Mediterranean Inspired Power Bowl

Power bowls are about combining textures and an assortment of different flavors to build a healthy and complete meal.  The hummus bowl recipe is a one-bowl meal inspired by a simple combination of ingredients: chickpeas, hummus, olives, and balsamic glaze.

The recipe has refreshing cucumbers, crisp romaine lettuce, sweet cherry tomatoes, creamy hummus, sweet thick balsamic glaze, salty olives, and versatile chickpeas all piled on filling rice.  The bowls can be made in 30 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight meal.

The Mediterranean power bowl is customizable so change up the vegetables, switch the hummus for a different flavor, or try falafels instead of chickpeas.  

For more easy power bowl recipes try a chickpea vegetable rice bowl, a vegan sushi bowl, or a vegan fajita bowl.

Recipe features

• Ready in under 30 minutes for an easy weeknight meal!
• Vegan/vegetarian, plant-based, and dairy-free!
• Great for meal prep!
• Power bowls are customizable!

Ingredient notes and substitutions

The Mediterranean inspired power bowl is an easy recipe to throw together on a weeknight, but please see the full list of ingredients and the instructions in the recipe card below.

Chickpeas - I use canned chickpeas for convenience, but cooked from scratch chickpeas can also be used.  I enjoy the texture they give the power bowls, plus it greatly reduces the time needed to prepare this meal.  If falafels or something else sounds better to you they can always be substituted.

Black olives - Adds a nice saltiness to the dish.

Romaine lettuce - Any greens will work.  Try spinach, arugula, or mixed salad greens.

Cucumbers and cherry tomatoes - Cucumbers add a nice refreshing flavor.  We opt for an English cucumber because it doesn’t need to be peeled and we prefer the taste. If you use a regular (garden) cucumber, you may want to peel it since their skin can be bitter.

Cherry tomatoes add little pops of sweetness to the dish.  Feel free to substitute these components with what’s in season or with what you’ll enjoy with hummus and balsamic glaze.

White rice - To keep the meal prep under 30 minutes use white rice, quinoa, or couscous.  If time is not a concern then freekeh or brown rice can be used. Prep brown rice or freekeh ahead of time and the meal can still come together quickly.

Hummus - A dollop of classic hummus and the balsamic glaze act as the dressing for the Mediterranean power bowls.  Use either homemade oil-free hummus or store-bought hummus.  For a different flavor, try roasted garlic hummus instead of classic.  To keep the recipe under 30 minutes use store-bought hummus or make it in advance.

Balsamic glaze - This can be store-bought or made at home.  It’s a balsamic reduction that’s thick and sweeter than balsamic vinegar.  To keep the recipe under 30 minutes use store-bought or make it in advance.

Balsamic pickled onions - These are optional, we usually have pickled onions on hand to add texture and flavor to power bowls.  The bowls are still delicious without them if you don’t have any on hand.  Any pickled red onion will work, try spicy pickled red onions or balsamic pickled onions.  Pickled onions are usually best made in advance.

Tips 

• Assemble the bowls right before serving to keep the veggies crisp.
• Chop the romaine leaves into bite-size pieces.  
• I prefer to pack my bowls full of veggies but feel free to reduce the quantity if it’s too much for you.

Variations

• Try roasted garlic hummus instead of the classic version.
• Instead of olives try vegan feta.
• Substitute cucumbers and cherry tomatoes, with raw broccoli florets and sliced red bell peppers.
• Instead of rice serve it in a pita.
• Add sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for a little crunch.
• Use vegan tzatziki instead of hummus and balsamic glaze.

How to make a mediterranean power bowl

Prepare the rice (or other grain) according to the package instructions. While the rice is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Drain and rinse the chickpeas, chop the lettuce, slice the cucumber, slice the tomatoes, and slice the black olives.

When the rice is done, let it cool.  Then assemble the bowls by portioning off the rice, chickpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, black olives, a dollop of hummus, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, and pickled balsamic onions (if using).  I prefer to pack my bowls full of veggies but feel free to reduce the quantity if it’s too much for you.

Storage

The rice and chickpeas can be stored for about 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  The romaine lettuce and cucumber can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for about 2 days.  I would wait to slice the cherry tomatoes. The chickpeas and rice can be stored together, but keep sliced cucumbers, chopped romaine lettuce, olives, hummus, and balsamic glaze in separate containers.

Frequently asked question

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I hope you enjoyed the recipe for the Mediterranean hummus bowl!  If you did feel free to rate and leave a comment.