If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that hands-down my favorite lunch is a grain salad bowl – basically salad greens + a grain + a bean + some veggies and sauce all mixed together.
The grain salad bowl recipes and combinations are endless, so you can mix & match and never get bored, plus it requires no pre-prep and only a few minutes to throw together. You’re also covered on all nutritional bases, so the meal is satisfying, too: fiber-packed whole grains and colorful veggies, plant-based protein, and healthy fats!
I thought it was time to share a post with some of my favorite grain salad bowl recipes and combinations to give you guys some lunch (or easy dinner) inspiration.
So – here’s my formula so that you can make your own Mix & Match Grain Salad Bowls, too! Follow the formula to make your own creations, or try some of the grain bowl combination ideas I share at the end of the post.
Mix + Match Grain Salad Bowl Recipes
1. Start with Greens
Start by filling your bowl (or packable container) with two big handfuls of greens.
Mixed greens, spinach, arugula, and kale are my favorites – but any lettuce or leafy green will work!
2. Add Grains
Add 1/2 cup cooked whole grains to your salad.
I like using microwave plain brown rice or leftover grains from dinner to keep this fast and easy. You can also cook up a batch of brown rice, quinoa, barley, or any other whole grain to use in salads for the week, though!
3. Add Beans or Legumes
Add in 1/2 cup of cooked beans or legumes.
Dry beans are really affordable, or if you’re using canned beans, just drain and rinse your beans before adding them in. I especially love chickpeas, black beans, lentils, and frozen/thawed edamame here.
Beans are packed with protein and fiber, so this is a great way to give the meal staying power without needing to have meat on hand.
4. Top with Veggies
Top your salad with lots of chopped veggies!
You can use whatever you have around – cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, snap peas, peppers, green beans, mushrooms, the list goes on and on.
5. Sprinkle on Healthy Fats
Adding healthy fats to your salads makes them much more satisfying – and can add lots of flavor and texture.
Pretty much any crumbled or grated cheese or chopped nut is delicious on salad, and avocado tastes good on everything. ;)
6. Dress it Up
Dressing is such a fun way to get creative with your salad flavors.
Most days I keep it super simple by drizzling on a homemade vinaigrette (just oil + lemon juice + dijon mustard + balsamic or red wine vinegar), but again, your options are endless here!
Try out these ideas:
- 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 clove grated garlic (optional) – shaken up in a small jar
- 1 heaping spoonful salsa
- 1 heaping spoonful hummus
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce, 1 clove grated garlic – shaken up in a small jar (this has a fun Asian flair)
- Vegan Caesar Dressing (make a batch to have on hand for the week!)
- Vegan Creamy Herb Dressing (make a batch to have on hand for the week!)
There you have it! I love how flavorful and filling these bowls are, and it’s so easy to change up the flavors.
Now, to put this into action and give you some ideas, here are a few of my favorite combinations (which were pictured in the steps above)!
- Mixed greens + brown rice + black beans + peppers & tomatoes + avocado + salsa
- Arugula + quinoa + chickpeas + cucumber & tomato + feta cheese + lemon juice/balsamic/olive oil/dijon mustard
- Kale + brown rice + edamame + carrots & cucumbers & snap peas + toasted almonds + rice vinegar/soy sauce/sesame oil/garlic
- Spinach + barley + lentils + cucumber & tomato & carrot + goat cheese + lemon/olive oil/dijon mustard/garlic
Check out these other build-your-own recipes and tips on creating fast healthy meals!
- Avocado Toast 12 Ways
- 15 Pantry Staples for 15 Minute Dinners
- How to Make a Quick and Healthy Weeknight Dinner
What are your favorite grain salad bowl recipes or combinations? Let me know in the comments below!
Yay! This is exactly how I eat lunch too. My sister was asking me for lunch ideas last month and I told her about the grain salad “recipe” but I’m definitely going to send her this post, she will love it!
Awesome, thanks for sharing it! :)
my favorite is:
mixed greens (or baby kale blend, if it’s on sale!) + black or cannellini beans + sauerkraut + salsa. then add, depending on whats on hand, baked tofu, brown or black rice, and roasted veggies. tahini or hummus+ lemon juice for dressing/sauce :)
i like using fresh salsa and kraut because it adds a lot of easy veggies! and the kraut i buy is mixed veggie (cabbage + carrots + kale + seaweed)
Oh yes, sauerkraut is definitely a fave of mine too, but I’ve never tried it mixed with salsa – interesting! Will try that soon! :)
I do something similiar for salads/bowls for lunch during the week- one easy way I bulk up the veggies (without any chopping) is using a bag of broccoli slaw or cabbage. I need to try adding lentils, I usually do quinoa or tuna.
YES, I love broccoli slaw and cabbage – and pre-shredded carrots, too! Thanks for that tip!
Yummo, I have salads like this at least a couple times a week, sometimes I will add in turkey or chicken, or use slaw mix instead of lettuce greens, just to mix it up.
I like mixing it up with canned tuna, too!
THIS IS AWESOME! Having the step-by-step guide with photos and examples is amazing. Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to try each of these.
Yay, glad it was helpful! Let me know which ones are your faves!
Mmm so good! This will be the perfect dinner for the hot days ahead too! I think meals in bowls are my favorites haha!
Totally agree! :)
I make bowls similar to these! I usually don’t do grains and I do beans, avocado, hummus, berries and ALL the veggies. Or I will add cauliflower rice to them too! I bought a big mason jar so that I can stuff it all in there and bring it to work!
Looks so good – thank you for sharing!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Love this! My absolute go-to (which I make each week x4) is spinach, brown rice, roasted broccoli, edamame, avocado + lemon wedge, scallions and Trader Joe’s soyaki dressing on top. So good that I don’t get sick of eating it basically every day for lunch, and my BF likes it too so it’s easy to make in bulk prep.
Sounds delicious!
These look terrific, thanks! You need to go into business and sell these somehow!
I’m not interested in food production or the restaurant business at all – but I appreciate your enthusiasm!
My favorite is the Arugula + quinoa + chickpeas + cucumber & tomato + feta cheese + lemon juice/balsamic/olive oil/dijon mustard. My daughter love chickpeas and my other daughter love olive oil and feta cheese and I personally love quinoa. So there a bit for everyone in the family ;) . Anne, this is a great way of sharing what you know and for healthy food. I am going to get some nice salad bowls at lunchtime especially that it is going to be really warm here today. I live in southern Europe so I can tell you that salads are always welcome.
So glad you enjoyed the post! :)
I enjoyed the post and today I enjoyed the salad bowl. With 24 deg C and sunshine, it was well welcome by my parents and daughters. Great. Keep up the good work Anne;
Awesome, glad it was a hit! :)