Roasted Chickpea Buddha Bowl (Printable)

A wholesome bowl featuring crispy chickpeas, roasted veggies, rice, and tahini sauce, perfect for lunch or dinner.

# What You'll Need:

→ Roasted Chickpeas

01 - 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 tbsp olive oil
03 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
04 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
05 - 1/2 tsp garlic powder
06 - 1/2 tsp salt
07 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Roasted Vegetables

08 - 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
09 - 1 red bell pepper, chopped
10 - 1 small red onion, sliced
11 - 1 small zucchini, sliced
12 - 2 tbsp olive oil
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp black pepper

→ Rice

15 - 1 cup brown rice
16 - 2 cups water
17 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Tahini Sauce

18 - 1/4 cup tahini
19 - 2 tbsp lemon juice
20 - 2 tbsp water
21 - 1 clove garlic, minced
22 - 1/2 tsp maple syrup or honey
23 - 1/4 tsp salt

→ Assembly

24 - 3.5 oz baby spinach or mixed greens
25 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or cilantro
26 - Lemon wedges (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - Pat chickpeas dry with paper towels. Toss with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Spread evenly on one baking sheet.
03 - Toss sweet potato, bell pepper, onion, and zucchini with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread on the second baking sheet in a single layer.
04 - Roast both sheets for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until chickpeas are crispy and vegetables are tender and caramelized.
05 - Rinse rice under cold water. In a saucepan, combine rice, water, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 30 to 35 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork.
06 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, water, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt until smooth. Adjust water amount for desired consistency.
07 - Divide rice evenly into four bowls. Top with roasted chickpeas, roasted vegetables, and baby spinach or greens. Drizzle with tahini sauce and garnish with chopped herbs and lemon wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Those roasted chickpeas hit a crunch that makes you feel like you're eating something decadent, not depressing.
  • Everything roasts at once, which means you can actually relax instead of hovering over the stove like a nervous parent.
  • The tahini sauce tastes so creamy and complex that people always ask if you went to culinary school.
02 -
  • If your chickpeas aren't crispy after thirty minutes, they need more time—crispy takes patience, and there's no shortcut that doesn't involve turning up the heat and risking burnt paprika.
  • The tahini sauce gets thicker as it sits, so make it last and add water gradually until it's pourable—a thick tahini sauce is an unhappy tahini sauce.
03 -
  • Make extra tahini sauce and keep it in a jar in the fridge—it becomes the solution to almost every lunch problem you'll have.
  • If you're meal prepping, roast everything the night before but assemble the bowls right before eating so the greens stay crisp and the textures stay distinct.
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