Spiced lentil, chickpea & roasted veg meal-prep bowls
Cheap, filling vegan meal-prep bowls with spiced lentils, chickpeas, rice and roasted veg — makes four lunches for the week.
This is the sort of meal-prep that keeps both your wallet and your taste buds happy. Hearty lentils and chickpeas give protein and bulk, while roasted veg adds sweetness and colour. Make it on a Sunday evening and you’ll have four filling lunches — microwave-friendly and built to travel. It’s deliberately flexible: swap the rice for quinoa or use different veg depending on what’s cheap in the shops.
Ingredients
- 300 g long-grain white rice
- 40 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — medium, peeled
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 2 carrot — medium, sliced
- 500 g sweet potato — peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 courgette — cut into thick half-moons
- 1 red pepper — seeds removed, sliced
- 400 g tinned chickpeas — drain and rinse
- 200 g brown lentils — dried
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 600 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 10 ml sea salt
- black pepper — to taste
- 1 lemon — juice of
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped
Equipment
- baking tray
- large saucepan with lid
- large frying pan
- colander
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C conventional. Line a baking tray with kitchen paper briefly to pat dry if needed, then place the sweet potato, courgette and red pepper on a large baking tray. Drizzle with 20 ml olive oil, sprinkle smoked paprika, a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss to coat.
Roast the vegetables on the top shelf for 30 minutes, turning once halfway, until the sweet potato is tender and edges are golden.
Rinse the brown lentils and the long-grain white rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
Warm 10 ml olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium hob. Add the brown onion and sauté for 4–5 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and carrot and cook for another minute.
Add the rinsed brown lentils, tinned chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, ground cumin, dried oregano, the remaining sea salt and black pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 20 minutes until lentils are tender and the mixture has thickened.
While the lentils simmer, cook the rice. Put the rinsed long-grain white rice in a saucepan with 450 ml cold water and a pinch of sea salt. Bring to the boil on the hob, cover, reduce to a low simmer and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave, covered, to rest for 10 minutes.
Stir the drained tinned chickpeas into the lentils and heat through for 4–5 minutes so they soak up the spiced sauce.
Remove the lentil pan from the heat. Stir in the juice of the lemon, 10 ml olive oil and most of the fresh coriander. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Divide the rice between four meal-prep containers, spoon over the lentil and chickpea mix, then top with the roasted vegetables. Scatter the remaining fresh coriander over each portion and allow to cool before sealing.
Tips
- Roast veg on a hot tray and don’t crowd — you want colour, not steam.
- Rinse rice and lentils well; it improves texture and removes dust or starch.
- Make double and freeze portions for 2–3 months — defrost overnight in the fridge.
- If you prefer less rice, halve the rice and add an extra tin of chickpeas for more protein and fewer carbs.
- To reheat from the fridge, sprinkle a tablespoon of water over each portion before microwaving to prevent dryness.
Substitutions
long-grain white rice → quinoa, use 300 g and cook as per packet instructions
Stays closetinned chickpeas → tinned red kidney beans, same weight
Noticeably differentbrown lentils → red lentils, use 180 g but reduce simmer time to 12–15 minutes (texture will be softer)
Noticeably differentolive oil → rapeseed oil, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 820
- Calories
- 26 g
- Protein
- 145 g
- Carbs
- 13 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — as written it’s gluten-free. Check your stock and tinned tomatoes for added barley or wheat-based thickeners if you’re cooking for someone with coeliac disease.
How long will these keep in the fridge?
Stored in sealed containers they’ll keep 3–4 days in the fridge. Reheat until piping hot throughout before eating.
Can I freeze the portions?
Yes — transfer to freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2–3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
How can I add more protein?
Stir through a drained tin of cooked tuna (if not vegan) or add a boiled egg to each portion. Alternatively increase lentils to 250 g dried.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!
Rate this recipe
More like this
Smoked salmon, lemon zest and petit pois risotto
Wild garlic pesto pasta with peas, lemon and toasted walnuts
