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Fresh Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl with Creamy Tzatziki

Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl - featured image
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A quick, easy, and healthy Mediterranean-inspired chickpea bowl featuring seasoned chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and a creamy homemade tzatziki sauce. Perfect for a nutritious lunch or light dinner.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cucumber, diced
  • ½ red onion, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
  • 1 small handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ cucumber, peeled and grated
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Optional garnishes: crumbled feta cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, fresh mint leaves

Instructions

  1. Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas under cold water for 1-2 minutes. Pat dry with a kitchen towel and place in a large bowl.
  2. Add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional), salt, and pepper to the chickpeas. Stir gently to coat evenly and let marinate while prepping vegetables.
  3. Halve 1 cup cherry tomatoes, dice ½ cucumber, thinly slice ½ red onion, halve ½ cup pitted kalamata olives, and roughly chop a small handful of fresh parsley. Add all to the bowl with chickpeas and toss gently to combine.
  4. Peel and grate ½ cucumber for the tzatziki, then squeeze out excess moisture. In a medium bowl, combine grated cucumber, ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, salt, and pepper. Stir until creamy and smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
  5. Spoon the chickpea and vegetable mixture into serving bowls. Top each with a generous dollop of creamy tzatziki. Optionally, sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese, drizzle with olive oil, and garnish with fresh mint leaves.
  6. Gently stir before eating to combine flavors. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to two days.

Notes

Rinse chickpeas thoroughly to remove canned flavor. For milder onion flavor, soak sliced onions in cold water for 10 minutes. If tzatziki is too thick, thin with cold water or more lemon juice. For vegan version, substitute Greek yogurt with coconut or almond yogurt and omit feta. Store tzatziki separately for up to 3 days. The bowl keeps well refrigerated for 2 days; add tzatziki just before serving to keep veggies crisp.

Nutrition

Keywords: Mediterranean, chickpea bowl, tzatziki, healthy lunch, easy recipe, vegetarian, gluten-free, quick meal

Find it online: https://emmastirs.com/fresh-mediterranean-chickpea-bowl-recipe-easy-healthy-lunch-idea-with-creamy-tzatziki/