20 Fresh Spring Veggie Protein Bowls

This is the bowl that converted my most skeptical friends. Fluffy quinoa sits under a pile of roasted asparagus and crispy oven-roasted chickpeas, finished with a lemon tahini dressing that honestly tastes like it came from a restaurant. The chickpeas get coated in smoked paprika and a little cumin before roasting, which gives them a depth that plain chickpeas never achieve. Toss in some thinly sliced radishes for pop and you’re done.

Key ingredients: cooked quinoa, canned chickpeas, fresh asparagus, radishes, tahini, lemon, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic.

Simple, clean, satisfying. Grilled chicken thighs go on top of brown rice with fresh spring peas, baby spinach, and a miso-ginger dressing that punches way above its weight. The key here is using chicken thighs instead of breast — they stay juicy even if your timing is slightly off, which happens to all of us. Miso and ginger together create an umami-forward sauce that makes the whole bowl sing.

Key ingredients: chicken thighs, brown rice, fresh or frozen peas, baby spinach, white miso, fresh ginger, sesame oil, rice vinegar.

Edamame delivers about 11g of protein per half cup, which makes it one of the best plant-based protein adds you can throw in a bowl. Pair it with hearty farro, creamy avocado, shaved fennel, snap peas, and a simple citrus vinaigrette, and you have a bowl that looks like it took way more effort than it did. The farro adds a pleasantly chewy, nutty texture that brown rice just doesn’t replicate.

Key ingredients: farro, shelled edamame, avocado, snap peas, shaved fennel, orange juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil.

This one is laughably fast for how good it is. Smoked salmon over a base of mixed grains and peppery arugula, with pickled radishes, cucumber, capers, and a dill crème fraîche. No cooking required beyond warming the grain base. It’s the bowl you make when you’ve been out all day and have nothing left in the tank but still want to eat something that feels considered. IMO, smoked salmon is the most underused protein in weeknight cooking.

Key ingredients: smoked salmon, arugula, mixed grains, radishes, capers, cucumber, crème fraîche, fresh dill, lemon zest.

This one leans into the brothy bowl trend, and it works beautifully in spring when you want something warming but not heavy. Extra-firm tofu gets pressed and pan-fried in a small amount of oil until genuinely golden — not pale and sad. It goes into a light miso broth with snap peas, sliced spring onions, and rice noodles. Top with chili flakes and a soft-boiled egg if you eat eggs. Press your tofu properly with a good tofu press and you’ll skip the sad, watery results entirely.

Key ingredients: extra-firm tofu, white miso, snap peas, rice noodles, spring onions, sesame oil, chili flakes, kombu broth.

White beans (cannellini or Great Northern) are wildly underrated as a protein source. They’re creamy, mild, and absorb whatever seasoning you throw at them. Here they get warmed through with a ton of fresh herbs — think parsley, basil, and chives — and sit alongside roasted broccolini with lemon zest and garlic. A drizzle of good olive oil finishes it. This is the bowl that proves you don’t need anything complicated to eat well.

Key ingredients: canned white beans, broccolini, fresh parsley, basil, chives, garlic, lemon, coarse sea salt, extra-virgin olive oil.

There’s something about a properly soft-boiled egg split open over a grain bowl that makes the whole thing look like it belongs on a food magazine cover. Asparagus roasted with olive oil and sea salt, farro cooked with a bay leaf, a smear of hummus at the base, and two perfectly jammy eggs. A good egg cooker makes the 6-minute soft-boil completely foolproof — no more under-set whites or chalky yolks.

Key ingredients: farro, fresh asparagus, eggs, store-bought or homemade hummus, lemon, Aleppo pepper, good olive oil.

Ground turkey cooked with garlic, fennel seeds, and a splash of white wine sits over fluffy millet with baby spinach, peas, and shaved spring onions. Millet gets overlooked constantly — it’s gluten-free, cooks quickly, and has a lovely mild corn-like flavor that pairs especially well with lighter proteins. Finish with a spoon of Greek yogurt and some chopped dill for a bowl that feels almost Mediterranean.

Key ingredients: ground turkey, millet, baby spinach, peas, spring onions, fennel seeds, white wine, Greek yogurt, fresh dill.

Lentils are the kind of protein source that nutritionists consistently rave about — high in protein, rich in iron and fiber, and shown to support healthy blood sugar levels. Here they’re cooked simply with thyme and a bay leaf, then piled into a bowl with earthy roasted golden and red beets, peppery arugula, walnuts, and soft goat cheese. A balsamic reduction drizzle ties it all together. Roast your beets in a sealed foil packet in the oven and the cleanup is practically zero.

Key ingredients: green or black lentils, mixed beets, arugula, walnuts, fresh goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, thyme, honey.

Fast, filling, and deeply satisfying. Quickly marinated chicken strips hit a screaming-hot pan and caramelize in under 10 minutes. They go over shredded purple and green cabbage, julienned carrots, snap peas, and a sesame-ginger dressing. Toasted sesame seeds and fresh cilantro finish it. The crunch from the raw cabbage against the warm chicken is genuinely one of the best textural combinations you can get from a 20-minute dinner.

Key ingredients: chicken breast, shredded cabbage, snap peas, carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, toasted sesame seeds.

