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rainbow grain bowls
Taste the “grainbow” with these colorful, veggie-packed bowls!
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Prepare Ingredients
Gather Cooking Equipment
In large saucepan, bring water to boil over high heat. Carefully add rice and salt to saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally with wooden spoon, until rice is tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
While rice cooks, set colander in sink. Pour chickpeas into colander. Rinse chickpeas with cold water and shake colander to drain well. Transfer chickpeas to medium microwave-safe bowl. Rinse colander and leave in sink.
Add turmeric and 1 tablespoon oil to chickpeas and use spoon to stir until evenly coated. Heat in microwave until warmed through, about 1 minute. Use oven mitts to remove bowl from microwave; set aside.
In medium bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, honey, and ginger. While whisking constantly, slowly pour in remaining ¼ cup oil until combined.
When rice is ready, carefully pour into now‑empty colander in sink (ask an adult for help; saucepan will be heavy and hot!). Carefully shake colander to drain well. Transfer drained rice to large bowl.
Divide rice evenly among 4 serving bowls. Top each bowl with piles of tomatoes, carrot ribbons, chickpeas, avocado, and pickled cabbage, placing piles around bowl in rainbow order. Use spoon to drizzle each bowl with remaining dressing. Serve.
america’s test kitchen kids newsletter
We share fun and engaging resources to help kids learn in the kitchen—and make something delicious along the way.
Food for Thought
How to Make Carrot Ribbons
Carrot ribbons can dress up any salad or grain bowl. Here’s how to make them:
- Use vegetable peeler to peel carrots, then use chef’s knife to trim ends (discard peels and ends).
- Use vegetable peeler to peel off 3 ribbons from 1 side of carrot (peeling away from you). Turn carrot and peel off 3 more ribbons. Continue to turn and peel ribbons from rest of first carrot. Repeat with second carrot.
Make It Your Way: A Rainbow in a Bowl
Fruits and vegetables come in all colors of the rainbow, from red radishes to green broccoli to purple potatoes. These colors come from different molecules in the plants, such as lycopene (found in red fruits and veggies) and anthocyanins (found in blue, red, and purple produce). Those molecules not only help the plants function, they also help keep us healthy—if we eat them!
Mix things up (and eat your colors!) by swapping these other colorful vegetables into your Rainbow Grain Bowl.
Red: Sliced radishes, roasted beets
Orange: Roasted sweet potato, sliced orange bell pepper
Yellow: Sautéed yellow squash, steamed corn
Green: Roasted broccoli, cooked green beans
Blue/Purple: Pickled red onions, roasted purple potatoes
