Weeknight ease with weekend flavor? These Mediterranean-inspired nourish bowl do it all! Waves of flavor come from roasted eggplant and chickpeas, Greek-inspired lemon rice, an herby tomato cucumber salad, and creamy tahini sauce. It’s the best of summer, all in one bowl!
It’s a fresh, flavorful, satisfying plant-based meal that’s easy to make and been on repeat in our kitchens lately. Let’s make it!
These nourish bowls begin with roasting eggplant and chickpeas until golden brown and caramelized. While they’re roasting, we get the other three components ready: grains, salad, and sauce!
Our NEW Greek-Inspired Lemon Rice is our grain of choice in this recipe, but white rice or quinoa are other quick-cooking options that pair nicely.
Next comes a fresh, crunchy, Mediterranean-inspired salad with tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, kalamata olives, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and optional fresh parsley for an herby boost!
The final touch that brings it all together is a creamy, 3-ingredient tahini sauce with tahini, lemon juice, and salt. Water thins it out into a pourable sauce. All that’s left is to assemble and enjoy!
We hope you LOVE these Mediterranean-inspired nourish bowls! They’re:
Fresh
Bright
Flavorful
Satisfying
Nourishing
& SO delicious!
We’ve been making this recipe on repeat for weekly meal prep and when craving an easy + delicious dinner. With 10+ grams of fiber per serving, it’s filled with major plant-based satisfaction!
More Nourishing Bowl Meals
- Garlic & Herb Sweet Potato Nourish Bowl (30 Minutes!)
- Roasted Chickpea & Veggie Bowls with Green Tahini Sauce
- Spicy Black Eyed Pea Nourish Bowls
- Hearty White Bean Caesar Salad Bowls
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy Mediterranean-Inspired Nourish Bowls
Ingredients
EGGPLANT
- 1 medium eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (1 eggplant yields ~5 cups or 400 g)
- 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
CHICKPEAS
- 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or sub ~1 ½ cups homemade)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
GRAINS
- 1 batch Easy Greek-Inspired Lemon Rice (or ~3 cups or 475 g cooked white rice or quinoa)
SALAD
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered (1 pint yields ~2 cups or 360 g)
- 1 medium cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (we like English cucumbers but regular work as well // 1 cucumber yields ~250 g or 1 cup)
- 1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch squares (1 bell pepper yields ~1 ½ cups or 90 g)
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley (optional but recommended)
- 1/3 cup chopped kalamata olives (optional but recommended)
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
SAUCE
- 1/3 cup tahini
- 2-3 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/8-1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup water
Instructions
- EGGPLANT & CHICKPEAS: Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place your cubed eggplant on one side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss to coat. To the other half of the large baking sheet, add the drained and rinsed chickpeas, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and toss to coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the eggplant and chickpeas are golden brown and caramelized. The eggplant should be soft to the touch.
- GRAINS: Meanwhile, prepare your grain of choice: lemon rice, white rice, or quinoa.
- SALAD: While your grain is cooking, make the salad. To a large mixing bowl, add quartered cherry tomatoes, diced cucumber, chopped green bell pepper, optional chopped parsley, and chopped kalamata olives. Add lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt. Stir well to combine. Set aside until ready to serve.
- SAUCE: To a small mixing bowl, add tahini, lemon juice, sea salt, and water. Whisk well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt for saltiness, lemon for zing, water to loosen, or tahini to make thicker. Any leftover sauce is great on veggies, grains, or proteins.
- Assemble your bowls: Divide the rice (or quinoa), eggplant, chickpeas, and salad between serving bowls and drizzle each with ~1-2 Tbsp of tahini sauce.
- Each component can be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The rice or quinoa is freezer-friendly, but the other components are not.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with half of the tahini sauce and without optional ingredients.
Blythe says
Really loved this, though we did make some changes. I subbed zucchini and cauliflower for the eggplant and chick peas and a turmeric rice with toasted almonds instead of lemon. Salad and tahini sauce were made as written. A huge hit with the whole family
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Blythe! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Stephanie Brown says
This was really delicious! I only wish I’d made a double batch, so we could have had leftovers for lunch. :)
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie! Thank you for sharing! xo
Caryn Shore-Genack says
You know what would be even more authentic than rice (except for stuffed grape leaves)?! Taboule, mini couscous or pilaf! I would also sub parsley for mint (of “nana”)! And roast the chickpeas in zaatar prior, BUT I STILL want to make this “bowl” for lunch every day forever.
