Confetti bowl with snap peas, radish, spinach, quinoa tossed in a minty citrus dressing
A simple confetti bowl made entirely from plant-based whole foods, featuring local Spring vegetables and a minty citrus dressing.
When I saw sugar snap peas at my local farmers market, I scooped up almost 2 pounds worth. That’s how much I love them.
I mean, what’s not to love? They’re sweet, crunchy, kinda juicy. You can enjoy them raw, cooked, on their own, in salads or stir fry or warm bowls, eat the whole pod or just the peas. The possibilities are endless.
Anyways, with nearly two pounds of snap peas on hand, you better believe they found their way into just about every dish I made this week.
This confetti bowl was my absolute favorite.
Made with sugar snap peas, radish, spinach and quinoa and tossed in a minty citrus dressing with a wee bit of crumbled plant-based feta, this bowl checks all the boxes: delicious, light, colorful, health promoting and totally inspired by the season.
I can’t get enough of it, and I think you’re going to love it, too.
Keep scrolling for all the juicy details…
Health perks
Lots of great stuff happening here.
This dish is filled with an assortment of vegetables, which means you’re getting a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and lots of natural food-based fiber.
Both the radish and sugar snap peas are blanched, which helps preserve food nutrients while cooking (as well as texture color and flavor).
It’s got spinach! A total superfood, if you ask me. Great source of with vitamin A and C, calcium, fiber and even has some protein. That’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as spinach is concerned.
Quinoa is another nutrient-dense ingredient. Fiber and protein rich, and a good source of magnesium, iron, folate and other important vitamins and minerals. I like to add a few tablespoons to help with satiation and to promote healthy elimination.
All the vegetables used are currently in season, which means they’re fresher, tastier and more nutritious for you. Shopping seasonally is also fun and invites a new dynamic and approach to food and cooking. I love it.
The bulk of it is made from plant-based ingredients and whole foods, which means you can expect to feel good eating it and rest assured that what you are eating promotes good health and disease prevention.
The dressing is made from scratch, and contains very minimal amounts of oil and sugar per serving.
This looks like a salad, but it’s meant to eaten as a warm bowl for optimal digestion, which is a fancy way of saying it shouldn’t aggravate your stomach and will pass through the body with greater ease than cold, raw vegetables.
Other thoughts, tips and suggestions
Some ideas and things to know or think about before you set out to make it…
For an additional protein hit, try subbing store-bought plant-based feta for this, which is made from tofu. It’s full of flavor. And while tofu has undergone some processing, it generally contains no or low amount of added sugars or salt, so the processing is quite minimal.
To bulk it up, if you’re feeling hungry add more greens for a low calorie nutrient boost. Or more quinoa (or nuts) for a higher calorie nutrient boost.
Enjoy and get creative with leftovers. This recipe makes 4-6 servings, which is alot if you’re serving 1 or 2 people. I love warming some on the stove with a splash of extra dressing, and wrapping it in a charred tortilla for lunch the next day.
A crowd pleaser. At least for the vegetable lovers out there. This bowl is perfect to serve or bring to a brunch, shower, dinner party, or potluck with your crew. It’s vibrant and inviting and delicious.
Keep scrolling for the full recipe. I hope you love it as much as I do.
Confetti Bowl with Spring Vegetables, Quinoa + Minty Citrus Dressing
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10-15 minutes | Yields: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
(for the salad)
1 cup quinoa
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1.5 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed and sliced in half
1 cup radish, roughly chopped in small pieces
1-2 big handfuls of spinach (roughly chopped if you’re using a big spinach variety such as Savoy).
lemon zest (save a little bit for garnish, too)
Mineral salt and black pepper, to taste
1-2 tbsp crumbled plant-based feta, for small boost of flavor ( save a bit for garnish, too)
(for the dressing)
1 lemon, juiced (you’ll need zest, too, so save the peel or zest it prior to juicing)
1 tbsp of fresh mint, chopped
1/2 tbsp of maple syrup
2 tbsp cold pressed olive oil
1.5 tbsp dijon mustard
pinch of salt and ground black pepper
Directions
First, cook your quinoa . Fill a medium saucepan with broth and quinoa, bring to a boil, reduce to low simmer, cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until water is fully absorbed. Remove from heat, and let cool for 5-10 minutes and then fluff with a fork.
While the quinoa cooks, prepare your spring peas and radishes. To blanch, fill another medium saucepan with water, bring to a boil, and slowly add peas and radishes. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then pour over mesh strainer and drain water. Run strained vegetables under cold water for 10-15 seconds. Let cool, then pat very dry. Don’t skip this part, or your bowl will be watery and less flavorful.
Next, prepare your dressing. Add all ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk until ingredients are well-combined.
Finally, put it all together. Add spinach, blanched peas and radishes, quinoa, dressing, zest and feta to a large bowl and gently mix until ingredients are well combined.
Garnish. Top your beautiful, colorful confetti bowl with a little bit more lemon zest and crumbled feta and enjoy!
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