Mediterranean Rice Bowl with Air-Fryer Chickpeas
These zesty vegetarian rice bowls are packed with yummy Mediterranean flavors for a healthy and satisfying dinner that’s easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 bag Success® Basmati Rice
- 1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained, rinsed and patted dry
- 3/4 cup Greek vinaigrette, divided
- 4 cups kale, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 1 cup cucumber, diced
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
Instructions
These chickpeas taste fantastic made in the air-fryer! Enjoy this tasty meal in 30 minutes or less.
Step 1
Prepare rice according to package directions.
Step 2
Toss chickpeas with 2 tbsp Greek vinaigrette.
Step 3
Preheat air fryer according to manufacturer’s instructions. Add chickpeas to air-fryer basket. Cook at 400°F for 12-15 mins., tossing halfway through the cook time or until chickpeas are deep golden brown and crispy.
Step 4
Divide rice among 4 bowls. Top with kale, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with feta.
Recipe Tip
For variation, substitute Greek vinaigrette with balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkle with goat cheese.
Different Types of Kale
- Curly-Curly kale is, by far, the most common type of kale. It’s what you’ll get with a kale Caesar salad at a restaurant or what comes cleaned and chopped in a bag at the grocery store. It’s dark green with hearty, curly leaves and has woody, fibrous stems. Most kale recipes you find in books and on the internet are designed around curly kale.
- Tuscan– Most of the time, curly and Tuscan kale can be used interchangeably, although Tuscan kale tastes great in soups.
- Chinese– It can be difficult to locate Chinese kale (or Chinese broccoli) outside of Asian markets. It also doesn’t resemble curly or Tuscan kale. With curly and Tuscan kale, you wouldn’t eat the stems, but on Chinese kale, you should eat the stems together with the leaves. Chinese kale tastes best when cooked, although the other varieties can be eaten either raw or cooked.
- Red Russian Kale-Russian traders first introduced this vividly colored variety of kale to Canada in the 19th century. It has lush green fronds with purple highlights, and deep purple stems. It is one of the few types of kale that tastes well both cooked and raw.
- Baby– It is collected when the kale plant is young, just how it sounds. A small, delicate leaf that tastes best when eaten fresh in salads is the type’s distinguishing characteristic. Moreover, you can boil or wilt baby kale.
Kale Snacks
Kale chips can give you that savory snack satisfaction that potato chips do, only with more nutrients. As a bonus, they’re extremely easy to make. No massaging is required; just drizzle the leaves with olive oil and bake. Try our Kale Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms or our Kale and Quinoa Salad with Chicken.
