Mediterranean Spiced Chickpea Bowls
with pickled onions / couscous
This easy-to-customize meal offers a delicious combination of tastes and textures.
Smarts #1: We like to top this colorful bowl with a variety of dips and spreads. We’ve made a few suggestions below, so use any combination you like or just use one if you prefer.
Smarts #2: Pickled onions are easy to make at home. We’ve included instructions here, but look for jarred ones at the store if you’d prefer to save some prep time.
Ingredients
- Stock, any type - 1 cup (sub water)
- Salt - 1/4 tsp
- Butter - 2 Tbsp
- Couscous, uncooked - 3/4 cup
- Onions, medium and red - 1/2 , thinly sliced
- Vinegar, apple cider - 1/4 cup
- Water - 1/4 cup
- Sugar - 2 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Cumin, ground - 2 tsp
- Paprika, smoked - 1 tsp
- Thyme, dried - 1 tsp
- Sumac (opt) - 1 tsp
- Cucumbers - 8 oz , chopped
- Tomatoes, large - 1 , chopped
- Parsley, fresh - 3 Tbsp , chopped
- Beans, garbanzo (14 oz / 397 g) - 2 cans , drained and rinsed
- Baba ghanoush (store bought) - 1/2 cup , for serving (sub hummus)
- Lebanese garlic dip (Toum) - 1/2 cup , for serving (sub tzatziki, feta dip, or Greek yogurt)
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp
- Lemon juice - 1 Tbsp
- Pita rounds (opt) - 2 , sliced into wedges (sub naan or flatbread)
Prep
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Make couscous - Combine stock, salt (portion for couscous), and butter in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in couscous and cover with lid. Let stand for ~5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make spice mix - Combine cumin, paprika, thyme, and sumac (if using). Store in an airtight container. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make pickled onions - Thinly slice the onions and pack them into a container just large enough to hold them. Combine vinegar, water, sugar, and salt (portion for onions) in a microwave safe bowl and warm briefly (about 20-30 seconds). Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture over the onions, adding a bit more water or vinegar if necessary to cover them (they don’t need to be fully submerged, barely covered is fine). Cover with a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 5 days (the longer they sit in the liquid, the more “pickle-y” they will be). (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Beans - Drain and rinse.
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Make
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Drain the liquid from the onions.
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Set out baba ghanoush and garlic dip.
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If couscous was made ahead, warm it in the microwave.
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Heat a nonstick skillet with cooking oil over medium heat. Add chickpeas to heated skillet along with seasoning mix and toss to coat. Saute chickpeas until heated through, ~2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Taste and season with some salt and pepper.
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Warm pita bread according to package directions.
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Assemble bowls by forming a bed of couscous in each bowl and spooning warm chickpeas over top. Arrange pickled onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes on top of the chickpeas and sprinkle parsley over everything.
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Let everyone spoon dips of their choice on top of their bowls. Serve with warm pita bread for scooping. Enjoy!
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