Yum, those ideas all sound delicious!
Caryn Shore-Genack says
I love that you read and comment on the comments all the time! It makes me feel like a valued contributor to your community!
Aw, thank you for letting us know, Caryn! Reading and replying to comments is the best part of our day :)
Josie says
Loved so much about this. Thank you! The lemon rice was overpowering — any suggestions to balance that strong flavor? Full disclosure I subbed a scoop of hummus for the tahini sauce so maybe that was part of my problem? A lot of chopping — could the food processor do the salad?
We’re glad you enjoyed it overall, Josie! Subbing hummus should be fine. Is it possible you used bottled lemon juice instead of freshly squeezed? That would have a stronger flavor! Feel free to use less lemon juice/zest in the rice next time. We aren’t sure a food processor would work for chopping because the veggies would be either a sliced or grated texture. You could use a veggie chopper (like this one)! Or if you don’t already have a large cutting board and sharp chef’s knife, those will also make chopping feel more effortless. Hope that helps!
Cindy says
Flawless recipe from top to bottom! Loved the crispy chickpeas and caramelized eggplant, paired with the lemon rice (which is amazing, btw). The whole thing came together fast and was so delicious!
Whoop! So glad you enjoyed it, Cindy! Thanks so much for the lovely review. xo
Methinee Bozeman says
We had this for dinner tonight and it was FIRE! I may have over crisped the chickpeas but I did follow the recipe and also made the lemon rice – which is KEY! If you’re questioning this, DON’T- just make it! I added some vegan butter at the end because, why not? And I roasted cauliflower instead of eggplant. I bought a store made (sorry) tahini garlic sauce and combining everything was a party in our mouth! Thank you for another delicious meal!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Methinee. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
The Vegan Goddess says
I don’t see a review from me on here but I made this dish a while ago and loved it.
Such a great combination of ingredients and the dressing for this really completes and complements it.
Thank you for leaving a review! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe! xo
Lisa says
I made this with cauliflower as that was what I had in my fridge (I will try with eggplant too!), and we added feta. The lemon rice + veg + tahini was amazing! My veggie loving 15 year old daughter proclaimed that ‘we are making this one again!’ Thanks!
Yay! We’re so glad you and your daughter both enjoyed this one. Thank you for the lovely review, Lisa! xo
Ellie says
I was coming to ask for eggplant subs because my partner is allergic to them. I was thinking of cauliflower, so appreciate seeing this review. Thanks!
Tasia says
Absolutely perfect, no changes made. I have made this recipe a few times now and it is always a huge hit! I definitely recommend using the lemon rice instead of normal.
We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying this recipe, Tasia! Thank you for sharing! xo
Coby says
I loved everything about this dish- it’s exactly how I like to eat when the weather turns warmer: fresh, healthy, light yet filling, and bright flavors. That lemon rice…wowza! Love this!
Yay! We’re so glad you loved the lemon rice and bowls :) We appreciate your review, as always, Coby! xoxo
Jena says
I’m always looking for super satisfying plant based meals and this is now one of them! The tahini sauce really completes the dish. I swapped the eggplant for zucchini and served with lentil rice for extra protein. 10/10!
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Jena. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your great modifications! xo
Abby says
I have made this recipe at least 8 times! It’s a total go to for me. Easy, fresh and the flavors are perfect! Makes great leftovers too. I often make this recipe and use for multiple meals for me during the week. Thank you for another wonderful recipe!
Amazing! We’re so glad it’s on repeat for you, Abby. Thank you for sharing! xo
Catherine Sybille Gervais says
Very good, very fresh!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Catherine! Thanks so much for sharing. xo
Natalie says
This is so delicious! I made it for my family for the first time a few weeks ago and have already made it again, they loved it.
Natalie
Yay! We’re so glad you and your family are enjoying the recipe. Thank you for sharing, Natalie! xo
Bek says
Fantastic! My husband was skeptical but the dish won him over as a weekly favorite. For the sauce I ran out of lemons and subbed ACV and added a touch of maple syrup. I also used quinoa for a quicker cook time. everything came together quickly with minimal effort
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Bek! We’re so glad you enjoyed!
