Vegetable Bowl with Cooked Chickpeas and Tahini

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Cooked chickpeas

1. 1
   Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water.

   ⚙ SoakingBowl

   💡Soak in plenty of water, well above what's being soaked: legumes and grains swell and drink water, and whatever sticks out stays hard. Drain well before continuing.
2. 2
   Drain, cover with plenty of unsalted water and cook 1.5–2 hours, skimming off the foam and skins from time to time, until the chickpeas are very soft and crush easily between your fingers.

   ColanderStovePot

   💡Fully cooked chickpeas crush between your fingers with no resistance at all. Chickpeas that stay a little firm make a grainy spread, and no amount of tahini will fix it.
3. 3
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Roasted Vegetables

1. 4
   Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).

   ⚙ Preheating the OvenOven

   💡Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
2. 5
   In a bowl, toss the vegetables and pepper with the olive oil, paprika, cumin and salt.

   Bowl
3. 6
   Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer, without crowding.

   Baking pan
4. 7
   Roast the vegetables and pepper in a hot oven (200°C / 390°F) 25–30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and turning golden.

   ⚙ Oven roastingOvenBaking pan

   💡Give it room in the pan: crowded vegetables steam instead of browning.

For the Tahini sauce

1. 8
   Mix the tahini, lemon juice and garlic.
2. 9
   Gradually add cold water while stirring, until the sauce is smooth, pale and pourable.

   💡When you add the first water, the tahini thickens and looks like dough: that's fine. Keep adding water and stirring, and it loosens into a smooth sauce.

To assemble

1. 10
   Arrange the chickpeas and roasted vegetables in bowls, with the cherry tomatoes and avocado alongside.
2. 11
   Drizzle the tahini sauce on top and serve.