Evergreen Low Fat Grain Bowl (Printable)

Vibrant bowl with grains, fresh vegetables, chickpeas, and zesty herb dressing for a wholesome boost.

# List of ingredients:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup brown rice or quinoa (uncooked)
02 - 2 cups water

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 cup broccoli florets
04 - 1 cup baby spinach
05 - 1 cup cucumber, sliced
06 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
07 - 1 small carrot, shredded
08 - 1/4 cup radishes, thinly sliced

→ Protein

09 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed if canned

→ Dressing

10 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
11 - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
12 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
15 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Toppings (optional)

16 - 1 tablespoon toasted sunflower seeds
17 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (parsley, chives, or dill)

# Steps:

01 - Rinse the brown rice or quinoa thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until grains are tender—approximately 25 minutes for rice, 15 minutes for quinoa. Fluff with a fork and allow to cool slightly.
02 - Steam broccoli florets until bright green and just tender, about 3 minutes. Immediately rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process.
03 - In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, and black pepper. Whisk until emulsified.
04 - Divide the cooked grains evenly among four serving bowls. Top each with steamed broccoli, baby spinach, sliced cucumber, halved cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot, thinly sliced radishes, and cooked chickpeas.
05 - Drizzle the herb dressing evenly over each bowl. Sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds and chopped fresh herbs as desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes light but keeps you full for hours without any heaviness.
  • Everything can be prepped ahead and assembled in minutes when youre hungry.
  • The dressing is so good you will want to put it on everything else too.
02 -
  • Do not overdress the bowl or everything turns soggy, start with half the dressing and add more at the table.
  • If you make the grains ahead, spread them on a plate to cool so they do not steam themselves into mush.
  • Cold broccoli tastes better than warm in this bowl, so do not skip the ice bath step.
03 -
  • Toast the sunflower seeds in a dry skillet until they smell nutty, it only takes a minute but the flavor difference is huge.
  • If your grains taste bland, you did not salt the cooking water enough, fix it by tossing them with a little salt and olive oil while they are still warm.
  • The dressing thickens in the fridge, so whisk in a teaspoon of water before using it again.

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