Spinach Feta Grain Bowl (Printable Version)

Wholesome grain bowl featuring sautéed spinach, creamy feta, fresh vegetables, and a tangy dressing.

# 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 to low, 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 well combined.
04 - Divide cooked grains evenly among 4 serving bowls. Top each with sautéed spinach, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion.
05 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese evenly over each bowl. Drizzle with prepared dressing.
06 - Garnish with toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds and fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately at warm or room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd think, leaving you with a lunch that tastes like you actually spent time in the kitchen.
  • Everything is customizable, so you can build it around whatever vegetables are lingering in your crisper drawer.
  • It's satisfying enough for a full meal but light enough that you won't feel sluggish afterward.
02 -
  • Don't skip the toasting step for nuts—it transforms them from forgettable to the thing you reach for first, and takes barely two minutes.
  • If your spinach releases a lot of water when sautéing, let it cool slightly before adding it to the bowl, otherwise it'll make everything soggy.
03 -
  • Pack the components separately if you're bringing this for lunch tomorrow—assemble it just before eating so nothing gets soggy from sitting in dressing.
  • Toasted seeds or nuts aren't optional flavor, they're the textural finale that makes people actually enjoy eating this instead of just consuming it.
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