Spring Green Bowl (Printable)

Fresh spring vegetables layered over grains with zesty lemon dressing for a nourishing meal.

# 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

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Rinse 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 each vegetable to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking, then drain well.
03 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 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 and well combined.
05 - Divide cooked grains evenly among four serving bowls. Top each with blanched peas, asparagus, green beans, and sautéed spinach. Drizzle generously with lemon dressing.
06 - Sprinkle each bowl with toasted seeds, crumbled feta if desired, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like spring on a plate, and honestly, that's worth it alone.
  • Comes together in under 40 minutes, which means weeknight dinner without the stress.
  • Naturally plant-based but feels substantial enough to satisfy anyone at your table.
  • Tastes even better the next day when the grains absorb more of that tangy dressing.
02 -
  • Don't skip the ice bath after blanching—it's the difference between vibrant green vegetables and dull ones that taste mushy.
  • Make the dressing while everything else is cooling because whisking it together takes two minutes and means you can actually finish dinner on time.
03 -
  • Blanching vegetables separately instead of all together means each one cooks perfectly for its size and texture, not just whatever cooks longest.
  • A tiny bit of mustard in vinaigrettes does something magical—it holds the emulsion together and rounds out the flavors in a way that tastes more sophisticated without being noticeable.
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