Mediterranean Bowls with Trader Joe's Greek Chickpeas

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Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas are my newest dinner hack obsession, and one of my favorite ways to use the marinated chickpeas are in this all-in-one bowl dinner. Along with orzo, hummus, a simple Greek salad, and homemade tzatziki, it's a meal the whole family loves, especially because it's a build-your-own adventure kind of recipe.

Scalloped aqua bowl with orzo, Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas, hummus, Greek salad, and tzatziki both on top and in a wooden bowl along with wooden salt and pepper shakers.

I discovered the unassuming little can of herby, lemony chickpeas on a recent trip to Trader Joe's, and they're now a pantry staple in our house. Honestly, I could eat them straight from the can (probably even the whole thing in one sitting).

What I love though is that they are an easy way to add extra protein to pasta salad, Greek salad, tuna salad...you name it. Or, if you're out of side dish recipe ideas, just dump a couple of cans of them in a bowl and call it a day.

They're great hot, cold, or at room temperature. And no, Trader Joe's is not paying me to say all this. I really, truly just love them that much. And P.S.--if you want to make this a whole Greek-style dinner situation, serve this with these dolmades in avgolemono sauce for an appetizer and call it a day.

Looking for another Mediterranean diet type of recipe? I happen to have a couple. Another favorite bowl recipe of ours is my chicken sweet potato quinoa bowl, loaded with roasted sweet potatoes, fridge pickled red onions, quinoa, chicken, mixed greens, and a cilantro vinaigrette.

Or, if a warm, skillet dinner is more up your alley, check out my Lebanese chicken and freekeh recipe. It's the perfect dinner option when you're stuck in a rut.

And, while you're at Trader Joe's, be sure to pick up some Trader Joe's butternut squash ravioli for my ravioli with browned butter sauce recipe, some chicken sausages and harvest vegetable hash for my Trader Joe's holiday vegetable hash stew, or some chicken meatballs for my Trader Joe's chicken meatballs piccata recipe.

All recipes use Trader Joe's convenience items and are a lifesaver for our family on busy weeknights in particular.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Tasty tip
Frequently asked questions
Related
Even more
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Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
Food safety

Ingredients

Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe.

orzo
Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas with parsley & cumin
Greek yogurt
English cucumber
fresh lemon juice
fresh dill
fresh parsley
extra virgin olive oil
mixed baby greens
grape or cherry tomatoes
pitted kalamata olives
hummus
feta cheese
red wine vinegar
dried oregano
honey
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

(See recipe card for quantities.)

Instructions

Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!

Sprinkling salt onto grated cucumbers on a paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet.

First, grate the cucumber on a box grater and spread in an even layer on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt.

Cooked orzo in a white and blue colander.

Then, cook the orzo in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Stirring together tzatziki ingredients in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon.

Next, squeeze the liquid from the cucumber and place in a medium bowl. Add the remaining tzatziki ingredients and stir to combine.

Whisking together Greek vinaigrette in a white bowl with a silver whisk.

Finally, make the Greek vinaigrette. Assemble the bowls and enjoy!

Hint: Don't skip the step of salting the cucumbers. Doing so releases all the liquid the cucumber naturally contains. If you just stir the shredded cucumber into the yogurt mixture, you'll end up with a watery sauce.

Substitutions

Here are some easy ingredient alternatives if you'd like to change things up:

Orzo - instead of orzo, use rice, quinoa, farro, or couscous.
Olives - out of kalamata olives? That's okay. You can use green olives, pimiento-stuffed olives, or black olives instead.
Mixed greens - I love the texture variation of mixed greens, but feel free to use baby spinach, arugula, or chopped romaine instead.

Variations

Looking for other ways to adjust this recipe? I've got you covered.

Spicy - stir some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper into the tzatziki. Or, serve with some harissa on the side.
Falafel - Trader Joe's has really great frozen falafel. Bake them according to the package directions and add to the bowls. Or, make these tuna falafel for a fun twist.
Kebabs - Trader Joe's also has fantastic frozen Middle Eastern style kebabs. For a meat-based protein, I like to add those to my Mediterranean bowls.

Scalloped aqua bowl with orzo, Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas, hummus, Greek salad, falafel, and tzatziki both on top and in a wooden bowl.

Falafel Variation

Scalloped aqua bowl with orzo, Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas, hummus, Greek salad, kebabs, and tzatziki both on top and in a wooden bowl along with glass salt and pepper shakers and a wooden handled fork.

Kebab Variation

Equipment

Here's what you'll need to make this recipe:

measuring spoons
dry measuring cups
box grater
rimmed baking sheet
medium saucepan
colander
mixing bowl set
whisk

Storage

Store the hummus, tzatziki, and Greek vinaigrette separately from the orzo, marinated chickpeas, and Greek salad ingredients. If you have any leftovers, transfer them to airtight containers. Leftovers will last in the fridge 3-4 days.

These ingredients don't freeze well.

Tasty tip

Short on time? Pick up some refrigerated tzatziki sauce from the deli section of your grocery store instead of making homemade. You can also grab a bottle of your favorite Greek vinaigrette if you don't feel like making it from scratch.

Frequently asked questions

Are chickpeas and garbanzo beans the same thing?

They are! The term "chickpeas" and "garbanzo beans" can be used interchangeably, and you will see both on products at the grocery store.

Are Trader Joe's chickpeas cooked?

They are, which is why I LOVE this Trader Joe's product so much. Instead of plain canned garbanzo beans, these chickpeas are packaged in a mixture of parsley, cumin, lemon juice, and oil, along with some garlic powder, cumin, and pepper. Trust me, this is a convenience product you'll want to keep on hand!

How do you serve Trader Joe's Greek chickpeas?

Honestly, I could eat these straight out of the can with a fork, but they're great chilled or at room temperature, as a side dish or as a topping for salads and bowl meals like I've created here.

Can I eat canned chickpeas without cooking?

Yep! Isn't that the best thing ever?!

Is orzo better than rice for you?

That depends. Orzo generally does have a higher fiber content than rice, but it also has a higher carbohydrate content. The good news is though that orzo has more protein, which means you'll feel fuller longer.

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Even more

Here are more of my favorite dishes:

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