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Chickpea Quinoa Recipe – easy to make quinoa bowls with chickpeas, red peppers, tomato sauce onions and carrots. Fresh and delicious, perfect for a homemade vegetarian meal with protein. Looking for more quinoa or chickpea recipes? You may also like this quinoa mushroom soup, roasted garlic hummus or quinoa fried rice recipe.
I used to share recipes with quinoa more often back in the day. But then I stopped cooking with it that often for no reason. Since quinoa cooks easily and I love its flavor, I started incorporating it into may meals lately. Source: Quinoa is rich in protein and I do feel like my body needs protein rich meals.
How to make chickpea quinoa?
This quinoa bowl recipe is easy to make customize.
Note: This is an overview. See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Ingredients:
- Quinoa (any color)
- Olive, grape seed or vegetable oil
- Zucchini
- Carrots
- Peppers (I used red)
- Tomato sauce
- Canned chickpeas
- Seasoning – salt, pepper, oregano, basil, thyme, smoked paprika and Vegeta. These are optional. You can use whatever seasoning works well to your taste.
- Vegetable stock or water (optional)
- Green onions
- Cilantro, parsley or dill
- If you like some heat, consider adding crushed red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne.
Directions:
Cook the quinoa:
Rinse the quinoa under running water very well and drain. For best results use a fine mesh strainer.
Combine quinoa with 2 cups of water or vegetable stock in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the temperature to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked. It should be tender, translucent with a small white “tail” or spiral (the germ) separate from the seed. If you’d like your quinoa more chewy and hard, you may reduce the cooking time with a few minutes
Sauté the vegetables:
Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
Add the carrots and cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring frequently. I prefer my peppers crunchy and this is why I add them at the end. If you prefer softer peppers, you may want to add them to the skillet together with the zucchini or carrots. Cook peppers for 3 more minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, seasoning (salt, pepper, oregano, basil, smoked paprika, thyme, garlic, paprika and Vegeta), chickpeas and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
Next add the cooked quinoa and stir. If you prefer a more moist consistency, add more water or vegetable stock. The quinoa is going to absorb it.
Assemble the dish:
Add lime or lemon juice and green onions. Transfer to 4 bowls.
Garnish with cilantro or other fresh herbs of your choice.
Recipe tips/FAQs:
- Can these bowls be made in advance? Yes, these are perfect for meal prep. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Is it possible to freeze the already cooked quinoa and chickpeas bowls? Yes, quinoa can be frozen. Make sure the dish is fully cooled to room temperature, portion into servings and place in air-tight containers or zip lock bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stove top. If reheating on the stove top, make sure you add some water or vegetable stock, so it doesn’t get too dry.
- What seasoning goes well with Vegeta? I’m originally from Bulgaria (Eastern Europe) and I sometimes use this seasoning, that can be found there. It is a type of “Universal Seasoning”. It is a popular seasoning blend originating from Croatia. Vegeta is made from a mix of salt, dehydrated vegetables, and various spices, and it’s used to add flavor of many dishes. It contains salt, so use it with caution.
- How to add more protein to the dish? You can add some baked tofu, shrimp, fish, steak or grilled chicken to these bowls. Throw in some mixed greens of spinach, to turn them into a salad. Adding chopped fresh herbs (like parsley or dill) can bring some extra flavor and the addition of chopped nuts is going to enhance the crunch.
- Can I add other vegetables to the dish? You have plenty of options here. You can add or omit vegetables in this dish. Adding mushrooms, broccoli, cooked corn or sweet potatoes are are great options. As I mentioned above, adding leafy greens like spinach or kale is perfect for extra nutrients, color and flavor.
- How do I tell if quinoa is cooked? I’ve shared with you many quinoa recipes through the years. In some of the blog posts, I’ve explained cooking quinoa in a greater detail.
What else can I use instead of quinoa?
If you are not a fan of quinoa, I can totally understand.
You have quite a few options of what to substitute it with. The nutritional information is going to change and cooking time and method of cooking the substitute is going to vary. Here are some options:
- Cooked Orzo pasta – cooks quickly and can be used as a substitute for quinoa in bowls like these.
- White of brown rice – carbohydrate rich, delicious and may take longer time to cook that quinoa
- Cauliflower rice – a great low carb option. Check this Cauliflower fried rice recipe to see how I make it or use store bought.
- Bulgur (Make sure you check these Bulgur Stuffed Peppers as well)
- Farro – I rarely cook with it, because I’m not a fan of the texture. It is also an ancient wheat grain with a nutty flavor and chewy texture
- Buckwheat (another ingredient I rarely use, but it works for grain bowls like these). It is a great substitute for quinoa in this recipe and also naturally gluten-free. This ingredient has a slightly softer texture when cooked compared to quinoa, but it still holds up well. Read more about buckwheat’s nutritional properties at Healthline.
- Couscous (regular or Israeli, which is smaller in shape)
- Millet ( a round grain that cooks quickly and has a slightly nutty taste, similar to quinoa), Freekeh (cereal food made from green durum wheat that is roasted and rubbed to create its flavor) or Amaranth (gluten-free, grain-like seed very similar to quinoa. It has a slightly sticky texture when cooked).
Chickpea Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa, preferably cook in vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp Olive or vegetable oil
- 1 medium Zucchini, peeled and cubbed
- Carrot, diced
- 1 large red pepper, (about 1 – 1 1/4 cups chopped)
- 1 cup tomato sauce, could use less
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ⅕ tsp fried thyme
- ¼ tsp dried garlic
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Vegeta, optional
- ¼ cup of vegetable stock, optional, to add to the dish if it turns out too dry
Instructions
- Rinse the quinoa under running water very well and drain. For best results use a fine mesh strainer.
- Combine quinoa with 2 cups of water or vegetable stock in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce the temperature to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes, until the quinoa is cooked. It should be tender, translucent with a small white “tail” or spiral (the germ) separate from the seed. If you’d like your quinoa more chewy and hard, you may reduce the cooking time with a few minutes.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add zucchini and cook for 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the carrots and cook for 2-3 more minutes, stirring frequently. I prefer my peppers crunchy and this is why I add them at the end. If you prefer softer peppers, you may want to add them to the skillet together with the zucchini or carrots. Cook peppers for 3 more minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, seasoning (salt, pepper, oregano, basil, smoked paprika, thyme, garlic, paprika and Vegeta), chickpeas and cook for 3-4 more minutes.
- Next add the cooked quinoa and stir. If you prefer a more moist consistency, add more water or vegetable stock. The quinoa is going to absorb it.
- Add lime or lemon juice and green onions. Transfer to 4 bowls.
- Garnish with cilantro or other fresh herbs of your choice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
