Spring Green Bowl (Print View)

Fresh spring vegetables over wholesome 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, optional for vegan
17 - Fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, or dill, chopped

# How To Make It:

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 with lemon dressing.
06 - Sprinkle with toasted seeds, crumbled feta if using, and fresh herbs. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, perfect for those nights when you want something that feels restaurant-quality but doesn't demand hours in the kitchen.
  • Every bite tastes like spring actually tastes, if that makes sense—bright, green, alive, and never heavy.
  • You can build it your way; the framework stays the same but the vegetables bend to whatever's in season or whatever you have on hand.
02 -
  • Don't skip the ice bath after blanching—I learned this the hard way when I left a batch of asparagus sitting and it went from tender to mushy in minutes, losing that bright green color that makes the whole bowl feel fresh.
  • Make your dressing at least 10 minutes before you serve if you can; letting it sit lets the flavors meld and the garlic mellows, tasting noticeably better than right-off-the-whisk dressing.
  • Keep the dressing separate from the vegetables and grains if you're making this ahead, or it'll all get soggy and the greens will wilt into something sad rather than intentional.
03 -
  • Toast your own seeds if you have the time; raw seeds taste fine, but toasted ones add this deeper, almost caramelized flavor that makes the whole bowl feel more intentional.
  • The dressing comes together better if your oil and lemon juice are at roughly the same temperature; cold oil won't emulsify as easily, so let everything sit out for a few minutes if you've had things in the fridge.
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