Spinach Feta Grain Bowl (Print Version)

Vibrant Mediterranean bowl with sautéed spinach, creamy feta, and fresh vegetables over wholesome quinoa grains.

# What You Need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa uncooked or brown rice
02 - 2 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Vegetables

03 - 4 cups fresh spinach washed and roughly chopped
04 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
05 - 1 small cucumber diced
06 - 1 red bell pepper diced
07 - 1 small red onion thinly sliced

→ Dairy

08 - 3/4 cup feta cheese crumbled

→ Dressing

09 - 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
10 - 1.5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 garlic clove minced
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Optional Toppings

14 - 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds
15 - Fresh parsley chopped

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth or water to a boil. Stir in quinoa or brown rice, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender and liquid is absorbed (approximately 15 minutes for quinoa or 35 minutes for brown rice). Fluff with a fork and set aside.
02 - In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the chopped spinach and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until just wilted. Remove from heat.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, honey or maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
04 - Divide cooked grains evenly among 4 serving bowls. Top each portion with sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion.
05 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese evenly over each bowl.
06 - Drizzle dressing over each bowl. Garnish with toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds and fresh parsley if desired.
07 - Serve immediately, either warm or at room temperature.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It comes together in about half an hour, which means you can actually make it on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The warm grains mixed with cool, crisp vegetables create this perfect temperature contrast that keeps things interesting.
  • You can throw together whatever vegetables are lurking in your crisper drawer and it just works.
02 -
  • If you use brown rice instead of quinoa, add at least another 20 minutes to your cooking time or you'll end up crunching on undercooked grains.
  • Whisking a tiny bit of the warm grains into your dressing before drizzling makes it coat everything more evenly instead of pooling at the bottom.
03 -
  • Toast your pine nuts or seeds in a dry pan for two minutes right before serving—the warmth releases their oils and makes them taste exponentially better than raw.
  • If you find the bowl tastes flat once assembled, it's usually because the dressing is too timid; don't be afraid to add another squeeze of lemon or a pinch of salt to wake it up.
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