Roast Aubergine, Chickpea & Quinoa Bowls

The Sunday Table

Roast the aubergines until their edges brown and the centres turn soft, then spoon them over warm quinoa with chickpeas and lemon. Red onion sweetens in the same tray. It is a generous dish to put in the middle of the table, with any spare portions ready for tomorrow's lunch.

Roasted aubergine, chickpeas, red onion and tri-colour quinoa with parsley on a sharing platter

Family meal · Vegan

Serves4

Prep10 mins

Cook35 mins

Total45 mins

DifficultyEasy

Have two large roasting trays, a fine sieve and a lidded saucepan ready. The vegetables need room to roast, so spread them out rather than piling them together.

Ingredients

2 large aubergines (about 700g), cut into 2cm chunks
2 red onions, peeled and cut into slim wedges
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
250g tri-colour quinoa, rinsed well
500ml water
2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried (about 480g drained)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
20g fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Allergen note. The selected quinoa is labelled unsuitable for coeliacs because its packing environment handles nuts, seeds, cereals, soya and gluten. The chickpeas contain chickpeas and water, the cumin contains cumin seeds, and the oil contains olive oil. Check every current pack label. This recipe is vegan as written.

Method

Roast the vegetablesHeat the oven to 220°C, fan 200°C, gas 7. Divide the aubergines and onions between two large trays. Toss with 2 tbsp of the oil and the crushed cumin. Spread into a single layer and roast for 20 minutes.
Cook the quinoaMeanwhile, put the rinsed quinoa and 500ml water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or according to the pack, until tender and the water is absorbed. Take off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
Add the chickpeasAfter the vegetables have roasted for 20 minutes, turn them and scatter the dried chickpeas between both trays. Toss gently through the oil already in the trays and roast for another 15 minutes. The aubergine should be very soft inside and browned at the edges.
Dress and serveStir the remaining tablespoon of oil and the lemon juice together. Fold half the parsley and half the dressing into the warm quinoa. Spoon onto a large platter or divide between four bowls. Add the roasted vegetables and chickpeas, then finish with the remaining dressing and parsley.

For more colour

Replace one red onion with a red pepper, cut into strips. Roast it with the aubergine from the start.

Make it softer

Keep the chickpeas out of the oven and fold them into the quinoa for its final 5 minutes of cooking instead. Check they are hot throughout before serving.

Save tomorrow's lunch

Cool spare portions promptly, refrigerate within 2 hours and eat within 2 days. Serve chilled, or reheat once with a splash of water until piping hot throughout. Keep it chilled if taking it to work.

Shop the ingredients

For a Sunday sharing platter

The basket includes tri-colour quinoa 1kg, two 400g tins of chickpeas, cumin seeds 25g and olive oil 1 litre. Pick up the aubergines, onions, lemon and parsley separately. These are full packs, so check your cupboard before adding.

Adds the full packs shown, including two tins of chickpeas. Prices and availability are checked again before adding.

Roast Aubergine, Chickpea & Quinoa Bowls