Homemade Cava Bowls
If you are like me and love Cava but don’t necessarily live close to one or prefer to cook your meals at home, then this is the perfect recipe for you. Juicy lamb meatballs, creamy hummus, and crisp veggies – These homemade Cava bowls are made with fresh mediterranean flavors and truly couldn’t be easier to throw together! They are perfect for a quick dinner or meal prepped lunch.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These homemade Cava bowls taste even better than the real thing!
- They are made with fresh mediterranean flavors.
- They are incredibly versatile, you can add whatever you want – like fresh tzatziki or feta cheese.
- These bowls are gluten free and dairy free.
- They are made with real, wholesome ingredients.
- The bowls couldn’t be easier to make.
- They are perfect for meal prep or a weeknight dinner.
- The whole family will love them.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Extra virgin olive oil. This will be used for cooking the meatballs and in the hummus.
- Ground lamb. 2 lbs of ground lamb. If you don’t like lamb you can use ground beef.
- Red onion. 1/4 red onion used for the greek lamb meatballs. You can sub yellow onion.
- Spices. You will be using a handful of seasonings like salt, pepper, thyme, cumin, and fresh parsley.
- Cooked chickpeas. 1 15oz can of chickpeas, I typically use store-bought canned chickpeas in my homemade hummus, and it always comes out great. If you cook your chickpeas yourself, make sure to soak them ahead of time, and let them boil for a bit longer than you normally would. You want them to be mushy, soft, and creamy.
- Lemon juice. 2 tbsp lemon juice.
- Garlic clove. 1 medium to large garlic clove, roughly chopped.
- Tahini. 1/2 cup of tahini.
- Greens of choice. I always love using BrightFarms fresh, crisp greenhouse grown greens.
- Brown rice. 1 cup of brown rice, cooked according to the package. Sub with the rice of your choice, jasmine or basmati are great options.
- Toppings. Pickled onions, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, tzatziki and feta cheese are all delicious toppings to add to these homemade Cava bowls.
How to Make These Homemade Cava Bowls
Step 1
Make the greek lamb meatballs.
In a large bowl add ground lamb, red onion, and seasonings. Mix with your hands until fully incorporated. Form into 1 inch balls.
Heat a cast iron skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil to a medium high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs to the pan.
Cook for about 5-7 minutes and then use tongs to flip the meatballs. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the meatballs are browned/crispy on all sides. If needed, cover for a minute or two to make sure they are cooked all the way through.
Remove from skillet.
Step 2
Make the hummus.
In a high speed blender or food processor, place the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Use the blender baton to blend until very smooth, adding water as needed to blend, and/or to reach your desired consistency.
Garnish with paprika, red pepper flakes, and/or fresh parsley.
Step 3
Assemble the bowls and enjoy! To serve these homemade Cava bowls, first add greens to a bowl, followed by the rice and meatballs. Top with hummus and whatever other toppings you’d like!
Expert Tips
- These homemade cava bowls are best served warm with hummus, pickled onions, tomatoes, feta and tzatziki. They are incredibly versatile so you can add or leave out whatever you prefer.
- To save time, make the hummus ahead of time or use your favorite store bought hummus.
- Top with fresh mint and fresh dill for even more vibrant flavor.
- Still want a little something more? Try adding homemade tzatziki sauce.
- Add minced garlic to the meatballs if you’d like! I didn’t have any on hand but minced garlic would add more depth of flavor to these homemade cava bowls.
- Want to try another lamb dish? Try these lamb meatballs with lemon potatoes instead.
- Lamb not your thing? Try these Mediterranean Chicken Thighs and Rice.
These homemade cava bowls are best served warm with hummus, pickled onions, tomatoes, feta and tzatziki. They are incredibly versatile so you can add or leave out whatever you prefer.
I would store everything in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Absolutely, if lamb isn’t your thing you can use ground beef.
Yes! They are gluten free and dairy free as long as you don’t add feta.
You May Also Like
- Greek Lamb Meatballs
- Mediterranean Chicken and Rice
- Mediterranean Crispy Quinoa Salad
- Greek Lamb Salad
- Mediterranean Bowls
- Greek Feta Fries
- Greek Chicken Bake
Copycat Cava Bowls
Ingredients
Lamb Meatballs
- 2 lb ground lamb
- ¼ red onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely diced
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp cracked black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Hummus
- 1½ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 medium to large garlic clove
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 tbsp cold water, (may need more depending on consistency)
- paprika, red pepper flakes, or parsley, to garnish
Bowls
- 1½ cups rice, cooked
- 2 cups greens of choice
- chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, tzatziki, pickled onions, toppings to serve with the bowls
Instructions
Lamb Meatballs
- Make the greek lamb meatballs. In a large bowl add ground lamb, red onion, and seasonings. Mix with your hands until fully incorporated. Form into 1 inch balls.
- Heat a cast iron skillet with 1 tbsp of olive oil to a medium high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs to the pan.
- Cook for about 5-7 minutes and then use tongs to flip the meatballs. Cook for another 5-7 minutes or until the meatballs are browned/crispy on all sides. If needed, cover for a minute or two to make sure they are cooked all the way through. Remove from skillet.
Hummus
- Garnish with paprika, red pepper flakes, and/or fresh parsley.
Bowls
- Assemble the bowls and enjoy! To serve these copycat Cava bowls, first add greens to a bowl, followed by the rice and meatballs. Top with hummus and whatever other toppings you'd like!
Notes
- These copycat cava bowls are best served warm with hummus, pickled onions, tomatoes, feta and tzatziki. They are incredibly versatile so you can add or leave out whatever you prefer.
- To save time, make the hummus ahead of time or use your favorite store bought hummus.
- Top with fresh mint and fresh dill for even more vibrant flavor.
- Add minced garlic to the meatballs if you’d like! I didn’t have any on hand but minced garlic would add more depth of flavor to the dish.