Ponzu Greens and Grains Bowls

Need an easy vegetarian meal that starts your week on a high note? Look no further than these amazing Ponzu Greens and Grains Bowls. Nutty farro gets tossed with lime juice and olive oil to create a hearty base, topped with chickpeas and crisp veggies, and drizzled with a homemade ponzu vinaigrette.

In an effort to get right to the good stuff, I’ll skip the “blog” part of this post and just dive right into the recipe notes. I love the use of farro in these bowls because it’s heartier than rice. If you’ve never used farro before, you’ve got to give it a try. It’s considered an ancient grain, and it also has more protein per serving than brown rice, which is important to me when eating a vegetarian meal. Due to the asian-inspired nature of the ponzu vinaigrette, however, brown rice is also acceptable if you can’t find (or don’t want to try) farro.

If you don’t have a high-speed blender, you can definitely make the ponzu vinaigrette by hand as long as you’re willing to spend some time really mincing the ginger and garlic. Otherwise, ask to borrow a friend’s?

Lastly, the vegetables I use are simply a guide. Feel free to build your bowls with whatever veggies you see fit. I think pickled onion, any variety of pepper, edamame, carrots, mushrooms, etc. would all taste delicious. It’s totally up to you, which is part of the fun of these bowls!

I hope you enjoy these delicious meatless bowls as much as I do. Don’t forget to share your photos and tag me @theardentcook on Instagram so I can see how you liked them!

Ingredients

For the Bowls (2 adult servings)

3 cups farro, cooked, divided

1 16oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed, divided

1 watermelon radish, thinly sliced, divided

2 small english cucumbers, thinly sliced, divided

2 cups baby arugula, divided 

Juice of 1 lime, plus more for serving

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt, to taste

Micro greens, for garnish (optional)

For the Ponzu Vinaigrette

1 one-inch piece ginger

1 garlic clove, peeled

3 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp soy sauce

½ tsp honey

¼ tsp toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. In a high speed blender, combine the ingredients for the ponzu vinaigrette. Blend on high until the garlic and ginger are finely ground and the vinaigrette is emulsified. Set aside.
2. Toss the cooked farro with the juice of one lime, 1 tbsp of olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
3. Divide the farro between two dinner-sized bowls. Add 1 cup of arugula to each bowl, along with the radishes, cucumber, and chickpeas divided evenly.
4. Drizzle the ponzu vinaigrette over the bowls and garnish with micro greens, if desired. Enjoy!