A good grain bowl is only as good as its add-ins. Give your quinoa, bulgur, farro, rice, and barley the love it deserves with these 28 healthy and easy toppings, mix-ins, and dressings. Sweet and savory grain bowl nirvana, straight ahead!
This works especially well with bulgur for a tabbouleh-like salad (pictured above).
Dress the raw kale first, and let it sit for half an hour before composing the grain bowl.
Don't have crème fraîche? Sour cream will do the trick nicely.
Mix the ginger in with the cheese first, for a little heat in every bite.
Any variety of seaweed would work here, including arame and kelp.
Add the basil at the last minute, so it doesn't wilt and oxidize.
Packing this for lunch? Just make extra shrimp for dinner, and pack them cold the next day.
No one would protest if you tossed a handful of raisins in here, too.
Cook the mushrooms over high heat, and don't crowd the pan—that's how you get crispy, not soggy 'shrooms.
This dressing will change your life. Seriously.
A little preserved lemon goes a long way!
Prefer things on the sunny side? Fry your egg, instead.
Inspired by the flavors of Pad Thai, this is a healthier lunchtime option.
Use canned black beans to make this fast, fast, fast.
Tender herbs, like tarragon, parsley, chervil, and mint are a good substitute for the greens.
Be sure to buy unsweetened coconut, because the dates are quite sweet.
Pull the scrambled eggs off the heat just before they're finished cooking—they will add a custardy texture to the grains.
This is the perfect opportunity to break out the "good" aged bottle of balsamic.
Raw mustard greens can be super spicy—temper them with a sweet dressing and rich, buttery-tasting seeds.
You can infuse your own oil with this recipe.
Like your favorite simple pasta, in grain bowl form.
This is the moment your rotisserie chicken has been waiting for.
Using almond butter to emulsify a vinaigrette doesn't just make it creamy, it tempers the spiciness of the cress.
Flavor wimps need not apply.
Use baby arugula for a milder flavor, or mature arugula for a more peppery bite. Tear it into pieces if it's very large.
Use tender asparagus spears, and you won't have to cook them.
Like elote? This grain bowl has your name all over it. Try it with brown rice.
Everything you love about a killer Cobb Salad, plus healthy whole grains. Win-win.