Learn how to make a grain bowl with whole grains, protein, fresh veggies, and creamy tahini sauce. It’s a healthy, fast, and easy 30-minute dinner!
Want to make a grain bowl? Bowl meals are so popular these days, and often they’re on our table because it’s one of the easiest ways to turn random ingredients into a healthy dinner!
Here’s the thing: you can’t just throw anything into a bowl. A good grain bowl has to be well-seasoned, and play up contrasts in color, texture and flavor. It’s got to have enough protein to keep you full, and a great sauce to bring it all together. I’ll talk you through a few steps, and then show you our favorite grain bowl that makes a fast and easy dinner in 30 minutes.
Why You’ll Love This Grain Bowl
- It’s ready in 30 minutes. With a few make-ahead tricks, it’s even faster!
- It’s filling. Protein and fiber from the grains and chickpeas keep you full for hours.
- It’s a leftover hero. A grain bowl a great way to turn random fridge bits into a real meal.
- It’s plant-based and crowd-friendly. Vegan, vegetarian, and easy to adapt for any eater.
What Is A Grain Bowl?
A grain bowl is a one-bowl meal that combines cooked whole grains, protein, vegetables, and a flavorful sauce. It’s similar to a Buddha bowl or poke bowl, but what goes into a grain bowl is up to you.
When you choose the elements for your grain bowl, you’ll have to keep contrasts in mind! Think about textures, colors, and flavors as you pick out each of the elements. You don’t want a bowl that’s all mushy, drab, or all the same flavor profile. Here are a few notes:
- Texture: Whole grains are fluffy, beans and chickpeas can be soft. Think about adding a crunch with raw veggies, needs or seeds.
- Color: We eat with our eyes! No one wants a brown or yellow bowl. Add colorful fresh or cooked veggies to round out the bowl! The more colors, the better.
- Flavor: Using several components naturally makes flavor contrasts. Think about contrasts in elements that are savory, naturally sweet, tangy, salty, and even lightly bitter.
How to Build a Grain Bowl: The 4 Elements
1. Pick your grain
The grain is your foundation, and it’s where the “healthiest grain” question usually comes up. Honestly, there’s no single best one—they each bring something. Here are my favorites:
- Quinoa: My top pick. It cooks in about 25 minutes, and is naturally gluten-free with a complete protein. Try my Seasoned Quinoa.
- Rice: White or brown both work! See How To Cook Rice.
- Farro: Chewy, nutty, and satisfying. How to Cook Farro.
- Bulgur: Another tasty whole grain option. See How to Cook Bulgur Wheat.
- Barley: A great gluten-free option. See How to Cook Barley.
- Millet and Freekah: A few additional unique whole grains. Try my millet recipe or freekah recipe.
2. Add a protein
Protein is what keeps a grain bowl from leaving you hungry an hour later. My standby is easy canned chickpeas—my five-minute trick for making a bland can of beans taste fantastic. But you have plenty of options depending on the night:
- Beans and chickpeas: Try chickpeas, black beans, or white beans.
- Tofu: Try my pan fried tofu or baked tofu, or marinated tempeh.
- Fish: Go for baked salmon, seared salmon, garlic shrimp, ahi poke, or seared tuna
- Chicken: Try grilled chicken thighs, air fryer chicken, or pan seared chicken
3. Pile on the veggies
This is where color and freshness come in. For my Mediterranean bowl I like for cherry tomatoes, sliced English cucumber, and red onion. But almost anything works, like avocado, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower, zucchini, spinach, kale, roasted sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans, eggplant, asparagus, cabbage, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, or roasted vegetables.
4. Finish with a sauce
A great sauce is the difference between a random bowl and a “delicious grain bowl”. Here are some of my favorite sauce ideas:
Tip: You can also add a crunchy element if you like. I like toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans, pepitas, or sesame seeds.
Use a Theme to Tie It Together
Using a vague theme can be helpful for tying a grain bowl together. It’s not necessary, but using flavors that go from a specific cuisine can make for harmony in the bowl! Here are a few ideas:
- Mediterranean style: That’s the style of this easy grain bowl! It’s got Mediterranean or Greek style elements like tahini sauce, chickpeas, cucumber and tomatoes.
