Roasted Carrot & Chickpea Bowl with Tahini Dressing

“Bowls” are one of the easiest things to prep for weekday lunches; I love trying different combinations of flavors and the easy formula of vegetable + grain/bean + protein. And, with the recent plant based trend, I’ve been more mindful of my meat consumption, and these bowls offer the perfect opportunity to go full veg while still having something incredibly hearty and satisfying.

This bowl in particular was inspired by roasted carrots. Truthfully, overall I’m not a huge carrot fan - they’ve just never wowed me. But the first time I had roasted carrots it totally changed the game - I’m obsessed with how sweet/savory they get when they’ve been essentially caramelized by the heat. So I built this bowl around them - accompanied by some tangy green, creamy chickpeas, and nutty dressing. Plus some pan fried tofu, but any protein (grilled chicken? sauteed shrimp?) would be a great addition.

Roasted Carrot & Chickpea Bowl with Tahini Dressing (makes 5 meals)

• Carrots

  • 6-8 large carrots

  • 2 T olive oil

  • Salt and pepper

• Greens

  • 2 T olive oil

  • 2 large bunches of greens (kale, collards, etc.) chopped, or 1 bag of the pre-chopped stuff

  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 T apple cider vinegar

  • Salt and pepper

• 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 20 oz of your favorite protein

• Dressing

  • 3 T tahini

  • Juice of 1 lemon

  • Salt

  • 1 t garlic powder

I prepare the following items in advance, which are put together daily for a lunch bowl. To reheat, I use the microwave if I’m at work, or saute protein and veggies in a nonstick pan and then add the dressing.

To make the carrots:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the carrots in half lengthwise, then cut horizontally into thirds (resulting in some nice chunks). Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread across a baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, toss, and roast 20 minutes more, until well cooked through and starting to caramelize on the edges. Store in an air tight container.

To make the greens:

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until it becomes translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the greens and saute until they are wilted but still green, about 10 minutes (you may need to add the greens in batches, which is ok). Add salt, pepper and vinegar and toss to combine. Store in an airtight container.

To make the dressing:

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients into a thick paste. Add water, a tablespoon at a time, to obtain your desired consistency (I like ranch dressing consistency which is thin but still sticks to the veggies)

To put the bowl together:

Divide the carrots, greens, chickpeas and protein into 5 containers (or just serve 1/5 into a container on the day of). Heat either in the microwave or toss in a lightly oiled nonstick skillet until warmed through. Drizzle with dressing and enjoy.