Fitness / September 15, 2024

Mediterranean Bowl

This prep-friendly bowl deliciously covers all the food groups!

Table of Contents

We’re all busy, but we still need to eat healthy, right? That’s why bowl meals are a fantastic solution for providing a quality dinner after a long day.

This bowl perfectly blends colors, textures, flavors, and food groups. There’s something for everyone here. Get everyone involved in the preparation, and they’ll be much more likely to get interested in the devouring as well. Even young children can help mix the dressing, rinse the beans, and crumble the feta!

You’ll love how this Mediterranean bowl fills you up. This is a great prep-ahead meal for fast suppers. Best of all, it’s also easy to pack away extras for lunches the following day.

Other simple recipes to prep ahead for your busy week include one pan Mexican quinoa casserole in the slow cooker, easy homemade crockpot vegetable soup, and this healthy and delicious Buddha bowl recipe.

Is Mediterranean Bowl Healthy?

This is quality nutrition in a bowl. It’s low in calories, has the right amount of good fat and plenty of fiber, and it’s high in protein, iron, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. What’s not to love? It’s also vegetarian, and if you’d like to make it vegan, simply use non-dairy feta and double-check the ingredients in your hummus and Tahini sauce, but they should be fine.

Substitutions and additions for the Mediterranean Bowl

This recipe is perfect as written, but you may want to switch things up once in a while. You’re only limited by your imagination here. Replace the quinoa with rice, cauliflower rice, or couscous. Use different types of cheese. Try green onion or scallions instead of red onion. Substitute in bok choy for the cucumber. Try cooked white beans or lentils instead of chickpeas. Go ahead and add grilled salmon for an extra special treat.

Add some more unusual ingredients, whatever your favorites are, or whatever is on hand. Suggestions are avocado, citrus fruit wedges, bean threads, sprouts, nuts, seeds, yogurt, Kimchi, corn salsa, or mango salsa.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 large English cucumber, quartered
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
1 handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup hummus
Tahini sauce for drizzling

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare

Cook quinoa and distribute into bowls.

Assemble

Add vegetables, hummus, and toppings to each bowl.

Serve

Finish with feta and tahini sauce.

Devour!

FAQs & Tips

How to Make Ahead and Store?

This is the perfect dish to make ahead and store. Keep the ingredients in separate airtight containers and the tomatoes out of the fridge! The quinoa or other grain is quick and easy to reheat in the microwave or a pan with a bit of water.

What is Tahini?

Tahini is made from ground hulled sesame seeds, with oil and salt occasionally added. It’s easy to make your own at home. While lemon juice isn’t part of tahini itself, it’s often added to brighten its flavor in recipes. Tahini is rich in fiber, protein, and essential minerals.

What are the components of a bowl?

Typically, a bowl consists of a grain, a protein, greens, veggies, and a sauce to bring it all together. Toppings such as seeds, nuts, or nutritional yeast are always an option. The great thing about bowls is you can add more of your absolute favorite component without throwing off the overall effect. I think of the amounts listed in a bowl recipe as a suggestion!

Serving Suggestions

With this Mediterranean Bowl, you have it all! But you may want to offer drinks and have a dessert ready for later. For a refreshing (and healthy) beverage, try cucumber mint water. An easy frozen sangria recipe gives a hint of the Mediterranean area.

Want something sweet and healthy? Paleo lemon bars feel like a splurge, but they’re relatively guilt-free. If you consider chocolate a food group, how about coconut flour chocolate paleo mug cake? And, in keeping with the bowl theme, try this banana split vegan smoothie bowl.

Mediterranean Bowl

A very simple meal to prep ahead of time, this bowl has something from every beautiful food group!

Course Dinner

Cuisine Mediterranean

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 292kcal

Author Dale Ann Edmiston

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked chickpeas rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 large English cucumber quartered
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives halved
1 handful fresh parsley roughly chopped
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup hummus
Tahini sauce for drizzling

Instructions

Prepare the quinoa according to package instructions and divide evenly into 4 bowls.
Top each bowl with equal amounts of cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, olives, fresh parsley, and a scoop of hummus.
Sprinkle feta cheese over each bowl and drizzle with tahini sauce before serving.