Spring Green Bowl (Printable)

A vibrant bowl of fresh spring vegetables over grains with zesty 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

# How to Make It:

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 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 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 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 Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 40 minutes but tastes like you've been thinking about dinner all day.
  • You can eat it warm, room temperature, or even cold the next day without it falling apart.
  • The lemon dressing is so simple it almost feels like cheating, but it transforms everything it touches.
02 -
  • Ice water is not optional—it's the difference between vegetables that stay bright green and ones that turn olive-drab within an hour.
  • Tasting the dressing before you dress the bowl saves you from discovering halfway through eating that you forgot the salt.
  • Don't assemble bowls more than 15 minutes before serving unless you're okay with slightly soggy grains; they absorb dressing like a sponge.
03 -
  • Make the dressing a few hours ahead and store it in a jar; it actually tastes better after the flavors have gotten to know each other.
  • Toast your seeds in a dry pan for two minutes if you're using them; it wakes up their flavor and makes them taste intentional instead of accidental.
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