Mediterranean Garden Bowl
This Mediterranean Garden Bowl is a fresh and vibrant vegetarian meal, packed with colorful vegetables, chickpeas, and a zingy lemon-herb dressing that ties everything together.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas (about 0.75 cup dry)
- 1 large cucumber
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 0.5 medium red onion
- 1 large yellow bell pepper
- 0.5 cup pitted Kalamata olives
- 100 grams feta cheese
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley
- 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To prepare the chickpeas, if using dry chickpeas: Rinse 0.75 cup dry chickpeas and soak them in plenty of water overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas. In a large pot, combine the soaked chickpeas with enough fresh water to cover them by about 5 centimeters. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until tender. Drain and let them cool down. If using canned chickpeas, simply drain and rinse 1.5 cups canned chickpeas thoroughly.
- Wash 1 large cucumber, 2 Roma tomatoes, 1 large yellow bell pepper, and 0.25 cup fresh parsley. Finely dice 1 large cucumber. Chop 2 Roma tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Slice 0.5 medium red onion very thinly. Chop 1 large yellow bell pepper into small cubes. Roughly chop 0.25 cup fresh parsley.
- Crumble 100 grams feta cheese into small pieces. Slice 0.5 cup pitted Kalamata olives in half.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 0.25 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 0.5 teaspoon salt, and 0.25 teaspoon black pepper until well combined. This is your lemon-herb dressing.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas, the diced cucumber, chopped Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion, cubed yellow bell pepper, halved Kalamata olives, and crumbled feta cheese. Pour the prepared lemon-herb dressing over the mixture and gently toss everything together until all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Divide the Mediterranean Garden Bowl mixture evenly among four serving bowls. Garnish each bowl with the chopped 0.25 cup fresh parsley and serve immediately.