Mediterranean Grain Bowl (Printable Version)
Wholesome grains, crisp vegetables, feta, and lemon-herb dressing in a vibrant Mediterranean-style 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 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Lemon-Herb Dressing
12 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
13 - Juice of 1 lemon
14 - 1 garlic clove, finely minced
15 - 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
16 - 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
17 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# How To Make It:
01 - In a medium saucepan, bring water or vegetable broth to a boil. Add the 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. Set aside to 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 all vegetables 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, then top with chickpeas, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion.
05 - Sprinkle each bowl with crumbled feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and chopped parsley. Drizzle generously with the lemon-herb dressing. Serve immediately, or chill for a refreshing cold grain bowl.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Every component can be prepped ahead, which means weeknight dinners come together in under ten minutes.
- The lemon herb dressing doubles as a marinade for chicken or a dip for crusty bread, so you will want to make extra.
02 -
- Do not dress the bowls if you plan to store leftovers, because the spinach will collapse into a sad wet mess overnight.
- Toasting the farro in a dry pan for two minutes before boiling adds a nutty flavor that completely changed how this bowl tastes.
03 -
- Massaging the kale with a drop of olive oil before adding it to the bowl removes the bitterness and makes the leaves surprisingly tender.
- Letting the dressing sit for at least fifteen minutes before serving gives the garlic and oregano time to bloom into something far more complex than the individual parts.