- Mexican style: Try a bowl like this Rice Bowl with rice, black beans, and cilantro sauce.
- Hawaiian style: Go for a Poke Bowl vibe (or Vegan Poke Bowl).
- Moroccan style: Roast up a bunch of veggies for a Roasted Vegetable Bowl with freekah and lemon yogurt sauce.
- Japanese style: Try a Sushi Bowl with sushi rice, ahi tuna, and healthy veggies.
My 30-Minute Grain Bowl Concept
This easy grain bowl is Mediterranean-inspired and takes just 30 minutes to make into a healthy lunch or dinner! Because some grains can take longer to cook, this concept can often take longer than 30 minutes if you make them all at once. This recipe is quick and easy! Make it even faster with our make-ahead tips below. It’s a plant based and vegan recipe that’s great for weeknight cooking. Here are the elements that make this grain bowl so quick:
- Easy chickpeas: These Easy Canned Chickpeas are our trick on how to make a bland can of beans taste great in just 5 minutes! We use this trick all the time in the kitchen.
- Seasoned quinoa: This Perfect Seasoned Quinoa is another trick to make quinoa taste fantastic. Put on a pot and make the rest of your components.
- Mediterranean-style veggies: Grab your tomatoes, cucumber, and some Kalamata olives if you’d like.
- Tahini sauce: This Tahini Sauce works for lots of different bowls: and it’s perfect for this one with a Mediterranean flair.
How to Serve and Store
Want to make a grain bowl ahead of time? Great! Because it can take a while to prepare all the components. To make the fastest healthy dinner or lunch, think about doing a few things in advance. Here are a few ideas:
- Cook the grain in advance. Refrigerate until serving. Reheat on the stovetop lightly, or just serve it at room temperature. Rice can dry out, so when you reheat it on the stovetop, add a splash of water and then cover it so it can steam. Leftovers last up to 5 days.
- Cook the protein in advance. If you’re making a bowl with chicken, fish, or tofu, you can cook that in advance and refrigerate until serving. Leftovers last 3 to 4 days.
- Use a grain bowl to use up leftovers! The best part about bowl meals? They’re great for leftovers. Use the bowl concept to eat up leftover items you’ve cooked throughout the week.
Dietary Notes
This grain bowl recipe is vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free, and gluten-free.
Easy Grain Bowl
Pin RecipeLearn how to make a grain bowl with whole grains, protein, fresh veggies, and creamy tahini sauce. It’s a healthy, fast, and easy 30-minute dinner!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
For the grain
- Seasoned Quinoa (shown here)
- White or Brown Rice (season like the quinoa)
- Farro
- Bulgur Wheat
- Millet
For the grain bowl
- 2 15-ounce can chickpeas*
- 2 small garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 recipe Tahini Sauce
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes
- 1 English cucumber
- ½ cup Kalamata olives (optional)
- 1/4 red onion
Instructions
- Make the grain: Go to Seasoned Quinoa to make the quinoa, or follow the other whole grain recipes listed above. The quinoa takes about 25 minutes total, so use the cook time to prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Make the chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Mince the garlic. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but before it browns. Add the chickpeas, smoked paprika, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook 2 minutes until warmed through.
- Make the sauce: Make the Tahini Sauce. (Or, try Lemon Dill Sauce or Creamy Cilantro Sauce.)
- Prep the veggies: Slice the tomatoes in half. Slice the cucumber. Slice the red onion.
- Assemble the bowls: Place the quinoa and chickpeas in the bowl. Add the fresh veggies and drizzle with the sauce. (Meal prep notes: You can make quinoa, chickpeas, and dressing in advance: quinoa stores refrigerated 5 days and chickpeas store 3 to 4 days, and the dressing stores 1 month.)
Notes
*This makes a solid 4 to 6 servings of protein. If you’re cooking for 1 or 2, make half this recipe (or go to Easy Canned Chickpeas.)
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/1SiYIEy
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