There’s nothing quite like a meal bowl, filled with the goodness of whole grains, pulses, and roasted vegetables. The flavors of Morocco—spice, lemons, and olives—shine through in this easy, nutritious bowl. It’s perfect for meal prep—prepare this vegan, gluten-free recipe and pack it up for several healthy meals all week long. Or serve it for your next family meal as a one-dish wonder.
Moroccan Chickpea Sorghum Bowl
Makes 4 individual entrée servings Per Serving: 434 calories, 12 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 0 mg cholesterol,74 g carbohydrate, 17 g protein, 14 g dietary fiber, 125 mg sodium, 11 g sugar.
- 2 cups cooked whole grain sorghum
- 1 medium red onion (sliced into thin wedges)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (sliced into thin strips)
- 3 small carrots (red, purple, orange, yellow, or white, sliced)
- 8 ounces Brussels sprouts (sliced in half vertically)
- 1 15- ounce can chickpeas (rinsed, drained)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ras el hanout (Morrocan spice blend, see directions below)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- Pinch salt (optional)
- 2 cups chopped greens (i.e., kale, spinach, arugula leaves)
- 12 black olives (i.e., Kalamata, Picholine, Nicoise, rinsed, drained)
Cook sorghum according to package directions.
While sorghum is cooking, preheat oven to 375 F.
Arrange rows of sliced red onions, sliced red bell pepper, sliced carrots, halved Brussels sprouts, and chickpeas on a baking sheet (see picture).
Make the vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, lemon juice, ras el hanout, garlic, and salt (optional) in a small dish.
Drizzle the vinaigrette evenly over the vegetables and chickpeas in the baking sheet.
Place on the top rack of the oven and roast for about 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender and golden brown.
Remove vegetables from oven.
To make each large individual bowl (makes 4 bowls): In each bowl, arrange 1/2 cup cooked sorghum on one side, and 1/2 cup greens on the other side. On each bowl, arrange on top of the sorghum and greens the following: 1/4 of the onions, 1/4 of the bell pepper, 1/4 of the carrots, 1/4 of the Brussels sprouts, 1/4 of the chickpeas, and 3 black olives.
Serve immediately.
You can meal prep this recipe by making 4 individual servings and place in airtight containers to use up within 5 days. You can also make this recipe into a family-style meal by following the instructions, but serving it in one large bowl rather than 4 individual bowls. Ras el hanout is a Moroccan spice blend available in specialty spice and gourmet stores and online shops. You can make it yourself by mixing: 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, 1 teaspoon paprika, 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Store in an airtight container.
The Author:
Sharon Palmer, RDN, The Plant-Powered Dietitian™, is an award-winning food and nutrition expert, journalist, and editor. She is author of The Plant-Powered Diet: The Lifelong Eating Plan for Achieving Health, Beginning Today (The Experiment, 2012) and Plant-Powered for Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps & 125 Delicious Recipes (The Experiment, 2014). She blogs daily at The Plant-Powered Dietitian, and publishes her monthly The Plant-Powered Newsletter. Living in the chaparral hills overlooking Los Angeles with her husband and two sons, Sharon enjoys visiting her local farmers market, gardening, and cooking for friends and family.