Spring Green Bowl (Printer-friendly)

A nourishing bowl of spring vegetables over 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 version
17 - Fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, or dill, chopped

# How To Make It:

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 according to 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 the cooking process, 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 Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like springtime in a bowl, bright and clean without feeling like punishment for winter indulgence.
  • Everything comes together in 40 minutes, so you can actually make this on a weeknight without stress.
  • The lemon dressing is tangy enough to make even simple grains feel exciting and sophisticated.
02 -
  • Don't skip the ice bath after blanching—it's the difference between vegetables that taste fresh and vegetables that taste boiled and sad.
  • Keep your dressing separate from everything else until the last moment if you're planning ahead, otherwise the grains get soggy and the vegetables lose their snap.
03 -
  • Toast your seeds in a dry skillet for three minutes if you haven't already—it wakes up their flavor and adds genuine texture rather than just bulk.
  • If you're using feta, crumble it coarse and let it sit on top rather than mixing it in, so you get those salty pockets of cheese in every bite.
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