Three-Bean Power Bowl (Printable)

Hearty bowl with beans, vegetables, quinoa, and zesty dressing for a nourishing meal.

# What You Need:

→ Beans

01 - 1 cup cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
02 - 1 cup cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
03 - 1 cup cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed

→ Grains

04 - 1 cup cooked quinoa or brown rice

→ Vegetables

05 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
06 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
07 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
08 - 1 cup baby spinach or mixed greens
09 - 1 medium avocado, sliced
10 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced

→ Dressing

11 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
14 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
15 - 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
16 - 1 garlic clove, minced
17 - Salt and pepper to taste

→ Garnish

18 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro or parsley, chopped
19 - 2 tablespoons toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds, optional

# Steps:

01 - Wash and prepare all vegetables by halving cherry tomatoes, dicing cucumber and red bell pepper, thinly slicing red onion, and slicing avocado. Set aside on a clean surface.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined and emulsified.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and baby spinach.
04 - Stir the cooked quinoa or brown rice into the bean and vegetable mixture.
05 - Pour the prepared dressing over the mixture and toss gently to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
06 - Divide the dressed mixture into four serving bowls, arranging each portion evenly. Top each bowl with sliced avocado.
07 - Sprinkle fresh cilantro or parsley and toasted seeds over each bowl. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 2 days for meal preparation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's a complete meal in one bowl that actually tastes like you spent way more time on it than you did.
  • The dressing brings everything together with a bright, garlicky punch that makes even the plainest beans taste alive.
  • You can throw it together in under an hour and have leftovers for days, which feels like winning at life.
02 -
  • Rinse your canned beans thoroughly—the liquid they come in tastes like cardboard and will make your dressing taste thin and sad.
  • Don't add the avocado until the last second, and don't stir it in with everything else or you'll end up with beige mush that nobody wants.
03 -
  • Make your dressing in a jar and shake it every time you eat the bowl for the next few days, since the ingredients naturally separate and need reintegrating.
  • If you're meal prepping, keep the avocado and fresh herbs separate until the moment you eat, or you'll end up with disappointing brown mush.
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