Spring Green Bowl (Printable)

A vibrant bowl of fresh spring vegetables over hearty 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 Steps:

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 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 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 in under an hour but tastes like you spent all afternoon planning something special.
  • The lemon dressing wakes up every single vegetable—you'll find yourself eating the leafy bits first because they're suddenly exciting.
  • It's endlessly flexible, so you can build it around whatever's calling to you from the market or your garden.
02 -
  • Don't overcrowd the pot when blanching—if the water stops boiling, you're steaming instead of blanching, and the vegetables will turn dull and mushy instead of staying bright and crisp.
  • The ice bath isn't optional; it's the difference between vegetables that taste fresh and alive versus ones that continue cooking on the plate and lose their snap.
03 -
  • Toast your seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for just a few minutes until they smell amazing and start to pop—this wakes up their flavor in a way that changes everything.
  • Swap the vegetables based on what's in season and what makes you happy; there's no rulebook except that you should feel excited about what you're eating.
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