Spring Green Bowl (Printable)

A nourishing bowl with fresh spring vegetables, hearty grains, and a bright lemon dressing for a light meal.

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

# How To Make:

01 - Rinse the grains under cold water. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water and ½ teaspoon 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 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 3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon zest, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon 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 comes together in under 40 minutes without making your kitchen feel like a disaster zone.
  • The vegetables stay bright and crisp because you're blanching them like you actually care about texture, which you do.
  • One bowl satisfies vegetarians, vegans, and people with dairy concerns all at the same table without feeling like a compromise.
02 -
  • Blanching in ice water is the secret to keeping vegetables bright green and crisp instead of dull and soft—it's worth the extra step and extra bowl.
  • Making the dressing while everything else is still warm means the flavors meld better when you pour it over, so don't prep it an hour early expecting it to taste the same.
03 -
  • Toast your seeds in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes before serving—it wakes up their flavor in a way that raw seeds just can't match.
  • Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead, but assemble the bowls within a few hours so everything stays crisp and the dressing doesn't make the grains soggy.
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