Spring Green Bowl (Printer View)

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

# Method:

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 as package directs. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
02 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch 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 thoroughly.
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.
05 - Divide cooked grains among four 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 cheese if desired, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It lets you taste spring in its purest form, bright and clean without any heavy sauces.
  • The lemon dressing wakes up every ingredient without overpowering the natural sweetness of the vegetables.
  • You can prep the grains and blanch the vegetables ahead, then assemble everything in under five minutes when hunger strikes.
02 -
  • Do not skip the ice water bath after blanching, it is the only way to keep those vegetables bright green and stop them from turning gray and mushy.
  • Taste your dressing before you pour it, lemon juice varies in tartness and you may need to add a pinch more maple syrup or salt to balance it out.
  • If you are making this ahead, store the dressing separately and only toss everything together right before serving so the grains do not get soggy.
03 -
  • Zest your lemon before you juice it, it is nearly impossible to zest a lemon half and you will waste that precious aromatic oil.
  • Toast your seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until they smell nutty and start to pop, it only takes two minutes and transforms them completely.
  • If your grains seem dry after cooking, drizzle a little olive oil over them and fluff with a fork before assembling the bowls.
Return