The reason behind this series: 95% of Americans do not obtain the recommended dietary amount for fiber, which is at least 25 grams for women and 38 grams for men. Fiber is an essential nutrient that is found in most plant-based foods like grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruits. They are key for proper brain health, heart health, and most importantly digestive (gut) health. Increasing your fiber intake daily is going to improve your daily life in so many ways. Studies show that with an increased fiber intake, the healthier our gut bacteria is, which is linked to an increase in our serotonin (happy hormone) levels. So, fiber basically makes us happier and better humans!
The fourth recipe in my "Turning Fiber into 5 Flavorful Balanced Dinner Recipes" series is my Harissa Hummus Tofu Bowl. The more plants we can get into our bodies, the more diverse our gut microbiome will be, aka the healthier we will be. I think...this is the recipe with the most fiber all in one bowl. A whole 20 grams making it the daily required amount of fiber for women and about ½ the daily required amount for men. From the broccoli to the quinoa to the chickpeas and to the hummus, I tried to build a bowl for you to show you that fiber comes in all different forms - grain, legume, veggie, and dip!
All you have to do is boil the quinoa on the side while you bake the tofu, broccoli, and chickpeas all on one sheet pan. I can totally see you saying, Jasmin... I'm not sure about the flavors of all of these, are they going to taste good together? Yes, because of the delicious and spicy harissa hummus that you're going to make it to tie it all together. This recipe is not time consuming and it can be whipped up after any long day. The best part is, you can make a larger quantity of it to have extras for the following days to come. I still have hummus, quinoa and tofu leftover, so all I have to do is cook chickpeas and broccoli and I have the same dinner all over again. Let's get to the recipe!
Yields: 1
Portion: 1 bowl
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 25-30 minutes
Total time: 45-50 minutes
This recipe is dairy free, gluten free, and vegan.
Ingredients:
1 cup white quinoa
1 cup cubed tofu
1-2 cups broccoli florets
½ cup canned chickpeas, drained and washed Extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cornstarch
Salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Paprika
Cumin
Harissa Hummus
1 14oz can of chickpeas (keep the aquafoba on the side for later use.)
3 garlic cloves
½ tsp kosher salt (to your liking)
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp harissa
Instructions:
1. Prep: Preheat oven to 400. Grab a small pot and add quinoa in with 2 cups of water. Add salt to taste. Cook quinoa covered, on medium high heat until water has been soaked up. In the meantime, on a baking sheet, add broccoli, tofu, and chickpeas.
2. Season: Coat all with olive oil. Add cornstarch to just tofu and toss. Season tofu with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to your liking. Toss seasonings in well. Season broccoli with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to your liking. Toss seasonings in well. Season chickpeas with 1/4 tsp cumin, ½ tsp paprika. Season chickpeas with salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to liking. Toss seasonings in well. Bake in oven until chickpeas and tofu are crispy on the outside.
3. Make hummus: make sure your chickpeas are drained, but keep that aquafoba on the side for the hummus. Grab a blender and dump the chickpeas in. Pour in of extra virgin olive oil, tahini, and the juice of lemon. Purée. PSA: do not let the hummus get to a smoothie consistency. We want it to be thick yet creamy. Add a splash of aquafoba if need be. It may still be too thick. Puree. You can use a tamper to manually blend as well, sometimes the chickpeas can be stubborn. Add the harissa, garlic cloves, salt. Puree. Add a splash of aquafoba if need be. Puree. Taste test to see if the hummus needs more salt, tahini, olive oil, or lemon. Add those ingredients and pulse. Scoop hummus out into a container and let it cool in the fridge for an hour (if you have the time).
4. Serve: grab a bowl of choice, add in 1 cup quinoa, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup tofu, and the chickpeas. Top with 2 tbsp harissa hummus. Drizzle olive oil if you'd like. Enjoy!
