By now, I think we all know we need protein. Every other insta food reel seems to mention how important it is and although I am all about hitting those protein goals, I am not the kind of person that can eat chicken and rice 6 days a week.
I am however a big meat eater and have recently developed a great appreciation for cannellini beans and out of these two loves, my mediterranean inspired cannellini bean bowls were created.
Cannellini beans are one of my favorite protein sources. Just a cup of them contains 17 grams of protein along with 11 grams of fiber, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc, calcium, vitamin B6 and selenium. They are jam packed with nutrients! Plus, they are filling and delicious.
In addition to these delicious white beans, these bowls have beautifully seasoned ground meat (you can use beef, chicken or turkey!), roasted vegetables, a creamy tzatziki sauce and some herbs and feta. In other words, these bowls are like little flavor explosions and I am so excited to show them to you.
Let’s get started…
Begin by roasting up about 6 cups of your chosen vegetables. Today, I am using zucchini, but sweet potatoes, broccoli, egg plant or beets would work great in these bowls. Whatever you love, chop it (peel if applicable), drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper and roast at 400 until it is nice and tender.
Vegetables done.
Now place a large skillet over medium heat and add 24 ounces of ground meat. You can use beef, chicken, turkey or even pork. Whatever you like best. This seasoning blend will work on anything!
Cook the meat covered for about 5 minutes, break it into small pieces and add a grated or finely minced onion and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Next, add 3 cloves of finely minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and all of the spices. Mix until everything is evenly distributed.
Those Mediterranean Spices…
This is my favorite Mediterranean inspired seasoning blend and it works perfectly on ground meat for these bowls. It is beautifully balanced and reminds me of gyro meat and the meat in my lahmacuns. Delicious.
For 24 ounces of ground meat, I use a teaspoon of paprika, a teaspoon of cumin, a teaspoon of dried coriander, a teaspoon of dried dill, a teaspoon of sea salt, 1/2 teaspoon of za’atar, 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. This spice combo is warm, a little earthy, a little smokey, a little nutty with subtle sweetness and complexity. I use this mix on so many things!
Add a little bit of stock to the ground meat if it appears dry and let it cook over medium high heat for another few minutes to allow things to caramelize a bit before transferring it off of the heat.
Now for those beans…
To me, they are the best part of the bowl, but they really only take about 5 minutes.
Place a saucepan over medium heat and add some olive oil. Cook 2 finely minced cloves of garlic for about 60 seconds and then add 30 ounces of drained cannellini beans. Cook until they are warmed through, transfer them off of the heat and mix in 1/3 cup of grated parmesan.
By now, the vegetables should be roasted, the ground meat is caramelized, the beans are all garlicky and we are ready to assemble some bowls!
The other ingredients are not cooked, so I usually prep them while everything else is cooking.
You’ll need some tzatziki sauce (store bought or homemade), diced tomatoes, crumbled feta and some finely chopped herbs. I am using parsley and dill tonight.
Depending on your preferred serving size, you can get 4-6 bowls out of this recipe. Just divide your ingredients evenly throughout your preferred containers, add your diced tomatoes, a big scoop of tzatziki sauce and a sprinkle of crumbled feta and fresh herbs and meal prep is done for the week.
These bowls are packed with so much flavor. They are a great source of protein, nutrients and fiber. They are perfect for a weeks worth of lunches or dinners that you are going to excited to enjoy every day!
If you are looking for a healthy meal prep recipe or just want to add more cannellini beans into your meal plans then these bowls are perfect for you!
Mediterranean Cannellini Bean Protein Bowls
Ingredients
Ground Protein (beef, chicken or turkey)
- 24 ounces of ground beef, chicken or turkey
- 1 small white onion, grated or finely minced
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1 teaspoon of coriander
- 1 teaspoon of dried dill
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of za'atar
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/2 cup of stock (optional)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Garlic Cannellini Beans
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 30 ounces of cannellini beans, drained
- 1/3 cup of parmesan, grated or finely shredded
Assembly
- 6 cups of roasted vegetables
- 1 cup of tomatoes, diced
- tzatziki sauce
- feta, crumbled
- fresh herbs, finely chopped
Instructions
Roast your vegetables...
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Wash, dry and chop your veggies and place onto a large rimmed baking sheet
- Drizzle with olive oil and season generously with salt and black pepper
- Roast until tender
Make the ground meat...
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Add 24 ounces of ground meat, break into small pieces, cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes
- Add a small finely chopped or grated white onion and cook for another 3-4 minutes
- Push the meat off to the side of the skillet, add 3 cloves of finely minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and all of the spices and stir until evenly distributed (add some stock if the mixture is dry)
- Increase the heat to medium high and cook for about 2 minutes while stirring to allow the meat to caramelize a bit
- Transfer the meat off of the heat
Cook the cannellini beans…
- Place a saucepan over medium heat
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil and 2 cloves of finely minced garlic
- Cook while stirring until fragrant and then add the drained cannellini beans
- Cook until warmed through
- Transfer off of the heat and stir in 1/3 cup of finely grated parmesan
Assemble the bowls…
- Divide the roasted vegetables, ground meat and cannellini beans between 4-6 bowls (depending on your preferred serving size)
- Add chopped tomatoes, tzatziki sauce, crumbled feta and fresh herbs
- Serve now or chill in an airtight container until ready to enjoy
