Ina Garten warm vegetable & grain bowl is an easy lunch she borrowed from Le Pain Quotidien, the Belgian café chain. Roasted butternut squash, carrots and red onion go on hot, so the goat cheese melts into the greens. Prep the parts ahead and it feeds four.
Timing is the whole thing here: dress the greens while the bulgur and vegetables are still hot. That heat wilts the kale, softens the goat cheese, and pulls the vinaigrette through everything.
Source: Go-To Dinners (2022)
Ina Garten Warm Vegetable & Grain Bowl
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings25
minutes30
minutes680
kcalBulgur steeps off the heat while butternut squash, rainbow carrots and red onion roast at 400 degrees. Everything lands warm on arugula and baby kale with edamame, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts and sliced goat cheese.
Ingredients
¾ cup whole-grain bulgur wheat (5 ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ red onion, cut into 8 wedges through the stem
1½ pounds butternut squash, ½-inch diced
½ pound heirloom baby carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon plus ½ cup good olive oil, divided
3 ounces baby arugula
4 ounces baby kale, julienned crosswise
½ cup frozen shelled edamame, defrosted
½ cup dried cranberries (2 ounces)
½ cup toasted walnuts or pecans (1½ ounces)
¼ cup Champagne or white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon minced garlic
3 ounces creamy goat cheese, thickly sliced
Directions
- Heat the oven: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Steep the bulgur: In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the bulgur and 1 teaspoon salt, cover, and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Roast the vegetables: Meanwhile, combine the onion, butternut squash, and carrots on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Spread the vegetables in one layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing once, until all the vegetables are tender.
- Dress and assemble: Meanwhile, combine the arugula, kale, edamame, cranberries, and walnuts in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and garlic and slowly whisk in the ½ cup olive oil. While the bulgur and vegetables are still hot, pour enough vinaigrette on the greens to moisten and divide among four large bowls. Spoon a quarter of the bulgur and some goat cheese in the center of each bowl and distribute a quarter of the vegetables on top. Sprinkle with salt, drizzle with the extra vinaigrette, and serve warm.
FAQs
Can I swap the bulgur for another grain?
Yes, farro or quinoa both work and give you the same chewy base. Cook them by their own package directions instead of the steeping method here, since bulgur is the only one that softens off the heat. Ina also suggests adding soft-boiled eggs or shredded chicken if you want the bowl to eat more like a full dinner.
How long does it keep in the fridge?
Once it’s dressed and assembled, it doesn’t keep well. The greens go limp overnight and the goat cheese muddies into the vinaigrette. Store the roasted vegetables, bulgur, greens and dressing in separate containers instead, and they’ll hold for three to four days.
What can I make ahead?
Almost all of it. Roast the vegetables, steep the bulgur and whisk the vinaigrette up to two days early, then warm the vegetables and bulgur in a 350 degree oven before you build the bowls. The only thing you can’t do early is the assembly, because the heat is what makes this work.
Do I need any special equipment?
No, just a sheet pan, a small saucepan and two mixing bowls. The sheet pan size does matter though: the squash, carrots and onion need to sit in one layer or they steam instead of roasting. Use two pans if yours is crowded.
What’s the mistake most people make?
Letting everything cool before assembling. Cold bulgur and cold squash turn this into an ordinary salad, and the goat cheese stays firm instead of going creamy. The other one is over-dressing: add just enough vinaigrette to moisten the greens, then drizzle the rest at the table.
