Grain bowls have exploded in popularity in recent years. These versatile dishes can be used for a healthy lunch or dinner and are quick and easy to put together.
They’re also very healthy and are packed with fiber, protein, and various vitamins and minerals.
There are almost infinite combinations of grain bowls that you can make as well.
No matter what your dietary requirements are or your personal preferences, there is sure to be a grain bowl that is perfect for you. You can easily adjust any recipe to tailor it to your needs as well!
Grain bowls are never better than during the summer months. We often don’t want to eat anything heavy or spend too much time in front of a hot stove and grain bowls are the perfect solution.
They also make for a great and healthy lunch that you can take to the office with you.
That’s why we’ve written this article of x delicious summer grain bowl recipes you will love.
We even have some grain bowl recipes that use gluten-free grains as well, so you don’t have to avoid these delicious bowls if you’re allergic to gluten.
1. Jerk Chicken Bowls With Mango Salsa And Coconut Rice
Our first recipe is infused with a variety of Caribbean flavors. The combination of jerk chicken and mango salsa makes this ideal for summer.
It uses basmati rice cooked with some coconut milk and a dash of lime adds even more flavor to the dish.
To season the chicken you will need some jerk seasoning and you should be able to find this in your local supermarket.
This bowl does require a little more prep than some others because of cooking and seasoning the chicken, but it’s well worth the effort, however!
2. Instant Pot Burrito Bowls With Chicken
We love Instant Pot recipes! They’re a great way to cook delicious dishes full of flavor without the need to spend time at the oven or the stovetop.
They allow flavors to infuse over a longer period of time and can leave you free to do other tasks.
As a burrito bowl, this is full of several Mexican flavors and ingredients such as taco seasoning, salsa, black beans, and chipotle peppers.
Finish the bowl with some cheese and avocado for that perfect Mexican flavor.
3. Black Bean Polenta Bowls
Polenta is made from corn so although this may not be a typical grain bowl, it is still classed as a grain bowl.
This is a grain bowl for anyone who is both vegan and gluten-free as the bowl is suitable for both of these diets.
The bowl is full of delicious summer flavors and colors courtesy of black beans, pico de gallo, avocado, lettuce, and whatever else you want to add!
You can make your own pico de gallo if you wish but there are also plenty of options in most supermarkets. If you prefer, this works just as well with salsa instead.
4. Salmon Sushi Bowl
Although many people associate the word “sushi” with raw fish, this is not actually the case.
Sushi refers to the style of rice, although in the case of this bowl it is more of a cool name than an accurate description!
The salmon is cooked and seasoned in a teriyaki style before being added to the bowl. The star of the show in our opinion is the sriracha mayo that adds some wonderful flavor.
The bowl is full of tasty Asian umami flavors thanks to the soy sauce, nori, and sesame seeds.
5. Mediterranean Farro Salad
This is another vegan bowl and it’s easy to make it gluten-free if you want. It has several Mediterranean flavors that are sure to put you in mind of summers by the Mediterranean sea.
The main ingredients are kale, chickpeas, farro, red peppers, parsley, and tahini.
Both the farro and red peppers need cooking but this is quick and simple. You can swap out chickpeas for white beans or green lentils if you prefer these.
6. 15-Minute Buddha Bowls
A delicious and healthy bowl in only 15 minutes? Sounds good to us! This recipe is designed as an introduction to grain bowls so if this is your first time making one, this is a great recipe to start from.
It covers all of the main types of food that are typical of a grain bowl and picks a delicious combination of them.
Although the recipe suggests an ingredient for each food type, it also offers you several different options so you can adjust as you go.
If you follow the recipe to the letter, however, you will have a delicious bowl packed with a yogurt dressing, chickpeas, blueberries, oranges, avocado, carrots, and some leafy greens.
7. Greek Goddess Grain Bowl
There are many different ingredients in this bowl but the focus is on the halloumi. This cheese is always delicious and is at its best when lightly cooked.
There is an above-average amount of cooking required for this bowl as you need to cook not only the halloumi and grains but also some fried zucchini and toasted seeds. It’s all worth it, however, as the final result is amazing.
The finishing touch comes from a tahini goddess drizzle made with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and jalapeno.
8. Healing Bowls With Turmeric Sweet Potatoes, Poached Eggs, And Lemon Dressing
This is called a healing bowl because of the mix of ingredients that are included. If you want a bowl that is a little more substantial during the warm summer months then this bowl is a good choice.
It’s a little more hearty and comforting than most of the other bowls on this list so you can also eat this one in fall and winter if you please.
The sweet potatoes are mashed with turmeric to give them more flavor and then served with eggs, brown rice or quinoa, arugula, and some nuts for topping.
There are also instructions for a lemon herb dressing to tie the bowl together.
9. Chopped Grilled Vegetable Bowl With Farro
Farro is a great and often overlooked grain. It has a nutty flavor to it that sets it apart from other grains but isn’t gluten-free so you should avoid this if you have a gluten allergy or intolerance.
Farro is the base of this bowl but is then topped with a variety of delicious Mediterranean ingredients and flavors.
The grilled vegetables in question are portobello mushrooms, red bell peppers, asparagus, red onion, zucchini, and yellow squash. There is a dressing made with Greek yogurt and also some hummus.
10. Vegan Burrito Bowl
As the name suggests, this bowl is suitable for vegans. It’s a homemade copy of the bowls you’ll find at Chipotle and is an explosion of colorful flavors.
The main base of the bowl is rice and beans and you can choose your favorite type of both.
You’ll need some vegetables as well, such as red onion, bell peppers, avocado, and corn. You will also need some dressing which can be chipotle aioli or some dairy-free yogurt.
11. Green Curry Buddha Bowl
We love green curry! This Thai-flavored curry is made from a variety of green ingredients (hence the name) and many supermarkets now stock green curry paste, which you can use as the base of the green curry sauce in this bowl.
The sauce is also made with coconut cream and some cashews so it becomes thick and creamy. It’s not overly spicy but will give your dish a little kick that is sure to be a hit with anyone who tries it.
The other ingredients in the bowl include rice, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, and mushrooms.
12. Moroccan Chicken Couscous Bowl
Our final summer grain bowl is this Moroccan chicken with couscous bowl.
The chicken is seasoned in the Moroccan style, meaning that it is bursting with different spices and a variety of bold flavors that are sure to make your mouth water.
In the case of this recipe, the spices include cinnamon, ginger, cumin, pepper, saffron, turmeric, paprika, sesame seeds, and aniseed!
If this sounds like too many ingredients and too much work, however, you can buy a spice mix from the supermarket.
The chicken is then served with couscous, cucumber, tomatoes, and red onion.
Final Thoughts
In this article, we listed 12 delicious summer grain bowl recipes you will love.
We picked a variety of different grain bowls with a large number of different ingredients so whatever your tastes are, there is sure to be a bowl here for you.
Grain bowls are a delicious and healthy meal that is perfect for summer. They’re light and packed with good nutrients, making them a great choice for any lunch or dinner.
There are a great number of different grains you can choose from and there are even some recipes that include gluten-free grains included!
We hope that you enjoy the recipes listed and give them a try!
