Description
A vibrant and hearty Mediterranean-inspired ground beef bowl topped with a creamy lemon tahini sauce. Loaded with fresh vegetables, aromatic spices, and tangy feta, this quick and easy recipe is perfect for a nutritious weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Vegetables & Meat
- 3 cloves garlic (mashed)
- 1 zucchini (chopped, about 3/4 cup)
- 1 orange bell pepper (chopped)
- 3/4 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1/4 cup kalamata olives (sliced)
- 1/2 red onion (diced)
- 1 pound ground beef
Spices & Seasonings
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Lemon Tahini Sauce
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 clove garlic (mashed)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Water (to thin as needed)
Toppings
- 1/2 cup feta cheese (crumbled)
- 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped)
Cooking Oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Prepare the lemon tahini sauce: Combine lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, honey, red wine vinegar, mashed garlic, sea salt, and black pepper in a small blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add water gradually to thin the sauce to your desired consistency. Set aside.
- Mash garlic and prep vegetables: Mash the 3 cloves of garlic. Chop the zucchini, orange bell pepper, halve the cherry tomatoes, slice the kalamata olives, and dice the red onion.
- Sauté aromatics: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add diced red onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until softened, then add the mashed garlic and stir for 15 seconds to release aroma.
- Cook the ground beef: Add ground beef to the pan, breaking it into small pieces with a spatula. Cook until fully browned and no pink remains, stirring occasionally.
- Add vegetables and seasonings: Stir in chopped bell pepper, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, dried oregano, cumin, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking and stirring for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Finish with olives and feta: Stir in sliced kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese until combined and warmed through. Remove pan from heat.
- Assemble bowls and serve: Divide the ground beef and vegetable mixture evenly into 4 bowls. Drizzle the prepared lemon tahini sauce on top and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust the thickness of the lemon tahini sauce by adding more or less water.
- For a leaner option, use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
- Serve with cooked quinoa or rice for a more filling meal.
- To make this recipe gluten free, ensure tahini and other ingredients are certified gluten free.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mediterranean
