Three-Bean Power Bowl (Printable)

Hearty bowl with three beans, crisp vegetables, quinoa, and zesty dressing for a satisfying 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

# How To Make It:

01 - Dice and halve all vegetables according to specifications. Slice avocado just before assembly to prevent browning.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, fresh lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, combine black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and spinach.
04 - Fold cooked quinoa or brown rice into the bean and vegetable mixture.
05 - Pour prepared dressing over the mixture and toss gently to coat all components evenly.
06 - Divide mixture into four serving bowls. Top each bowl with sliced avocado arranged on top.
07 - Sprinkle fresh cilantro or parsley and toasted seeds over each bowl. Serve immediately.
08 - Alternatively, refrigerate assembled bowls for up to 2 days for meal preparation purposes.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It's deceptively simple to throw together but tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • You can prep everything the night before and just toss it together when hunger strikes, making weekday lunches feel effortless.
  • The protein hits different when it comes from three sources—you stay satisfied for hours without feeling sluggish.
02 -
  • If you're making this for tomorrow, don't add the avocado until right before eating—it gets that sad, grayish-brown thing happening if you don't.
  • The dressing gets more concentrated and flavorful after an hour or so, so if you're meal prepping, you might want to drizzle it lightly at first and add more when you eat it.
03 -
  • Make a double batch of the dressing and keep it in the fridge—it's liquid gold for salads and roasted vegetables all week.
  • Toast your own seeds in a dry pan for two minutes if you're using them—they go from bland to deeply flavorful and it takes barely any time.
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