MEDITERRANEAN BOWLS
My lunch on repeat lately: juicy sumac chicken, crisp veggies, and a tahini caesar dressing you’ll want to drink it’s so good. Filling enough for an easy dinner, but light enough for lunch, just perfection!
The inspo for this bowl comes from a recent trip I took to Cava, which is kind of like Chipotle for Mediterranean style food. I liked it, especially their tahini caesar dressing, but immediately knew I wanted to make it better and cheaper at home. If you haven’t used Sumac before, it’s probably on my short list of 5 favorite spices – it has a complex citrusy flavor that pairs extremely well with chicken. Highly recommend seeking it out for this!
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
For the Mediterranean Chicken Bowls:
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2-3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
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2 tbsps olive oil
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1 tsp sumac
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½ tsp cumin
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¾ tsp salt
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Lettuce, cooked brown lentils, chopped persian cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese crumbles for serving
For the Tahini Caesar Dressing:
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¼ cup tahini
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2 tbsps lemon juice
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1 small garlic clove
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1 small anchovy filet or 1 tsp fish sauce
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1 tsp dijon mustard
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2 tbsps freshly grated parmesan
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Fresh cracked pepper
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2-4 tbsps water *see note
*Note: depending on the brand of tahini you buy, your tahini can get clumpy when you add more ingredients. My favorite tahini brand is Soom, and it’s woman owned! Use 2-4 tbsps water and blend until you get the right consistency
Directions:
For the Mediterranean Chicken Bowls:
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Add chicken thighs to a bowl with the olive oil, sumac, cumin, and salt and mix. Let marinate on the counter for 10 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients.
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Make the tahini dressing by blending the tahini, lemon juice, garlic clove, anchovy filet or fish sauce, and dijon mustard. Add 1 tbsp of water at a time until desired consistency is reached. Mix in parmesan and fresh black pepper and taste to adjust for seasoning.
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If you have an air fryer, add the chicken thighs to your preheated air fryer and cook at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of your chicken.
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If you don’t, bake the chicken thighs on a baking sheet at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and reads 165 degrees F when using a thermometer.
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Let the chicken rest before slicing, then assemble your bowls.
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Add lettuce, cooked brown lentils, chopped persian cucumber, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and chicken to a bowl. Drizzle with the tahini dressing and toss. Enjoy!
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Note: these are great for meal prep, just keep the chicken and dressing separate. Prior to eating, reheat the chicken, add to the salad bowl and toss with the dressing.