Weeknight ease with weekend flavor? These Mediterranean-inspired nourish bowl do it all! Waves of flavor come from roasted eggplant and chickpeas, Greek-inspired lemon rice, an herby tomato cucumber salad, and creamy tahini sauce. It’s the best of summer, all in one bowl!
It’s a fresh, flavorful, satisfying plant-based meal that’s easy to make and been on repeat in our kitchens lately. Let’s make it!
These nourish bowls begin with roasting eggplant and chickpeas until golden brown and caramelized. While they’re roasting, we get the other three components ready: grains, salad, and sauce!
Our NEW Greek-Inspired Lemon Rice is our grain of choice in this recipe, but white rice or quinoa are other quick-cooking options that pair nicely.
Next comes a fresh, crunchy, Mediterranean-inspired salad with tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, kalamata olives, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and optional fresh parsley for an herby boost!
The final touch that brings it all together is a creamy, 3-ingredient tahini sauce with tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Water thins it out into a pourable sauce. All that’s left is to assemble and enjoy!
We hope you LOVE these Mediterranean-inspired nourish bowls! They’re:
Fresh
Bright
Flavorful
Satisfying
Nourishing
& SO delicious!
We’ve been making this recipe on repeat for weekly meal prep and when craving an easy + delicious dinner. With 10+ grams of fiber per serving, it’s filled with major plant-based satisfaction!
More Nourishing Bowl Meals
Garlic & Herb Sweet Potato Nourish Bowl (30 Minutes!)Roasted Chickpea & Veggie Bowls with Green Tahini SauceSpicy Black Eyed Pea Nourish BowlsHearty White Bean Caesar Salad Bowls
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Mediterranean-Inspired Nourish Bowls
Mediterranean-inspired nourish bowls with roasted eggplant, chickpeas, lemon rice, tomato-cucumber salad, and creamy tahini sauce. A fresh, flavorful, plant-based bowl that’s easy to make! Print SAVE SAVED
from votes Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 20 minutes Total Time 40 minutes Servings 4Course EntreeCuisine Gluten-Free, Mediterranean-Inspired, Nut-Free, VeganFreezer Friendly NoDoes it keep? 3-4 Days
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Ingredients
US Customary – Metric
EGGPLANT
1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (1 eggplant yields ~5 cups or 400 g)1 ½ Tbsp olive oil1/4 tsp sea salt
CHICKPEAS
1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or sub ~1 ½ cups homemade)1 Tbsp olive oil1/4 tsp sea salt
GRAINS
1 batch Easy Greek-Inspired Lemon Rice (or ~3 cups or 475 g cooked white rice or quinoa)
SALAD
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (1 pint yields ~2 cups or 360 g)1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (we like English cucumbers but regular work as well // 1 cucumber yields ~250 g or 1 cup)1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares (1 bell pepper yields ~1 ½ cups or 90 g)1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional but recommended)1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives (optional but recommended)3 Tbsp lemon juice1 Tbsp olive oil1/4 tsp sea salt
SAUCE
1/3 cup tahini2-3 Tbsp lemon juice1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt1/4 cup water
Instructions
EGGPLANT & CHICKPEAS: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your cubed eggplant on one side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss to coat. To the other half of the large baking sheet, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss to coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant and chickpeas are golden brown and caramelized. The eggplant should be soft to the touch.GRAINS: Meanwhile, prepare your grain of choice: lemon rice, white rice, or quinoa.SALAD: While your grain is cooking, make the salad. To a large mixing bowl, add quartered cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, chopped green bell pepper, optional chopped parsley, and chopped kalamata olives. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Stir well to combine. Set aside until ready to serve.SAUCE: To a small mixing bowl, add tahini, lemon juice, sea salt, and water. Whisk well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt for saltiness, lemon for zing, water to loosen, or tahini to make thicker. Any leftover sauce is great on veggies, grains, or proteins.Assemble your bowls: Divide the rice (or quinoa), eggplant, chickpeas, and salad between serving bowls and drizzle each with ~1-2 Tbsp of tahini sauce.Each component can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The rice or quinoa is freezer-friendly, but the other components are not.
Notes
*Recipe as written makes ~2/3 cup tahini sauce, which is enough for generously topping the bowls or having leftover sauce for other meals.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with half of the tahini sauce and without optional ingredients.
Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 527 Carbohydrates: 66.4 g Protein: 12.3 g Fat: 26.3 g Saturated Fat: 3.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.7 g Monounsaturated Fat: 14.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 885 mg Potassium: 729 mg Fiber: 10.6 g Sugar: 10.7 g Vitamin A: 158 IU Vitamin C: 49 mg Calcium: 75 mg Iron: 2.6 mg