Hearty Winter Grain Bowl (Print version)

Warm grains, roasted vegetables, and greens with creamy tahini dressing

# What you'll need:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup farro or quinoa
02 - 2 cups vegetable broth or water

→ Roasted Root Vegetables

03 - 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
04 - 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
05 - 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
06 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme
08 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Hearty Greens

10 - 4 cups kale or Swiss chard, stems removed and chopped
11 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
12 - 1 clove garlic, minced
13 - Pinch of salt

→ Tahini Dressing

14 - 1/4 cup tahini
15 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
17 - 2 tablespoons warm water, more as needed
18 - 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
19 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Toppings

20 - 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
21 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, optional
22 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F.
02 - In a large bowl, toss carrots, parsnips, and sweet potato with olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until golden and tender.
03 - Rinse grains. In a medium saucepan, combine grains and broth or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, approximately 20 minutes for quinoa or 30 minutes for farro. Drain any excess liquid.
04 - In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add chopped greens and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Whisk together tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, warm water, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy. Add additional water as needed to reach desired consistency.
06 - Divide warm grains evenly between serving bowls. Top each bowl with roasted vegetables and sautéed greens. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing.
07 - Garnish each bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta cheese if desired, and fresh parsley. Serve warm.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's the kind of meal that feels indulgent but actually fuels your whole afternoon without any sugar crash.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, and most of it happens while you're doing something else entirely.
  • The tahini dressing is so creamy and complex that you'll find yourself making it for other things and wondering why you waited this long.
02 -
  • Don't crowd your baking sheet with vegetables—they need space to caramelize, not steam, so use two sheets if you have to.
  • The dressing will thicken slightly as it sits, so make it a bit looser than you think you want it, because that moment when you pour it over warm grains and it settles into all the nooks and crannies is when the magic actually happens.
03 -
  • Make the tahini dressing the night before and store it in a jar—it actually tastes better as flavors meld, and mornings move faster when you have one less thing to do.
  • Roast double the vegetables if you're making dinner anyway; cold roasted roots are incredible in salads, grain bowls, or just eaten straight from the fridge with a pinch of salt.
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