Greek Grain Bowl
January 17, 2018
Let’s give the beloved grain bowl a Greek makeover! Tossed together in this bowl of healthy goodness is arugula, shrimp, farro, chickpeas, tomatoes, olives, and feta. It’s all dressed with a creamy yogurt dressing and a squeeze of lemon. Served with a side of pita chips this one is going to be tough to resist!
Greek Goodness in a Bowl
There’s nothing that I love more than a killer grain bowl you look forward to eating over and over again. I like to draw inspiration from a recipe or cuisine I already love and pull in seasonal ingredients and sauce…you always need a good sauce or dressing to pull it together!
I’ve never met a classic Greek salad that I didn’t like, so for this Greek grain bowl I included some of the classic ingredients along with a few others. I use nutty farro and peppery arugula for a base and add vibrant, crunchy vegetables like crisp cucumbers, hearty chickpeas, juicy tomatoes, and briny olives. I like to finish it off with a generous drizzle of Creamy Dill Yogurt Dressing and a handful of crumbled feta cheese.
Grain Bowl Basics
This is the basic formula I like to follow when putting together a grain bowl.
- Grain – Quinoa, farro, couscous, rice, barley, or bulgar
- Greens – Arugula, shredded kale, mixed greens, or lettuces
- Protein – rotisserie chicken, beans, lentils, chickpeas, hard boiled egg, or fish
- Vegetables – Avocado, cucumbers, carrots, shredded cabbage, tomatoes, or snap peas
- Fruit – Apples, fresh berries, clementines, dried cranberries or cherries, pomegranate seeds
- Nuts + Olives– Almonds, pecans, pistachios, crushed peanuts, or kalamata olives,
- Cheese – Crumbled feta or goat cheese. parmesan, bleu cheese, fresh mozzarella
- Dressing/Sauce– Vinaigrettes, hummus, creamy dressings, or tahini
Greek Grain Bowl
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 4 cups farro, cooked
- 4 cups baby arugula, chopped
- 2 cups medium shrimp, cooked and seasoned with a squeeze of lemon
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved and seasoned with salt and pepper
- 1 cup olives
- 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- Creamy Dill Yogurt Dressing, recipe follows
Creamy Dill Yogurt Dressing
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- zest and juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
Instructions
For the bowl: Divide farro among 4 bowls; top evenly with arugula, shrimp, chickpeas, tomatoes and Olives. Drizzle with creamy dill dressing and top evenly with feta cheese. Serve with a wedge of lemon, if desired.
For the dressing: Mix the yogurt, lemon juice and zest together in a small bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly until smooth and slightly thickened. Stir in the pepper and the chopped dill. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to use.