This vegetarian rice bowl is packed with all of your favorite seasonal flavors and then pulled together with the creamiest cinnamon-spiced apple cider dressing. Switch out the ingredients based on what you love and have on hand to make it easy.
It was only a matter of time before I shared my favorite grain bowl! I am not exaggerating when I say I would eat some version of this for lunch 75% of the time if I could. The other 25% would be leftovers, of course.
Grain bowls are such a rockstar meal for so many reasons: they’re satisfying and nutritionally balanced if you follow my formula, a great way to use odds and ends from the fridge, highlights seasonal produce, and present so beautifully. What’s not to love?
Here are the ingredients you need to make this one.
Ingredients
- Brown rice. Any grain will work, but I love fluffy, slightly chewy brown rice in this particular bowl.
- Pre-cooked, French lentils. I’m a huge fan of the refrigerated steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s because you can eat them straight out of the package and the flavor is spot-on. If you don’t have access to a TJ’s, look for the canned version in the grocery store or online. Lentils are also an extremely nutritious plant protein!
- Spring mix. For ease of eating, I like to roughly chop it up. Charred kale or wilted spinach would also work great.
- Butternut squash. To keep it easy: I used frozen and microwaved, then tossed with olive oil, cinnamon salt & pepper. If you have time to roast one over the weekend that’s even better!
- Apple, thinly sliced. Any sweet, crunchy variety works. I used a SweeTango.
- Purple cabbage. An underrated ingredient yet so beautiful and vibrant, plus it adds an extra punch of nutrition (it’s a cruciferous vegetable).
- Pecans. For crunch, and heart-healthy fats.
- Dried cherries. My go-to dried fruit, for a touch of sweetness.
- Bleu cheese. If you don’t like bleu, swap it out for feta, parmesan or even extra-sharp cheddar. Bleu cheese pairs really well with the cherries and apples. I love using big flavor cheeses in small amounts.
The nice thing about bowls, is once you have everything prepped, it’s basically an assembly line. Start with the rice, lentils and greens as your base, then add the toppings per your personal preference. Using a shallow bowl really helps with the presentation because you can see everything.
Creamy Spiced Maple Dressing
Let’s talk about this dressing for a minute. It is SO GOOD you guys.
When I started dreaming up this bowl, I knew I wanted a creamy dressing that involved seasonal flavors like apple, maple and cinnamon. Tahini is a great way to make dressings creamy while bringing a deep, nutty flavor to the mix.
Pro tip: when you’re making a creamy dressing, use the stick blender and large mouth mason jar to get everything fully incorporated. It works really well and is easier to clean than a food processor or blender.
The key to getting the perfect, pourable consistency is to blend all of the ingredients and then gradually add in hot water (adding a bit, blending, tasting… adding a bit more, blending again). I ended up using 1/2 cup of water.
Drizzle the dressing over the top of the bowl to finish. If you’re anything like me, once you get the photo you’ll immediately mix everything up to get it all coated.
Dig in!
You might also like:
- The Formula for a Seriously Satisfying Grain Bowl
- Summer Farro Salad with Green Tahini
- Maple Tahini Snack Balls
Harvest Rice Bowl with Lentils & Creamy Apple Cider Vinaigrette
This vegetarian rice bowl is packed with all of your favorite seasonal flavors and then pulled together with the creamiest cinnamon-spiced apple cider dressing. Switch out the ingredients based on what you love and have on hand to make it easy.
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Mains
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup hot water
- salt & peper, to taste
- 2/3 cup pre-cooked lentils (see notes)
- 2 cups spring mix, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup pre-cooked butternut squash (see notes)
- 1/2 apple, thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp bleu cheese crumbles
- 1/2 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Cook brown rice per package directions.
- Meanwhile, make the dressing: add tahini through cinnamon to a large, wide-mouth mason jar (or bowl). Use a stick blender to fully incorporate all of the ingredients; it should be thick and creamy. Gradually add the hot water, until it reaches a pourable consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To assemble the bowls: layer cooked rice, lentils, spring mix, squash, apples, bleu cheese, cabbage, cherries and pecans in a shallow dish. Drizzle dressing over the top.
Notes
- The equipment section above includes affiliate links to things I use often in my kitchen and recommend.
- I recommend using the steamed lentils from Trader Joe’s if you have access to one. If not, you can also find canned lentils in many grocery stores now, or buy them dried and cook a big batch on Sunday to use throughout the week.
- To simplify this meal, roast some butternut squash on the weekend. I’ve also used frozen butternut squash in a pinch (just microwave, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and cinnamon).
- The dressing makes a full cup, and you likely won’t use it all for two servings. Store any leftovers in a small jar in the refrigerator for later.
- Nutrition information is calculated for one bowl and 1/4 cup dressing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 583 calories
- Fat: 27 grams
- Carbohydrates: 68 grams
- Fiber: 8 grams
- Protein: 15 grams
Keywords: fall recipes, harvest grain bowl, brown rice bowl, lentil recipes, tahini dressing
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C says
I saw this recipe on Katheats and have had it on my mind since.. finally got around to making it and am obsessed!!! I can’t wait to eat it again tomorrow even though I had it for lunch and dinner today.
This is ridiculously delicious! I have sent it to everyone to try too.
Next up are your brussel sprouts!
Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Leanne says
This is so sweet of you! I can’t thank you enough for coming back to leave a star rating. And of course I’m so glad you loved the recipe. I’m actually making it for dinner tonight haha! I appreciate your kind words. Let me know how the brussels turn out for you.
Kath says
Cannot wait to make this dressing!!!!
Leanne says
Thanks so much Kath! I hope you like it as much as I do. I’m tahini obsessed, and I think it’s the perfect way to make dressing creamy and works so well with grain bowls.