Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Zaatar Tahini Dressing
Don't know what to do with the zaatar in your pantry? Make my Vegan Quinoa Bowl with Zaatar Tahini Dressing. This bowl is going to be your dinner on repeat for the next week because it is so satisfying and so nutritious. Since it's the winter, I want to incorporate more warm meals for you guys. I learned from my Arab grandmother and even Ayurvedic medicine that feeding your body warm, cooked foods in the winter aids in digestion and promotes easier gut motility. So, this hearty quinoa bowl is going to be your best friend. Not only is it a warm bowl, but it's packed full with dietary fiber from the chickpeas, quinoa, and broccoli, which your gut will love as well.
When I make recipes my mind is always stuck to making Mediterranean inspired foods the most, but hey, they are the best kind in my opinion, wink wink*. This is my #1 favorite nourish bowl I've ever made because of the earthy taste the zaatar brings to the table. I could have this everyday of my life, and I hope you are able to incorporate it into your lives as well.
You're going to need quinoa, chickpeas, white mushrooms, broccoli, green bell pepper, shallots, garlic, walnuts, and tahini to make this nutritious bowl. So, if you are vegan, dairy free, and/or gluten free this bowl is calling your name. Let's get to the recipe!
Yields: 1
Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian, and vegan. If you are nut-free, please opt out of the tahini and walnuts and substitute for a dressing of your choice!
Ingredients:
1. 1 cup quinoa
2. 1 bunch of chopped broccoli
3. ½ cup of canned chickpeas, drained & washed (you can use fresh chickpeas as well)
4. ½ cup of thinly chopped whole white mushrooms
5. 1 shallot, finely diced
6. 1/4 green bell pepper, finely diced
7. 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
8. 1/4 cup walnuts, crushed
9. Extra virgin olive oil
10. Salt
11. Black pepper, garlic powder, zaatar, Aleppo pepper
12. Tahini
13. ½ lemon
Instructions:
1. First, grab a small pot and pour in 2 cups of water and then 1 cup of quinoa. Cook the quinoa on medium-high heat until all of the quinoa has soaked up the water. This will need roughly 10 minutes. Salt the water.
2. While you're waiting for the quinoa to cook, prepare the garlic, shallots, green bell pepper, broccoli, and mushrooms.
3. Have your chickpeas on hand.
4. Now, grab a large-sized frying pan and add 2 TBSPs of olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the chopped green bell pepper, shallots, and garlic. Allow them to simmer and once you can smell the garlic, add in the mushrooms, broccoli, and chickpeas.
5. Season with salt to taste, black pepper to your liking, ½ TBSP garlic powder, 1 TSP Aleppo pepper, and 1 TBSP zaatar. Stir in the seasonings and allow the veggies and chickpeas to fully cook. They will not need more than 8-10 minutes.
6. Do a taste test to see if you’d like to add more salt. Add if necessary. Remember that the quinoa and tahini will be salty.
7. The quinoa should be done, turn the heat off and remove the quinoa from the heat to cool.
8. Let's put the bowl together: grab a serving bowl of choice and add roughly 1 cup or more of the quinoa into the bowl. Add the veggies and chickpeas on top. Crush walnuts in your hands and add on top of the bowl.
10. In a separate small bowl, add in 3 TBSPs of tahini, ½ lemon, and a splash of water. Mix well until the tahini is a creamier consistency. Keep adding water until the consistency is creamy. Salt to taste and add ½ TBSP of zaatar. Mix again.
11. Add onto the nourish bowl and enjoy!
Xoxo,
#averagearabgirl 💋