Lentil Bowls with Cauliflower and Tahini
Wonderfully flavorful lentils topped with roasted veggies and bright toppings. Full of health without being obvious about it.
Ingredients
Lentils
- ¼ medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup green lentils (or any kind you like, obviously)
- 2 ½ cup vegetable stock (more or less depending on the package directions)
Roasted Cauliflower and Tomatoes
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon zaatar spice blend
- olive oil and salt
Pickled Red Onions
- ½ medium red onion sliced
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Tahini Sauce
- ⅓ cup plain tahini
- ¼ cup water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 1 clove garlic minced
Pesto Gremolata
- 1 tablespoon prepared pesto
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 lemon zested about 2 teaspoons zest, don't obsess about it
- feta cheese for the bowls
Instructions
- Cook the lentils. In a small sauce pan with a lid, saute the onion and garlic over medium heat for a few minutes until soft. Add the lentils and stock and cover the pot. Simmer the lentils for 30-40 minutes until tender but not mushy. Each time you check the lentils, add a few pinches of salt until the lentils are very flavorful - you should want to eat them plain!
- Meanwhile, roast the veggies. Preheat the oven to 425F and arrange the cauliflower and tomatoes on baking sheets, either two smaller sheets or one large baking sheet with the tomatoes on one side and cauliflower on another. Drizzle all of the veggies with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Sprinkle the zaatar seasoning all over the cauliflower. Roast the veggies for 25 minutes until the cauliflower is brown and tender.
- Make the pickled onions. Combine the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in a microwaveable bowl. Heat for two minutes until hot and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the sliced onions to the hot vinegar mixture and let sit for at least 15 minutes. These can be made ahead and keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
- Make the tahini sauce. Combine all ingredients with a fork or small whisk, whisking until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference. Add a squirt of lemon juice here if you like extra tang.
- Make the gremolata. Use a fork to gently combine the pesto, salt, garlic, and lemon zest until slightly crumbly.
- Assemble the bowls with a bed of lentils, some of the roasted veggies, and any of the toppings you'd like. Drizzle with the tahini sauce and DIG IN. Enjoy!
Notes
Toppings: What really makes these bowls is the lentils, cauliflower, and tahini sauce. ANYTHING else can be skipped or swapped out based on what you have or love. Swap the tomatoes for sundried tomatoes, the pickled onions for olives or capers, the gremolata for a scoop of pesto or some fresh herbs, you name it.
Make-Ahead: I LOVE this for a meal prep lunch. I make all the components in advance and assemble when I'm ready to eat, or in advance if I'm taking lunch with me. If you'd like a halfway-prepped option, make everything but the roasted veggies in advance, and roast the veggies right before eating for a hot and fresh hybrid dinner.
Lentils: use the package directions for quantity of stock and time to simmer, and use chicken or another kind of stock if you prefer! I make veggie stock from the Better than Bouillon and it is SO good and maybe full of chemicals, don't tell me.
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!