Making a big, beautiful, lick-your-fork-good bowl isn’t as hard as you may think. Here's how.

The Basic Formula

  • 1-2 cups raw and/or cooked veggies
  • 2-3 cups salad greens
  • ½ cup chicken, fish, tofu, or beans
  • 2-3 Tbs. dressing

Anytime extras: herbs, fresh fruit, whole grains, avocado, nuts, or seeds

Some-of-the-time extras: pickled veggies, egg, or cheese

In This Bowl

  • ½ cup chopped roasted peppers
  • 1 cup shredded carrot and cabbage
  • ¼ cup pickled red onion
  • 3 cups salad greens
  • ¼ cup mint and cilantro leaves
  • ½ cup cooked lentils
  • 2 Tbs. roasted pumpkin seeds

Smoked Paprika Dressing

  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp. brown sugar
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. tomato paste
  • 1 Tbs. mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients.

Makes 6 Tbs.

Also try this bowl with Creamy Sesame Dressing (see Dish of the Month for recipe).

Per serving (bowl with 3 Tbs. dressing):

  • Calories: 470
  • Total fat: 27 g
  • Sat fat: 4 g
  • Carbs: 44 g
  • Fiber: 15 g
  • Total sugar: 12 g
  • Added sugar: 1 g
  • Protein: 19 g
  • Sodium: 590 mg

Got a question or suggestion? Write to Kate at healthycook@cspinet.org.

Photos: CSPI (Kate Sherwood, Jennifer Urban).