These days, it seems like Instagram-ready grain bowls are popping up everywhere at spots like Egg Shop in NYC and Baker Miller in Chicago. Still searching for the tricks needed to get your lunchtime grain bowl to taste as great as the one at your favorite little luncheonette? Search no more.
What’s even better than a bed of delicious cooked grains? A duo! We like black rice with red quinoa, farro with red rice, bulgur with freekeh, or spelt with lentils (okay, so that’s a legume—see how crazy this can get?).
Before you prep the other toppings, thinly slice heartier greens—e.g., kale, collards, savoy cabbage—then toss with apple cider vinegar to moisten and give them a few squeezes. They’ll be tenderized by the time you’re ready to assemble the bowl.
For an alt-crouton experience, toast a mix of nuts and seeds, such as sunflower and hemp with some fennel, in olive oil until golden and crisp, then season with salt and pepper. Bonus: Now you’ve got flavorful oil to work with, too. (Read on.)
1. Use the leftover seed-toasting oil to griddle some sliced Halloumi cheese (our new favorite—don’t tell feta). 2. Dress up your grains with a generous handful of tender chopped herbs, such as mint, parsley, chives, and fennel fronds.
For the ideal crispy-creamy balance, cut winter squash, carrots, or sweet potatoes into bite-size pieces, then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, and a dab or two of harissa or a shake of curry powder. Roast at 425° until tender.
Bold is better. Get the recipe for our spicy Turmeric-Tahini Sauce and pour liberally on pretty much everything.
Don’t toss—at least not before admiring your work. Separating the components lets you design perfect bite after perfect bite.