Carmen says
This was so good. I made it with the lemon rice and got a little lazy and left off the parsley. It was very easy, very labor intensive, kinda messy, but definitely worth it! I will be making this again!
We’re so glad it was worth it, Carmen! Thank you for sharing! xo
Stephanie says
This was a fantastic combo. I really love the lemon rice and think it makes the dish! Will definitely be including this in rotation frequently.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Brenna Tunnicliff says
In the last month, I have made this recipe for multiple meal trains & for several guests who have stayed with us. It is simply phenomenal. It’s my first Minimalist Baker recipe, but it will not be my last. Incredible. Easy. Truly nourishing. DEFINITELY make it with the lemon rice.
We’re so glad you and your guests enjoyed them, Brenna! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Julia says
This was soooooo tasty! I didn’t make the lemon rice, but had some leftover Farro so that’s what I used. Absolutely delicious and I’m not even a vegetarian or vegan. I’m having a Mediterranean Mezze party and will make a big bowl of this as well!!! Thanks for all your delicious recipes 🙏
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Julia. Thank you for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Dana C. says
YUM! Another winner. We ate it with the Easy Greek-Inspired Lemon Rice, which I caught my spouse eating by itself. Great the first day and as leftovers!
Yay! Thank you for the lovely review, Dana! xo
Ali says
Just what I needed! Subbed the lemon rice for brown rice and grilled zucchini instead of the eggplant. But stuck to the script otherwise. Divine!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Ali! xo
Claudia says
I love prepping bowl meals. While the veggies roast, there’s enough time to make the salad, put the grains on the stovetop and whisk up the tahini dressing. I made the greek lemon rice which is a definite must. I added some greens to the bowl – dino kale massaged with a little bit of olive oil & lemon juice and 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds. Thank you, Dana, for another great vegan meal I delivered this afternoon to my daughter & son-in-law.
Yay! Love your additions, Claudia! Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
Gina says
Beautiful recipe, thanks. I used brown basmati rice to make your Lemon Rice to accompany. Happy to have another recipe that features a fav veg, eggplant. And tahini sauce elevates everything. Merci, encore.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Gina! Thank you for sharing! xo
Star says
👍
xo!
Cedella says
Everything about this dish is so yummy!!! I skipped the eggplant but it’s still so good! I love the tahini!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Cedella! Thank you for sharing! xo
Amy says
I don’t love eggplant. What veggie would you replace it with? Zucchini?
Hi Amy, That could work! Chopped bell peppers and onions might also be nice. We’d suggest slicing the veggies similar to how we did in this recipe. Hope that helps!
Amy says
Ok thanks!
Cheryl Tripsas says
Forgot to mention that I served it with the suggested lemon rice. That was delicious too!!
Cheryl Tripsas says
This was very good!! A bit more prep than what I usually do, but well worth It. We are not vegetarians and I considered cooking up some salmon to go with, but not needed at all! The sauce is really good and I’ll make it again to put over other dishes. I left out the green bell pepper because they don’t like me! 😉 A definite keeper!
We’re so glad it’s a keeper, Cheryl! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Sara says
I have a tahini aversion that won’t go away after being pregnant with my bow 2-year old son. Do you have any other sauce suggestions for this? Maybe something garlicky or lemony? Thanks!
Hi Sara, We’d recommend a hummus-based sauce (using cashew butter in it if you’re averse to tahini in hummus too). Something similar to this recipe. Hope that helps!
Nikki Fortier says
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS. Completely satisfying and I love how many veggies I got in. Everything went together perfectly, and the tahini sauce did a great job of tying it all together.
We’re so glad to hear it, Nikki! Thank you so much for the lovely review! xo
Lee Kaplan says
Just had major dental surgery. Four more weeks on soft foods (can’t believe I’ll get sick of milkshakes, mashed potatoes, and Mac and cheese). Then I’m going to make this nourish bowl.
That’s so tough! We’re excited for you to try it when you’re all healed! xo
Nikki Fortier says
Hi! Do you salt your eggplant and let it sit before baking it?
Hi Nikki, We do sometimes, but most of the time we find it isn’t essential. For this recipe, we chose to skip it to keep things simple. You could salt it to ensure no bitterness, but we’d then recommend skipping any additional salting of the eggplant in step 1. Hope that helps!