Warm Salad Bowl (Printable)

Hearty bowl with roasted vegetables, fluffy grains, and zesty warm dressing for wholesome nourishment.

# What You’ll Use:

→ Grains

01 - 1 cup quinoa or brown rice, rinsed
02 - 2 cups water or vegetable broth

→ Roasted Vegetables

03 - 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
04 - 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
05 - 1 small red onion, sliced
06 - 1 small zucchini, sliced
07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
09 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Greens

10 - 4 cups baby spinach or kale, stems removed

→ Warm Vinaigrette

11 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
13 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
14 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
15 - 1 small garlic clove, minced
16 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Toppings

17 - 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese, optional
18 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
19 - Fresh herbs such as parsley or cilantro, chopped

# How-To:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
02 - Toss sweet potato, bell pepper, onion, and zucchini with 2 tablespoons olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through, until tender and golden brown.
03 - While vegetables roast, combine quinoa or brown rice and water or broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes for quinoa or according to package directions for rice, until grains are tender and liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
04 - In a small pan over low heat, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper for 1 to 2 minutes until just warm.
05 - In a large bowl, toss spinach or kale with half the warm vinaigrette, allowing the greens to wilt slightly.
06 - Divide grains among four bowls. Top each with wilted greens, roasted vegetables, and optional toppings. Drizzle with remaining warm vinaigrette and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and requires minimal hands-on time while vegetables roast.
  • The warm vinaigrette wilts the greens just enough so they're tender but still vibrant, a technique that changes everything.
  • You can prep components ahead and assemble in minutes, making it perfect for meal prep without the boredom of repetitive leftovers.
  • It's forgiving enough to swap vegetables based on what's in your crisper drawer.
02 -
  • Don't crowd your baking sheet when roasting vegetables; they need space to caramelize rather than steam, so give them room to breathe or roast in batches.
  • The warm vinaigrette is the entire difference between this feeling special versus feeling like a sad desk salad; temperature and timing matter more than the ingredients themselves.
  • Uniforms sizes matter more than perfect aesthetics; vegetables that are similarly sized roast evenly, so spend thirty seconds making sure your sweet potato cubes and zucchini slices are roughly equivalent.
03 -
  • Make the warm vinaigrette last so it's still genuinely warm when it hits the greens; timing matters more than perfection here, and warmth is what does the wilting work.
  • If you're prepping ahead, keep components separate and assemble only when you're ready to eat; this bowl deteriorates once assembled because everything continues releasing moisture and the grains absorb it.
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