Spring Green Bowl (Print version)

Vibrant spring vegetables and grains with zesty lemon dressing for a light, wholesome 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
17 - Fresh herbs such as mint, parsley, or dill, chopped

# Directions:

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 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.
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 Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 40 minutes flat, which means weeknight dinner without the stress.
  • The vegetables stay crisp and bright green instead of turning into mush, which honestly took me a few tries to master.
  • You can prep everything ahead and assemble right before eating, making it perfect for meal prep Sunday or feeding friends without being glued to the stove.
02 -
  • Blanching the vegetables separately, not all together, seems fussy until you realize it prevents the sturdy green beans from drowning in cooking time while the delicate peas turn mushy.
  • Ice water immediately after blanching is non-negotiable because it halts cooking and keeps the vegetables from becoming overcooked mush, which I discovered by not doing this and learning through regret.
  • The dressing really does come together better with a whisk because it helps the emulsifiers do their job, creating something smooth rather than oily with bits of mustard floating around.
03 -
  • If your lemon is room temperature rather than cold, it will yield more juice, so give it a quick roll on the counter before cutting to maximize what you get.
  • Toasting your own seeds if you can because that nutty, warm flavor is so much more interesting than raw seeds, and it takes five minutes in a dry skillet and completely changes the bowl's personality.
  • Make the dressing at least 15 minutes before serving so the garlic can mellow slightly and the flavors can marry into something more cohesive than the sum of its parts.
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