Hearty Winter Grain Bowl (Printable)

Warm grains and roasted vegetables with creamy tahini dressing for cozy winter dining.

# 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

→ 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

→ Dressing

14 - 1/4 cup tahini
15 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
16 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup
17 - 2 tablespoons warm water, plus 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F
02 - In a large bowl, toss diced carrots, parsnips, and sweet potato with olive oil, dried thyme, sea salt, and black pepper. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until vegetables are golden and tender
03 - Rinse grains thoroughly. In a medium saucepan, combine grains and vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with a lid, 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 until fragrant. Add chopped kale or Swiss chard with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until completely wilted, approximately 3 to 4 minutes
05 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, warm water, and Dijon mustard until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add additional water as needed to achieve desired consistency
06 - Divide warm cooked grains evenly between four serving bowls. Top each bowl with roasted root vegetables and sautéed greens. Drizzle generously with tahini dressing
07 - Garnish each bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta cheese if desired, and chopped fresh parsley. Serve warm

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you spent all day cooking.
  • You can prep components ahead and assemble bowls whenever hunger hits, making it perfect for busy weeks.
  • The tahini dressing is so good you'll want to drizzle it on everything afterward.
02 -
  • Don't skip rinsing the grains—it removes excess starch and prevents them from being gluey.
  • Stir the roasting vegetables halfway through cooking or the bottom pieces will burn while the top stays pale.
  • If your tahini dressing breaks or seems separated, whisk in a splash more lemon juice and it'll come back together.
03 -
  • Cut all your roasted vegetables to roughly the same size so they finish cooking at exactly the same time instead of some being crunchy and others mushy.
  • Taste the tahini dressing before you assemble the bowls and adjust seasoning then—it's easier than trying to fix it after everything's combined.
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