Spring Green Bowl (Printable Version)

Fresh vegetables over wholesome grains with bright lemon dressing

# What You'll Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa, brown rice, or farro
02 - 2 cups water
03 - ½ teaspoon salt

→ Spring Vegetables

04 - 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
05 - 1 cup asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
06 - 1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
07 - 2 cups baby spinach leaves

→ Lemon Dressing

08 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
11 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
12 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
13 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
14 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Optional Toppings

15 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
16 - ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese, omit for vegan
17 - Fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, or dill, chopped

# How to Prepare:

01 - Rinse the grains under cold water. In a medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a boil. Add grains, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, approximately 15 minutes for quinoa, 35 minutes for brown rice, or follow package directions. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the peas, asparagus, and green beans separately for 2 to 3 minutes each, until just tender and bright green. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain well.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until just wilted. Remove from heat.
04 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
05 - Divide cooked grains among four bowls. Top each with blanched peas, asparagus, green beans, and sautéed spinach. Drizzle with lemon dressing.
06 - Sprinkle with toasted seeds, crumbled feta if using, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and feels way more impressive than the minimal effort required.
  • You can swap grains and vegetables based on what's actually good that week, so it never gets boring.
  • The lemon dressing somehow makes everything taste cleaner and more alive without any cream or heaviness.
02 -
  • Don't skip the ice bath after blanching—I learned this the hard way when I tried to just drain them warm and they kept cooking from their own heat and turned mushy.
  • The dressing needs to be made fresh and tasted on actual grain, because what seems right in a bowl might taste completely different once it hits the warm base.
  • If you're making this ahead, keep the dressing separate and add it just before serving, otherwise the grains absorb it and it becomes a soggy situation rather than a bright, fresh meal.
03 -
  • Toast your own seeds if you have five minutes—they go from okay to genuinely delicious and it's the kind of small move that changes how the whole bowl tastes.
  • Make the dressing the night before and let the flavors get to know each other, but add it to the bowl right before serving so you don't end up with soggy grains.
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