As the end of August draws near, most of us are craving something lighter. The chilly edge is starting to soften, there’s a hint of spring in the air, and your appetite shifts just slightly away from heavy stews. The plant-powered bowl recipe is packed with roasted chickpeas, crunchy greens, creamy avocado, and a generous handful of veggies. Serve it as is, or add a soft-boiled egg, toasted seeds, or a dollop of hummus.

Ingredients

For the bowl:

• 1 tin (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
• ½ avocado, sliced
• 5 cherry tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small handful baby spinach or kale
• 3–4 radishes, thinly sliced
• ½ cup cooked quinoa, couscous, or brown rice
• A few sprouts or microgreens
• Lemon wedges

For the dressing:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Toss chickpeas with olive oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking tray and roast for 20 minutes, shaking halfway through, until golden and slightly crisp.
2. While the chickpeas are roasting, lightly steam or pan-fry the broccoli and sugar snap peas until just tender but still bright green.
3. Make the dressing by whisking together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Divide the cooked grain between two bowls. Top with roasted chickpeas, cooked veggies, raw peas, sliced radish, tomatoes, avocado, and greens. Drizzle with dressing and finish with sprouts and a wedge of lemon.

Tip: If you don’t have quinoa, you can easily swap it out for bulgur wheat or couscous.