Three-Bean Power Bowl (Printable)

Protein-rich medley of three beans, crisp vegetables, and quinoa with zesty dressing

# What You’ll 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 extra virgin olive oil
12 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed 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 black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

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

# How To Make It:

01 - Rinse and chop all fresh vegetables. Halve cherry tomatoes, dice cucumber and bell pepper, thinly slice red onion, and slice avocado. Set all prepared vegetables aside.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine drained black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and spinach.
04 - Stir the cooked quinoa or brown rice into the bean and vegetable mixture.
05 - Pour the prepared vinaigrette over the mixture and gently toss until all components are evenly coated.
06 - Divide the bean mixture equally among four serving bowls. Top each bowl with sliced avocado.
07 - Sprinkle fresh cilantro or parsley and toasted seeds over each bowl. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to two days.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get complete protein from three different beans without any meat, so your body actually feels satisfied for hours afterward.
  • It comes together in under 40 minutes, which means you can prep four meals on a Sunday and not think about lunch for the rest of the week.
  • The dressing tastes bright and alive, nothing like those sad bottled versions that sit in your fridge collecting dust.
02 -
  • If you add the avocado too early, it will brown and slip into brown sadness, so really commit to adding it last or even after you've portioned into bowls.
  • The dressing will seep into the grains and soften the vegetables if you let it sit overnight, which isn't bad per se, but tastes completely different than day one, so adjust your expectations accordingly.
03 -
  • Toast your own seeds in a dry skillet for two minutes instead of buying them pre-toasted, because the difference in flavor and crunch is honestly shocking.
  • Keep the dressing ingredients measured and ready before you start chopping vegetables, so assembly becomes almost meditative instead of chaotic.
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