for being here. <3

Overhead shot of a bowl with quinoa, chickpeas, roasted broccoli, sliced avocado, a lemon wedge, and tahini sauce with a black and silver fork next to the bowl

Overhead shot of a bowl with quinoa, chickpeas, roasted broccoli, sliced avocado, a lemon wedge, and tahini sauce with a black and silver fork next to the bowl
4.67 from 6 votes
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Crispy Quinoa Chickpea Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Meyer Lemon Tahini Sauce

These Crispy Quinoa Chickpea Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Meyer Lemon Tahini Sauce are a hearty, wholesome meal that are perfect to make for meal prep! The quinoa gets crisped up in a pan which makes for such incredible texture, and the chickpeas are roasted with harissa seasoning until crispy! The tahini sauce is absolutely delicious, citrusy, and slightly sweet - such a perfect bowl of healthy goodness!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main
Cuisine Gluten Free, Healthy, Plant Based, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword crispy quinoa chickpea bowls
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 3 -4
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the roasted broccoli

  • 2 medium heads broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the crispy chickpeas

  • 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon harissa seasoning*
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

For the tahini sauce

  • 1/2 cup tahini*
  • zest of 1 meyer lemon*
  • juice of 1 meyer lemon*
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon coconut aminos*
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup hot water

For the crispy quinoa

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cups cooked quinoa*

For serving

  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • a handful of chopped fresh parsley and chives
  • lemon wedges

Instructions

  1. Begin by making the roasted broccoli and crispy chickpeas (they can be roasted on one sheet pan). Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Place the broccoli on half of the pan, and the chickpeas on the other half. Drizzle the olive oil on the broccoli, and the olive oil on the chickpeas. Add salt and pepper to the broccoli and toss. Add the harissa seasoning and salt and pepper to the chickpeas and toss to coat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until chickpeas are golden and crispy, and the broccoli is golden on the edges.

  2. While the broccoli and chickpeas are roasting, make the tahini sauce. Whisk together the tahini, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, coconut aminos, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add the hot water and whisk again until completely smooth and creamy.

  3. Make the crispy quinoa. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the quinoa in a single layer and press down to flatten it into the pan. Cook for 2 minutes (don't touch!), then toss it around, and press it down into the pan again. Cook for another 2 minutes, then toss it around, and repeat 1-2 more times until quinoa is crispy and golden.

  4. To serve, top the crispy quinoa with the roasted broccoli and chickpeas, sliced avocado, a generous drizzle of tahini sauce, and a handful of chopped parsley and chives. Serve with lemon wedges if desired!

Recipe Notes

*If you can't find dry harissa seasoning (it's usually with all of the spices) you can use a mixture of smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder, or you can use curry powder, or whatever spices you like!
*This is the tahini I recommend and can't live without. It's incredible!
*You can sub meyer lemons for regular lemons if you can't find them.
*You can sub soy sauce or tamari for the coconut aminos.
*3/4 cup of dry quinoa yields about 3 cups cooked.
*Extra tahini sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week!

There may be an affiliate link(s) in this post, which means that if you click on a product link above and complete a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission at no extra cost to you! As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you SO much for reading!

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Filed Under: Clean Eats, Main Course Recipes, Popular Posts Tagged With: avocado, chickpea, crispy quinoa, easy, meal prep, meyer lemon, plant based, plant based protein, quinoa, roasted broccoli, tahini sauce, vegan, vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mika

    January 2, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    The crispy quinoa sounds like a great idea! i am definitely going to try it this weekend! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      January 3, 2019 at 11:33 am

      Thanks so much Mika! Let me know if you try it!!

      Reply
      • Mimi

        July 14, 2019 at 10:58 am

        5 stars
        Loved it!
        First try with roasted curried cauliflower .
        Now with broccoli .

        Reply
        • Spices in My DNA

          July 15, 2019 at 12:09 pm

          I’m so happy to hear that Mimi! Thank you so much!! I hope you love it with broccoli!

