Spring Green Bowl (Printable)

Fresh spring vegetables over grains with tangy lemon dressing

# What You 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
17 - Fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, or dill, chopped

# Directions:

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 as package directs. 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 2-3 minutes each, until just tender and bright green. Immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain thoroughly.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook for 1-2 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 cheese if using, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and actually tastes like you spent half the day cooking.
  • Every vegetable stays bright and snappy instead of turning into mush, which honestly changed my entire approach to cooking greens.
  • The lemon dressing is so good you'll find yourself drizzling it on everything else you make for the next week.
02 -
  • The ice water bath after blanching is not optional—it's the difference between vegetables that stay snappy and vegetables that continue cooking in their own residual heat and turn to mush.
  • Don't dress the whole bowl until you're about to eat it, because the acid in the lemon dressing will start softening everything if it sits too long, which is great if you like a softer texture but disappointing if you're craving that crunch.
03 -
  • Toast your own seeds in a dry skillet for two minutes before using them—the difference in flavor between toasted and raw seeds is like the difference between regular coffee and really good coffee.
  • If you're making this for people who have dietary restrictions, keep everything separate and let them build their own bowl because it becomes more fun and you don't have to worry about cross-contamination.
Return