Mediterranean Grain Bowl (Printable)
Fresh grains, crisp veggies, feta, and zesty lemon dressing in a nourishing Mediterranean-inspired bowl.
# What You'll Need:
→ Grains
01 - 1 cup uncooked farro or quinoa
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1 cucumber, diced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely sliced
07 - 1 cup baby spinach or arugula
→ Protein & Cheese
08 - 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
09 - 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
→ Toppings
10 - 1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved
11 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
→ Lemon-Herb Dressing
12 - 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
13 - Juice of 1 lemon
14 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
15 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
16 - 1/4 tsp sea salt
17 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
# How-To Steps:
01 - Bring water or vegetable broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add farro or quinoa, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender — farro for 25 minutes or quinoa for 15 minutes. Drain any excess liquid and fluff with a fork. Let cool slightly.
02 - While the grains cook, halve the cherry tomatoes, dice the cucumber and red bell pepper, and finely slice the red onion. Set aside.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dried oregano, sea salt, and black pepper until well combined.
04 - Divide the cooked grains among four bowls. Arrange spinach or arugula on one side of each bowl, then top with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion.
05 - Sprinkle each bowl with crumbled feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and fresh parsley. Drizzle generously with the lemon-herb dressing. Serve immediately or chill for a cold grain bowl.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- It comes together in under an hour and reheats beautifully for lunch the next day.
- The lemon herb dressing doubles as a marinade for anything else you throw on the grill this week.
- You probably have most of these ingredients in your kitchen right now.
02 -
- Let the farro cool for at least ten minutes before assembling or the spinach will wilt into a sad puddle.
- The dressing tastes completely different after sitting for twenty minutes, so make it first and let it mingle.
- Leftovers tighten up in the fridge overnight and the flavors deepen beautifully by day two.
03 -
- Toast the farro in a dry pan for two minutes before boiling to bring out a deep nutty aroma you cannot get any other way.
- Mash half the chickpeas with a fork and mix them into the grains for a creamier texture that holds the dressing better.