The longer I get into the habit of vegetarian preparation, the more I appreciate the value of vegetarian basics.

By “basic,” I mean simple ingredients that allow one to efficiently multitask while eating. The basics may include simple vegan proteins, homemade cheese, sauces, and snacks.

With the essential ingredients in the fridge, you can move on to making what I call “assembled” meals. They are not recipes with many cooking steps but the end product of mixing and matching.

Most of the time, I mix and match a combination of proteins, such as beans, tofu, tempeh, whole grains, sauces, and any vegetables I have at home.

These roasted chickpea quinoa bowls are a perfect example of what’s possible when you take the time to prepare solid vegan foundations. They taste rich, decadent, and exceptionally nutritious.

Thanks to not one but three plant-based protein sources – chickpeas, quinoa, and tempeh – one bowl provides about 25 grams of protein.

Vegetables, legumes, and grains are all adequate sources of dietary fiber, iron, and phytonutrients. Here, they are presented as fun, delicious, and colorful.

Protein-rich meal preparation

I may have broken the record for the following information, but I think it’s really important to prioritize protein when preparing vegetarian meals.

Other macronutrients – fats and carbohydrates – tend to take care of themselves.

Eating a plant-based diet with plenty of beans, grains, grain products, corn, and potatoes makes it easy to get enough carbohydrates.

Remembering to include healthy fat sources in your diet may require more thought, but it can quickly happen. A drizzle of vinaigrette or olive oil, a sprinkle of toasted nuts or seeds, and a half or a spoonful of avocado guacamole can instantly enhance your meal.

When it comes to protein, it’s a little trickier.

Of course, opening a can of beans and adding some to a salad or bowl is a simple ask.

However, if you want a well-seasoned protein—for example, delicious meat beans, roasted and marinated balsamic tofu, or tempeh meatballs for your next bowl of pasta—you’ll need to do some planning.

For me, planning = meal preparation.

I can have many good ideas about upcoming meals that I want to eat. However, I need to make time each week to plan and execute meal preparations so that they can come to fruition.

As I wrote in my cookbook Vegetarian Week,

“My passion for cooking may always ebb and flow, but thanks to the habit of preparing meals, I can cook and eat well even when I’m resisting or unmotivated.” I have become more conscious about eating, and my meals have become healthier. My taste buds thank for variety, and my body thanks for proper, balanced nutrition.”

Proper intake of vegan protein is an important part of my conceptualization of “balanced nutrition.” Preparing meals is my way of fulfilling this dream.

You will be prepared with three independent, high-quality protein sources for this roasted chickpea quinoa bowl.

These are all:

• Tempeh bacon is a crispy piece of roasted tempeh that is salted and marinated
• quinoa
• Roasted chickpeas

Together, these three ingredients form many proteins and various amino acids.

These components make the bowl a pleasure to eat. Chickpeas and tempeh bacon have a crunchy texture, while quinoa is soft and fluffy.

Add a creamy sauce and a bowl of crunchy greens, and you have a bowl of food incredibly full of sensory pleasure.

Cream, homemade vegan ranch dressing

One thing to say about this sauce: It’s a new invention for me, even though I’ve been trying to make the perfect homemade ranch for years.

After experimenting with various ingredients and creamy bases, I used my culinary MVP, cashews, to create a rich, smooth texture.

I prefer to use fresh herbs instead of dried herbs on a vegetarian ranch, but my recipe offers two options.

To me, ranch sauce and smoky flavor feel like a natural, classic combination. In fact, this sauce inspired the whole roasted chickpea quinoa bowl.

However, condiments are one of my most frequently homemade bases, so I have other options if you prefer something other than pasture. Here are some examples:

• Dijon lemon tahini
• Cashew nut and coriander sauce
• Tahini beet sauce
• Yum sauce
• Smoked avocado cumin sauce
• Creamy cashew nut and carrot sauce
• Sweet Dijon vinaigrette
• Great cashew cheese sauce

How to make roasted chickpeas and quinoa bowls

My best advice for making a tasty bowl is to look at the ingredients first and then consider when to prepare them.

If you stagger the preparation process, putting the bowls together when you’re ready to eat (or pack a meal) is easy.

When I prepare a grain bowl like this one, I always take care of at least one or two ingredients in advance. Ideally, I would have everything ready before assembly.

To roast chickpea quinoa bowls proactively, you can freeze one or several ingredients. Roasted chickpeas, tempeh bacon, and cooked quinoa can all be frozen for up to 6 weeks.

That being said, here’s a guideline.

Step 1: Prepare your protein ingredients according to your schedule

Prepare at least crispy tempeh bacon and crispy roasted chickpeas for a good start on this recipe. You can do them together – as long as the oven is on, you can also do several things at once – or separately.

For tempeh bacon, remember that it will take some time to marinate (two hours) before baking.

