JBB Recipe of the Week: Roasted Veggie, Quinoa & Chickpea Salad + Roasted Garlic Tahini Dressing

What You Will Learn

• How to build a satisfying salad with thoroughly cooked vegetables

• Which vegetables hold up well to high-temperature roasting

• How quinoa, chickpeas, and vegetables add fiber to every serving

• How to make a creamy dressing with roasted garlic and just better.® prebiotic fiber

• Practical food-safety steps for preparing produce at home

With food-safety concerns making headlines this summer, you may be thinking more carefully about how your produce is prepared.

Our Recipe of the Week puts fully cooked vegetables at the center of the plate. Broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, bell peppers, asparagus, and red onion are roasted until tender and caramelized, then paired with fluffy quinoa and chickpeas. A roasted garlic tahini dressing made with just better.® prebiotic fiber brings it all together. 

A Thoughtful Approach to Produce Preparation

The CDC recommends washing produce thoroughly under running water before cutting or cooking. Firm vegetables can be scrubbed with a clean produce brush. Washing helps reduce many contaminants, though it cannot eliminate every possible food-safety risk.

Fiber from Every Part of the Bowl

Vegetables, quinoa, and chickpeas provide a variety of plant-based fibers. The just better.® prebiotic fiber blended into the dressing adds another 20 grams of soluble fiber to the full recipe and disappears completely into its creamy consistency.

Ready to make it? 

Roasted Veggie, Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
+ Roasted Garlic Tahini Dressing

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30–40 minutes
Total Time: Approximately 1 hour

Ingredients

For the salad

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth or water

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 medium sweet potato, scrubbed and cut into ½-inch cubes

2 cups rinsed small broccoli florets

2 cups rinsed small cauliflower florets

1 red bell pepper, washed and seeded - cut into 1-inch pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, washed and seeded - cut into 1-inch pieces

1 bunch asparagus, rinsed and trimmed - cut into 2-inch pieces

½ medium red onion, remove outside layer - cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons avocado oil  

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Optional: Peanuts

For the roasted garlic tahini dressing

4 garlic cloves, peeled 

½ cup tahini

⅓ cup warm water, plus more as needed 

4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil

4 tablespoons just better.® prebiotic fiber

1 to 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

½ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Prepare the quinoa

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly under running water.

Combine the quinoa and water or vegetable broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until the liquid has been absorbed.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the quinoa rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, spread it on a clean sheet pan or a large plate, and let it cool. 

2. Prepare the vegetables

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line two large, rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper.

Wash the sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, asparagus, and red onion thoroughly under running water before cutting them.

Cut the vegetables into evenly sized pieces so they cook at a similar rate.

3. Season the vegetables

Reserve the asparagus and 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Divide the remaining vegetables between the prepared sheet pans.

Add the peeled garlic cloves to one pan. Drizzle the vegetables and garlic with the remaining 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Season with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper, reserving a small amount of the seasoning for the asparagus. Toss until evenly coated.

Spread the ingredients into a single layer, leaving room between the pieces for even roasting. 

4. Roast thoroughly

Roast the vegetables and garlic for 15 minutes.

Remove the pans from the oven. Add the asparagus, drizzle it with the reserved tablespoon of avocado oil, and sprinkle it with the reserved seasoning. 

Stir the vegetables and rotate the pans. Return the pans to the oven and continue roasting.

Check the garlic after another 5 to 10 minutes. Once the cloves are completely soft and lightly browned, transfer them to a plate and set aside for the dressing.

Continue roasting the vegetables until the sweet potato is tender throughout, the broccoli and cauliflower stems are easily pierced with a fork, the bell peppers and onion are completely softened, and the asparagus is tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes total.

Cooking times may vary depending on your oven and the size of the vegetables.

5. Make the dressing

Place the roasted garlic, tahini, apple cider vinegar, oil, just better.® prebiotic fiber, Dijon mustard, cumin, and salt in a blender or small food processor.

Add the ⅓ cup warm water and blend until completely smooth. Add more warm water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dressing reaches your preferred consistency.

6. Assemble the salad

Allow the roasted vegetables to cool.

Place the cooked quinoa in a large serving bowl. Add the roasted vegetables and chickpeas, then gently toss to combine.

Drizzle the roasted garlic tahini dressing over the salad just before serving or serve it on the side.

Optional: Top with peanuts for extra crunch.

Storage

Store the quinoa, roasted vegetables, and chickpeas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Keep the dressing in a separate covered container and add it when you are ready to serve.

Refrigerate the prepared ingredients within two hours. The salad can be enjoyed chilled, at room temperature, or reheated until steaming.  

The source of the current increase in illnesses has not been identified, and no specific food or produce item has been connected to the reported cases. There is currently no related food recall.

For current case information, practical food-preparation guidance, and additional information about cyclosporiasis, visit the following CDC resources:

• Surveillance of Cyclosporiasis: Current domestic case counts, affected states, hospitalizations, and investigation updates.

• Preventing Cyclosporiasis: CDC recommendations for selecting, washing, preparing, and storing fruits and vegetables.

• About Cyclosporiasis: An overview of how the illness spreads, common symptoms, and when symptoms typically begin.

• Clinical Overview of Cyclosporiasis: Detailed information about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for healthcare professionals.

Anyone experiencing persistent gastrointestinal symptoms should contact a healthcare provider. Because food-safety investigations and case counts can change, refer to the linked CDC pages for the latest confirmed information. 

A Fully Roasted Take on Summer Salad

Food-safety headlines can leave people wondering how to continue enjoying the foods that support their nutrition goals. Thoughtful preparation offers a practical place to begin.

This roasted veggie salad fills the bowl with color, texture, plant variety, and plenty of fiber. Quinoa and chickpeas make it satisfying, while the roasted garlic tahini dressing brings all those flavors together.

It’s a delicious way to keep working toward 30 grams of fiber a day while enjoying a new roasted twist on summer salad!