Crunchy Mediterranean Chickpea Bowl (Vegan)

-->

Serves 4

Recipe from Real Simple Magazine

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This dinner was light, but satisfying and so tasty.  It always delights me to find a dish that’s yummy and healthful made out of such simple ingredients.  I served this pretty platter of goodness along with WASA Thin Crackers and Clementine orange segments.  

1 large beet, peeled

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

4 ½ Tablespoons olive oil, divided

¼ cup lemon juice, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

1 (15.5 oz.) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained (I used 2 cups chickpeas that I had prepared from dried.)

1 cup whole-wheat couscous

1 1/2 cups water or vegetable broth

1 Tablespoon tahini (This is sesame seed paste.)

1 teaspoon agave syrup or honey (Use agave syrup if you wish to keep this vegan.)

1 cup prepared baba ghanouj (This is roasted eggplant dip.)

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Grate the beet on the largest holes of a box grater.  (You might wish to use rubber gloves to protect your hands from beet stains while doing this.) Toss with the caraway seeds, 1 ½ Tablespoon olive oil, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chickpeas; cook, stirring, until brown and crispy, about 15 minutes.  Season with ¼ teaspoon salt.

Bring 1 ½ cups water or vegetable broth to a boil in a small pot.  Add the couscous and ¼ teaspoon salt, cover, and remove from heat; let steam while the chickpeas cook.  Fluff with a fork.

Whisk the tahini with the honey, remaining 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, and remaining ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper.  (I heated the honey in the microwave for a few seconds, which made it easier to blend in with the tahini.)

Place all the components on a platter and drizzle with the tahini-honey sauce.  Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Nutritional Info:  According to my calculations, 1 of 4 servings is 363 calories and 7.0 grams fiber.