As someone who is celiac, lactose intolerant and allergic to almonds, it is so important that all my recipes cater to people with multiple dietary restrictions and/or food allergies! I was diagnosed with celiac disease (the celiac gene) and a lactose intolerance in my early 20s and have been on a mission since to create easy, delicious recipes for others with food allergies! This easy greek bowl is gluten free, vegetarian, nut free and can be made vegan.
This Easy Greek Bowl recipe is the perfect meal for busy weeknights. It saves time and dishes. The entire dish comes together in one skillet – no need for multiple pots and pans to dirty! The recipe makes a delicious dinner in under 30 minutes. If you love greek food you’re going to love this easy meal, just like my sheet pan greek chicken with potatoes!
why you’ll love this allergy friendly recipe
- Uses canned chickpeas, eliminating the need to soak or cook dried beans.
- Filled with mediterranean food flavors!
- The whole family will enjoy these yummy flavors and fresh vegetables. Its perfect for busy weeknights,
- Pre-washed and chopped romaine lettuce saves time when making this easy dinner recipe.
- Thinly sliced cucumber and red onion require minimal chopping.
- A great recipe for a lazy day! All the cooking happens in one skillet, reducing dirty dishes.
- Sauté chickpeas and then simply stir in cooked rice.
- Takes only 5-7 minutes to heat the chickpeas and add flavor.
- Uses pre-cooked rice, eliminating additional cooking time.
- All the greek bowls ingredients hold up well in the refrigerator for a few days and the best part is you can even divide it into separate containers for easy on the go lunches.
ingredients & substitutions
Avocado Oil: You can use any high heat oil like olive oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
Chickpeas: These are a type of bean. You can use any canned bean you like, rinsed and drained. If you do not like beans you can always use golden brown crispy potatoes instead.
Romaine Lettuce: You can use any type of lettuce you prefer for this easy greek bowl.
Tzatziki Sauce: This is a yogurt based sauce with cucumber, garlic and dill. You can use a store bought option or make your own with plain greek yogurt or a vegan tzatziki with plant-based yogurt.
Feta Cheese: This is a crumbly cheese. You can use any type of cheese you like or omit it for a vegan option.
Dried Oregano: This is an herb that adds a savory flavor. You can use any Italian seasoning blend.
Garlic Powder: This adds a garlic flavor without chopping fresh garlic. You can use fresh garlic if you prefer, about 1 clove minced.
Cooked White Rice: You can use any type of cooked grain you like, such as quinoa, brown rice, or cauliflower rice. Squeeze a little lemon juice into it for lemon rice.
Cucumber: Use any type of cucumber such as persian cucumbers or english cucumbers.
Red Onion: These add a refreshing crunch and cool flavor. You can use any onion sich as yellow onions, white onions or sweet onions. You can skip the red onion if you don’t like it. Use onion powder as seasoning for the chickpeas if you dont have fresh onion.
taste & texture
This greek bowl combines warm and cool, soft and crunchy textures. The crispy chickpeas add a nice bite to the fluffy rice and romaine lettuce. The cucumber and red onion offer a refreshing crunch and cool contrast. The creamy tzatziki sauce ties everything together with a cool, tangy flavor. The feta cheese adds a salty touch. It’s a light but flavorful vegetarian meal.
directions
Step 1
The first step is to heat tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chickpeas, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are warm and slightly crispy.
Step 2
Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice. Divide the rice and chickpea mixture between bowls.
Step 3
Top each bowl with sliced cucumber, red onion, and chopped romaine lettuce. Drizzle generously with tzatziki sauce.
Step 4
Sprinkle the greek bowl with crumbled feta cheese. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley or salad dressing of choice.
expert tips & tricks
- Make your own homemade tzatziki sauce or a great way to save extra time is to buy it from your local grocery store to save time.
- A great option is to add grilled chicken, boneless skinless chicken thighs or boneless skinless chicken breasts or shredded chicken to these greek bowls to make them into greek chicken bowls. To make tender chicken you can use a greek vinaigrette as a chicken marinade before cooking. I like the greek vinaigrette from trader joe’s.
- Top with favorite greek flavors or fresh ingredients such as kalamata olives or greek olives, red wine vinegar and olive oil as a greek vinaigrette, fresh tomatoes, a roasted red pepper, lots of peperoncini or lemon zest
- Add fresh herbs to your chickpeas such as chopped parsley or lots of garlic. You can also use 1 tsp salt + 1 tsp cracked black pepper.
recipe variations
- To make this greek bowl a low carb recipe skip the rice or use less rice and create more of a greek salad. You can even add more cucumbers for a greek cucumber salad.
- For a low fat greek bowl recipe use fat free yogurt when making your own tzatziki.
serving, storing and meal prepping
To serve, assemble the greek bowl with rice, chickpeas, veggies, and feta cheese. Drizzle with your desired amount of tzatziki sauce.
This recipe is best enjoyed fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Enjoy the next day by adding fresh lettuce to freshen the bowl meal up.
For meal prep, simply double the greek bowl recipe and portion the cooked rice, chickpeas, and chopped vegetables into separate containers or specific meal prep containers. When ready to eat, assemble a bowl with your desired ingredients and add fresh lettuce, feta cheese, and tzatziki sauce.
Looking for more allergy friendly easy recipe?
If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes plus a weekly grocery shopping list. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along!
Easy Greek Bowl Recipe (Gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 cup chopped romaine lettuce
- ¼ cup tzatziki sauce or dairy-free option
- ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese dairy-free or fat-free
- 1 cup cooked white rice
- ½ cucumber thinly sliced
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add chickpeas, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are warm and slightly crispy.
- Remove from heat and stir in cooked rice.
- Divide the rice and chickpea mixture between bowls.
- Top each bowl with sliced cucumber, red onion, and chopped romaine lettuce.
- Drizzle generously with tzatziki sauce.
- Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese.
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