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Harissa veggie bowl basil tahini

Harissa Veggie Bowl & Basil Tahini

What a beautiful early fall rice bowl! The ingredients are very simple, the colors are vibrant — and the flavors are just a little bit over the top. We toss late-summer veggies in a honey-sweet harissa sauce and roast them with a pile of cumin chickpeas ‘til they’re melt-in-your-mouth soft and have a subtle peppery heat.

For the tahini sauce, we wanted to bring in a little summer with Gelson’s organic fresh herbs: think great big handfuls of basil and chives. They’re whirled up with the tahini, jalapeño pepper, and a generous amount of lemon and apple cider vinegar, creating a sauce that’s creamy, herbaceous, bright, and lively. You’ll want to put it on everything, but it’s especially nice on the veggies — a zesty counterpoint to their sweet, earthy flavors.

We could have stopped there, but why not add even more flavor? We finish the bowl with a heap of bright purple pickled cabbage and a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts and fresh cilantro and dill. Wowza! It’s so fun running into the crunchy nuts in between the soft veggies and beans.

This simple veggie bowl has Meatless Monday written all over it, but it’s so darn pretty and worthy of a nice white wine, we’d definitely make it for a sociable dinner with friends.

Our tip: Hang on to any leftover tahini sauce. It will be delicious drizzled over eggs or any workaday sandwich. Our kids also like dipping their carrots in it!

Dinner

Harissa Veggie Bowl & Basil Tahini

Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables and chickpeas:

2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp Gelson’s 100% California extra virgin olive oil, divided

¼ cup harissa sauce

2 tsp honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 sweet potatoes, cut into 2” pieces

1 small head cauliflower, stemmed, cut into eighths

1 pint cherry tomatoes

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground Gelson’s black pepper, to taste

15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground coriander

For the tahini dressing:

½ cup tahini

2 cups packed Gelson’s organic basil leaves

2 Tbsp minced Gelson’s fresh chives

1 jalapeño, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup cool water

Kosher salt, to taste

For the bowls:

¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Kosher salt

Granulated sugar

2 cups cooked rice, for serving

Toasted pine nuts, for garnish

Chopped Gelson’s cilantro leaves, for garnish

Gelson’s fresh dill, fronds only, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425º. Line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper.
To roast the vegetables: In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the harissa, honey, and garlic. Add the sweet potato, cauliflower, and tomatoes, and toss to coat. Season with salt and black pepper.
Transfer the vegetables to the prepared sheet pan. Roast for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, toss the chickpeas with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the cumin, coriander, and a pinch of salt. Push the vegetables aside and add the chickpeas to the sheet pan. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork-tender and charred and the chickpeas are golden.
To make the tahini dressing: In a large jar, combine the tahini, basil, chives, jalapeño, vinegar, lemon juice, water, and a pinch of salt. Immersion blend until smooth and light green. Cover and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
In a small bowl, combine the cabbage, vinegar, and a pinch each of salt and sugar. Massage the ingredients together, crunching cabbage between your fingers. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to soften.
To assemble the bowls: Divide the rice between 4 bowls. Place the roasted vegetables, chickpeas, and pickled cabbage on top. Drizzle with the tahini dressing, and garnish with the toasted pine nuts, cilantro, and dill.
The vegetables, cabbage, and dressing can be stored separately in air-tight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Tahini dressing adapted from: Half Baked Harvest

Calculate nutrition information for this recipe.