lemony broccoli-chickpea bowls
Here’s a fun fact that some of you may not know: My twin sister and I used to have a food blog called double thyme. (Well technically it still exists, but we haven’t posted in….years). The point is, these lemony broccoli-chickpea bowls, adapted from The Love and Lemons Cookbook, were by far the most popular recipe on the site.
The premise is simple and super adaptable. You’ll cook pasta or a grain, make a sauce while the veggies roast, and stir it all together for a hearty vegetarian meal. Specifically, this one has you crisp up chickpeas alongside broccoli, the pasta of choice is pearl couscous, and the sauce is a chopped pesto with basil, lemon, and toasty walnuts.
Don’t hesitate to put your own spin on it, swapping in different herbs, veggies, or grains. (I can’t wait to try it with quinoa or farro). I know you’ll love it no matter how you make it.
more nutrient-dense bowls to try
I think we can all agree that bowls are the ideal vessel to eat from. If you enjoy these lemony broccoli-chickpea bowls, here are a few to try next:
see it in action…
lemony broccoli-chickpea bowls
serves 4
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 small heads broccoli (~1 1/4 lbs), trimmed
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can chickpeas
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry Israeli (pearl) couscous (or pasta/grain of choice)
- 1/2 cup tightly-packed fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon capers (or chopped Castelvetrano olives – yum!)
- grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet until browned and fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl or cutting board. Increase the oven temperature to 425°F. DON’T FORGET THIS!
- Meanwhile, cut the broccoli into bite-size florets. Trim off the tough parts of the stem; discard. Slice the stem crosswise into ~1/4-inch pieces. Drain the chickpeas in a colander but DO NOT RINSE. Place paper towels on the now-empty baking sheet (careful, it will be hot), then pour the chickpeas over top. Blot dry; discard paper towels.
- Add the broccoli florets and stems to the baking sheet. Drizzle everything (including the chickpeas) with 2 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and several grinds black pepper. Toss to coat and arrange in a single layer. Roast, tossing everything towards the end of the cook time, until crispy, 25 to 30 minutes.
- While that’s roasting: Cook the couscous in a medium pot according to package directions. In a small bowl, combine the basil, garlic, red pepper flakes, zest and juice of 1 lemon, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Chop the toasted walnuts and add half. Stir to combine; season with salt and pepper.
- Add the broccoli and chickpeas to the couscous along with the capers and the remaining walnuts. Stir in half the sauce.
- Divide between bowls and top each with Parmesan and a spoonful of remaining sauce.
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