Step 2: Prepare the quinoa

Quinoa cooks less quickly than other grains, making it more convenient. However, it can sometimes be a little picky.

I recommend a ratio of grain to cooking liquid of 1:1.75 to avoid quinoa being too sticky or not tender enough.

I also recommend simmering the quinoa, covered, for 13 minutes. Then, remove the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes.

Finally, uncover the quinoa and fluff it with a fork.

Yes, 13 minutes of precise cooking time may sound silly. However, I’ve found that these tips are the key to getting quinoa cooked perfectly, meal after meal.

Step 3: Assemble the bowl

Finally, it’s time to assemble the roasted chickpeas and quinoa bowls.

Divide the chopped romaine lettuce into four bowls. Divide the tempeh, bacon, chickpeas, and quinoa into several portions. Add a small pile of grapes or cherry tomatoes and cut them in half.

Finally, you can cover the bowl if you want. – And the Creamy Vegan Ranch.

I like to top these bowls with pepitas, a pumpkin seed in the shell. If you like extra crunch, you can also try putting some on top of a bowl:

• Shelled sunflower seeds
• Toasted chopped walnuts
• Crunchy roasted vegan sugar pecans
• Quick pickles of cucumber slices
• Quick marinate Onions in 10 minutes

Some freshly chopped coriander or parsley is also a finishing touch.

Meal preparation & storage

If you plan on serving grilled chickpeas and quinoa bowls later, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.

There are two ways to do this: You can assemble your “bowl” in a storage container for preparing meals (my advice is in my beginner’s guide to vegetarian preparation), or you can store the parts separately and assemble them.

In either case, I recommend storing the sauce separately and adding it before you eat it.

change

Like most vegetarian bowls on this site, the roasted chickpea quinoa bowl allows for the variation of ingredients and substitutes.

Most notably, you can substitute store-bought roasted chickpeas or tempeh bacon for homemade. I especially like Tofurky’s smoked maple.

You can also swap roasted chickpeas for plain chickpeas straight from the can. The bowl will be a little less crunchy, but it’s still very textured overall.

Tempeh bacon can be replaced with any of the following simple plant proteins:

• 20-minute air-fried tempeh cubes
• Five-ingredient vegan soy-wrapped chicken strips
• Smoked tofu slices
• Balsamic tofu
• Simple black bean meatballs
• Yummy chickpea oat balls

You can also add store-bought grilled tofu. Several brands now offer ready-to-eat meals.

Finally, while I love the crunch of chopped romaine lettuce in the bowl, there’s no reason not to try other types of lettuce or various other vegetables.

Roasted red peppers, cauliflower, chopped cucumbers, and cabbage all work well in this dish.

Finally, homemade ranching is very beneficial, but it is optional. Both Follow Your Heart and Primal Kitchen make good store-bought vegan ranch dressing.

A more nutritious vegetarian bowl

If you like preparing good bowls for dinner or lunch, I have plenty of additional recipes for you to explore.

Here are my favorites, all of which put protein front and center:

• Quinoa beet bowl
• Chickpea burrito bowl
• Prepare teriyaki tofu noodle bowls before meals
• Chili roasted cauliflower brown rice pickle bowl
• Vegetarian dumpling bowl
• Vegan harvest bowl with tempeh
• Lemon pepper, tempeh, vegetable pasta bowl
• Spicy sofrito gluten bowl
• Red curry noodle bowl
• Nutritious quinoa protein bowl

I will add This crunchy, satisfying new piece to the list.

Ingredients

1 cup white quinoa, rinsed (180g)

8 cups light pack chopped romaine lettuce (can be substituted with another green salad)

1 batch of crispy roasted chickpeas (instead of 1 1/2 cups store-bought roasted chickpeas)

1 batch of roasted Crispy tempeh bacon (instead of 8 oz / 225 g store-bought bacon-style tempeh strips)

1 1/2 cups grapes or cherry tomatoes

1 1/2 cups homemade vegetarian ranch dressing (about 1/3 cup / 80 ml per bowl; Substitute 1 1/3 cups of store-bought vegan ranch dressing)

1/4 cup pita bread (30g; Optional, for decoration)

Instructions

1. Put the quinoa in a fine sieve and rinse it under cold water for about 30 seconds. Transfer the washed quinoa to a medium pot and add the water and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 13 minutes until all the water has been absorbed. Remove the quinoa from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and gently knead the quinoa with a fork. Let the quinoa cool for 20 minutes.
2. Place the romaine lettuce in four bowls. Top each layer of leafy greens with a quarter of cooked quinoa, chickpeas, tempeh bacon, and tomatoes. Drizzle each bowl with a generous amount of salad dressing and sprinkle with pitas if desired. Serve.

Long story short, I’ve just started preparing my meals again after many interruptions last fall and winter.

It feels good. This reminds me again that this is my favorite way to continue cooking, come rain or shine.

These bowls are an excellent place to start. I hope you like them too!