          Reply
  2. Erika

    October 9, 2019 at 8:20 am

    Made this for my bf and I last night and he said i should start a restaurant! I said it’s all from amazing food bloggers like you! Thanks for this wonderful healthy dinner idea.

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      October 9, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Hahahah omg I love this so much!!!! Thank you so much Erika!! Tell your bf I said thank you too 🙂 So thrilled that you both enjoyed it!

      Reply
  3. Colleen

    June 3, 2020 at 11:46 am

    I don’t have harissa seasoning but I have harissa paste, would that be a 1:1 substitute? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      June 4, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      Hi Colleen! I’d use a little bit more harissa paste, depending on how spicy it is. I find the harissa paste from Trader Joe’s to be much spicier than most brands, so if you have that one, I’d use a heaping teaspoon or so. If you have a milder brand like the Mina brand, I’d use up to a tablespoon! If you taste the harissa beforehand you can probably gauge it, but I’d use anywhere from a heaping teaspoon to 1 tablespoon. Hope this helps!

      Reply
  4. Robin

    June 26, 2020 at 6:12 pm

    Very good recipe.

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      July 8, 2020 at 8:40 am

      Thank you so much Robin!

      Reply
  5. Liz

    September 17, 2020 at 1:20 pm

    5 stars
    Yum!!! I’m branching out and trying more vegetarian meals and this is soooooo good! It makes a lot of dressing so next time I will make two batches of the broccoli and chick peas. I want to put the dressing on everything and anything!

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      September 19, 2020 at 4:35 pm

      Thank you so much Liz! I am so happy to hear that 🙂 It’s definitely one of my favorite weeknight vegetarian meals. So glad it was a hit!

      Reply
  6. Suzanne

    December 15, 2020 at 3:01 pm

    This looks so good! Do you use this tahini sauce for any other recipes?

    Reply
  7. Sophie

    March 27, 2022 at 10:52 pm

    4 stars
    This was really good! I was a little confused by the quinoa because by just toasting it and not cooking it in liquid, it didn’t get cooked. It was kind of hard and unpleasant to eat, so I ended up toasting it per the directions and then adding water and cooking like normal, which worked well. Delicious dressing!

    Reply
  8. Sophie

    March 27, 2022 at 10:54 pm

    5 stars
    Ok, I’m such a loser. I didn’t see until AFTER making this that the ingredients say COOKED quinoa. Makes a lot more sense now. 😉

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      March 31, 2022 at 12:20 pm

      Omg no worries!! So happy you enjoyed it regardless 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a rating and comment, I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  9. Moira

    July 28, 2022 at 7:14 pm

    4 stars
    Just made this and it’s so good. Love the toasted quinoa idea. Will be doubling this when my son “the King of Quinoa” visits.
    Thanks for a great recipe

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      August 8, 2022 at 2:57 pm

      Thanks so much Moira! I really appreciate it! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Sonya

    October 9, 2022 at 10:39 pm

    5 stars
    I made this for my family last night and everyone loved it! I was anticipating a large amount of leftovers, as there are only 3 people in my family, but we ate all of it. My youngest was skeptical of the chickpeas but she tried them and actually liked them! I can’t wait to make this again. It is definitely a new family favorite. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Spices in My DNA

      October 17, 2022 at 11:32 am

      I am so happy to hear it was a hit with the whole family! Thanks so much, Sonya 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Blackberry Feta Crispy Quinoa Salad with Basil Vinaigrette says:
    May 6, 2019 at 6:53 am

    […] my FAVORITE part of this salad – crispy quinoa! You guys have been freaking out over these crispy quinoa chickpea bowls ever since I posted them in January, with good reason! Crispy quinoa is such a game […]

    Reply

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Welcome! I'm so happy you're here. This is the space where I share healthy recipes with a sprinkle of indulgence mixed in! I’m wildly passionate about food, and I grew up in a family of foodies. I was surrounded by it from an early age and immediately fell in love. I love to share super flavorful, unique, and healthy recipes, as well as indulgent, comforting meals we all need from time to time!

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