Three-Bean Power Bowl (Printable Version)

Hearty bowl with three beans, crisp vegetables, quinoa, and zesty dressing for a nourishing 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 - Wash and prep all vegetables. Dice cucumber, bell pepper, and red onion. Halve cherry tomatoes. Slice avocado. Mince garlic. Set prepared ingredients aside.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, minced garlic, salt, and pepper until well combined.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, add black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red bell pepper, red onion, and spinach.
04 - Stir the cooked quinoa into the bean and vegetable mixture.
05 - Pour prepared dressing over the mixture and gently toss until all components are evenly coated.
06 - Divide the dressed mixture equally among four serving bowls.
07 - Arrange avocado slices on top of each bowl. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and toasted seeds if desired.
08 - Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to two days for meal preparation.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It actually tastes better on day two or three, which means you can make it once and eat well all week without thinking.
  • The protein hits 16 grams per bowl without any meat, so you'll feel genuinely satisfied, not like you're forcing vegetables down.
  • Nothing requires real cooking skill—just chopping and mixing, which means even a chaotic Wednesday night feels manageable.
02 -
  • If you dress this more than an hour before eating it, the spinach becomes completely limp and the vegetables start releasing water that dilutes the dressing—so either dress it close to serving time or serve the dressing on the side for meal prep.
  • Canned beans are completely fine, but rinsing them thoroughly removes the starchy liquid that makes everything taste metallic and muddy.
03 -
  • Toast your seeds in a dry skillet for about two minutes until they smell nutty and start popping—it takes almost no time but completely changes how they taste and gives you something to do with your hands while the dressing comes together.
  • If the dressing tastes too vinegary or sharp, you've got too much acid relative to oil, so add another tablespoon of olive oil and taste again—it's easier to fix than to start over.
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