This particular grain bowl has an autumnal theme, but you could certainly customize your lunch to have a Greek island getaway flair (quinoa + feta + olives + cucumbers + garbanzo beans).
Have you folks heard about grain bowls? I’m pretty sure it’s just an excuse to charge $20 for a salad, but digging a little deeper, there’s a few reasons why they have become the lunch du jour. First off, there’s the grains. This Harvest Grain Bowl has a scoop of barley in it, which adds a toothsome heft to the salad, and won’t leave you looking for a candy bar at three o’clock. Consider cooking your grains in broth for maximum flavor.
The instructions below assume that you are prepping midday meals for a couple of people on a Sunday afternoon, and the yield is a whopping six lunches! By assembling the salad in layers from the bottom up, with the dressing pooled at the bottom, the greens will remain relatively crispy for a couple of days, saving you both time and money as the work week drags on.
This particular grain bowl has an autumnal theme, but you could certainly customize your lunch to have a Greek island getaway flair (quinoa + feta + olives + cucumbers + garbanzo beans). A southwestern inspiration would also be delightful (brown rice + corn + tomatoes + black beans + pepitas). What’s your favorite combo?
Harvest Grain Bowl
4 1/2 cups cooked barley
1 1/2 pounds haricots verts string beans
2 pounds delicata squash
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon ground dried sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups toasted walnuts
1 cup craisins
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
12 cups mixed baby greens
For the dressing:
1 cup fruity olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon honey
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Trim the delicata squash and scoop out and discard the seeds. Cut it into slices about half an inch thick.
- Place the sliced squash in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the nutmeg, garlic powder, onion powder, ground sage, and kosher salt over the squash. Add the olive oil to the bowl and toss well.
- Line two sheet pans with parchment paper and divide the squash evenly between the two pans. The squash should be in one even layer. Place the pans in the oven and roast for about twenty minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and vice-versa about halfway through the roasting. The squash is done when it is tender and beginning to brown. Let it cool completely before adding to the salad.
- Fill a large pot fitted with a steamer basket with a couple of inches of water and set it over a medium heat on top of the stove.
- When the water in the pot comes to a simmer, add the green beans to the pot and steam for about eight minutes, or until tender. Remove from the steamer and run under cold water or submerge in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Dry on a clean kitchen towel.
- To make the dressing, place the olive oil, cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, minced garlic, and honey in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake well, until the dressing becomes emulsified.
- To assemble the salads as single serving lunches, start with six empty plastic or glass lunch containers.
- Divide the salad dressing evenly among the containers. Then add 3/4 cup cooked barley to each of the containers.
- Continue adding salad ingredients, evenly dividing the craisins, walnuts, shaved Parmesan cheese, string beans, squash, and mixed greens among each of the containers.
- Before eating, turn the container upside down, hold the lid on tightly, and shake vigorously to toss the salad and distribute the salad dressing.
- If you prefer to serve this salad in one giant bowl, simply toss all the ingredients together and serve.
This recipe will yield six lunches or twelve servings as a side salad.
