Tahini-Lemon Veggie Bowl Recipe

Welcome in Spring with this delicious seasonal veggie and rice bowl! This recipe focuses on asparagus but also incorporates other seasonal spring veggies such as carrots, snow peas, chives, and pea shoots.

What makes this meal so awesome is that it’s also very versatile. Don’t have black rice? Use brown or white rice. Don’t have the time to roast the chickpeas? Skip that step and simply add them to the pan when sauteing the other veggies. Don’t have pea shoots on hand? Leave it out — I only used it for aesthetics and for giving the meal a pleasant hint of pea flavor. Simply use this recipe as a guide and let your creative juices flow in the kitchen! 

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 large stalk of asparagus, chopped
• 1 cup wild rice (or any other rice)
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups snow peas, chopped
• 2 chives
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 25 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp paprika
• Salt, pepper, and dill to taste
• Olive oil for cooking
• Optional: A handful of pea shoots to serve on top

Ingredients for Tahini-Lemon Dressing:

• ½ cup + 2 tbsp tahini
• ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
• ⅓ cup + 3 tbsp water
• Juice of 2 large lemons
• 1 tsp dill
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Begin by cooking the rice. Bring 4 cups of water and wild rice to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and cover the pot. Set a timer for 45 min. Once the wild rice is done cooking strain out the leftover water and pour the rice into a large bowl and cover to keep warm. (Note: Different cooking and water times will vary depending on the type of rice used).
2. Roasting the chickpeas. Pre-heat your oven to 400°F. Layer the chickpeas onto a baking pan, drizzle olive oil on them and add salt, paprika, and dill. Massage the spices into the chickpeas. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned.
3. Make the dressing. In a bowl whisk together the tahini, nutritional yeast, water, lemon juice, and dill. Add salt to taste and more water if needed. Set aside.
4. Wash and chop the asparagus, carrots, and snow peas. Chop the garlic. Set items aside.
5. While the rice and garbanzo beans are cooking, begin by sauteing the garlic, chives, and carrots in oil. After 3-4 minutes add the snow peas and salt and pepper and cook until fragrant.
6. In a separate pan heat up some olive oil and add the asparagus and salt and pepper. Cook for just a few minutes. You want the asparagus to be warm and slightly charred but still firm.
7. Once all of the veggies have finished cooking, add them to the bowl of rice and mix everything together, adding more seasoning if needed. Serve into individual bowls and top with the tahini-lemon dressing and pea shoots. Enjoy!

Recipe by Shari Brown. Visit @naturallyfueled on Instagram for more meals like this one.