Chickpea Spicy Quinoa Bowls

Protein-packed Spicy Chickpea Quinoa Bowls are loaded with flavor, reliable for meal prep and are easily made in just 20 minutes! Drizzle the lemony tahini dressing over top for even more flavor!

There is only one word needed to describe these chickpeas and that word is FLAVOR. This recipe has been on the site for almost 10 years now, but A cook wanted to share some fresh new photos and show just how EASY these are to meal prep. This is literally one of the favorite go-to recipes and is reliable for weekly lunches because not only can you whip this up in 20 minutes, but it is a

This lemony tahini dressing is completely optional, but tastes great drizzled over the spicy chickpeas and really balances out all those flavors. Here's what you will need:

What goes in

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth, or water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 (15 ounces) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounces) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like a lot of heat!
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt + cracked black pepper
• 3 tablespoons water, or more depending on the consistency

How it comes together

1. To make quinoa, rinse and soak for about 10 minutes in warm water. Bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a boil in a small saucepan, drain quinoa and add to boiling broth. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer, cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow quinoa to sit for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork; hold nearby.
2. Use a wide skillet over a lively burner, drizzle olive oil and sauté onion and garlic until the aroma shows, about 3 minutes. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients (minus the cilantro), stirring to combine. Cover the pan and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a blender (or you could whisk all the ingredients together) and blend until smooth. Feel free to add more water one tablespoon at a time until you get the desired consistency.
4. To assemble the bowls, spoon about a 1/2 cup of quinoa in a bowl along with a heaping 1/2 cup of the chickpea mixture and drizzle with tahini sauce, if desired. Other additions could be leafy greens, cucumbers, extra cilantro and lemon slices.