Cauliflower roasted with cumin, coriander, and turmeric takes on this gorgeous golden color and a depth of flavor that makes it genuinely exciting as a main event. Black beans bring the protein, and a quick mango-avocado salsa adds brightness that cuts through the richness of the spiced veg. Serve over a base of cauliflower rice if you want to keep it light, or go wild and use regular rice if it’s been a long day. No judgment here.

Key ingredients: cauliflower, canned black beans, mango, avocado, cumin, coriander, turmeric, fresh lime, cilantro.

Seared salmon over quinoa is a classic for a reason — it’s delicious, comes together fast, and the macros are outstanding. What lifts this version above the standard is the quick-pickled cucumber and radish, which you can make the night before and they keep all week in the fridge. A miso butter sauce goes on the salmon right at the end, creating this glossy, umami-rich coating that makes the whole bowl taste considerably more sophisticated than the effort involved warrants.

Key ingredients: salmon fillet, quinoa, cucumber, radishes, rice vinegar, white miso, butter, fresh dill, spring onions, sesame oil.

Tempeh gets marinated in soy sauce, garlic, and a little maple syrup, then pan-seared until caramelized and nutty. It goes over a green-on-green base of farro, kale, cucumber, and peas, drowned in an avocado-herb “green goddess” dressing. This is the bowl for people who think they don’t like tempeh. The marinade and the sear change everything. Use a good cast iron skillet for that crust — nothing else gets tempeh properly caramelized.

Key ingredients: tempeh, farro, kale, cucumber, peas, avocado, fresh basil, tarragon, lemon, garlic, olive oil.

Shrimp cooks in under 4 minutes, which makes it genuinely the fastest protein you can put in a bowl. Season them simply with garlic, lime, and a pinch of cayenne, sear them hot and fast, and pile them over jasmine rice with fresh mango chunks, arugula, snap peas, and avocado. A coconut-lime dressing finishes it. The sweet mango against the savory shrimp is a combination that sounds tropical but actually works incredibly well for spring when mangoes are coming into season.

Key ingredients: raw shrimp, jasmine rice, mango, arugula, snap peas, avocado, coconut milk, lime, garlic, cayenne.

Canned tuna gets a bad reputation that it frankly doesn’t deserve. Good-quality olive-oil packed tuna is genuinely excellent, and it pairs beautifully with white beans, fresh spring herbs, capers, and a lemon vinaigrette. This bowl comes together in about 10 minutes, covers your protein for the whole afternoon, and costs practically nothing per serving. It’s the bowl you make when you’re trying to eat well but also your wallet needs a break. FYI, the difference between water-packed and olive-oil-packed tuna in this recipe is significant — go oil-packed.

Key ingredients: olive-oil packed tuna, white beans, fresh parsley, chives, capers, cherry tomatoes, arugula, lemon, Dijon, red wine vinegar.

Black lentils (beluga lentils) hold their shape beautifully after cooking, which makes them ideal for bowls — no mushy texture, just firm little bites with an earthy flavor. They pair exceptionally well with sweet roasted carrots and a spoonful of harissa, which adds that smoky, spicy depth without much effort. Top with a dollop of yogurt (coconut yogurt for vegan), some fresh mint, and toasted pumpkin seeds for crunch. This one’s a keeper all spring long.

Key ingredients: black beluga lentils, fresh carrots, harissa paste, coconut or Greek yogurt, fresh mint, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, cumin.

Pesto chicken is one of those combinations that works every single time without fail. Coat chicken thighs in a generous layer of basil pesto and roast until golden, then slice over a base of farro or quinoa with quartered artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and pine nuts. Canned or jarred artichoke hearts work perfectly here — no shame, no fuss. Artichokes are one of the more unexpected spring vegetables but they’re absolutely worth using more.

Key ingredients: chicken thighs, basil pesto, farro, jarred artichoke hearts, cherry tomatoes, pine nuts, fresh basil, Parmesan or nutritional yeast.

Shawarma spice mix on chickpeas is a genuinely brilliant idea. Cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, and a bit of cayenne go on the chickpeas before roasting, and the result tastes so much more complex than you’d expect from a can of beans. Serve over turmeric rice with baby spinach, sliced radishes, cucumber, and a generous drizzle of tahini. This one has converted more people to plant-based eating than probably anything else I cook.

Key ingredients: canned chickpeas, turmeric rice, baby spinach, radishes, cucumber, tahini, lemon, shawarma spice blend (cumin, paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, cayenne).

This one is technically less of a “recipe” and more of an assembly, which is exactly why it shows up so often in weeknight rotations. A thick base of whole-milk Greek yogurt stands in as both protein source and sauce — it contains about 17g protein per cup. Pile on warm roasted or raw spring vegetables: sliced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, radishes, fresh dill, olives, a handful of chickpeas, and a drizzle of olive oil with za’atar. It’s refreshing, filling, and requires almost zero effort.

Key ingredients: whole-milk Greek yogurt, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, radishes, kalamata olives, chickpeas, fresh dill, za’atar, olive oil.

Fresh peas mashed slightly with ricotta, fresh mint, and lemon zest make one of the most genuinely springtime flavor combinations you can put in a bowl. Crispy prosciutto on top adds the salt and crunch that makes the whole thing feel indulgent despite being genuinely nutritious. Serve over warm farro or just on toasted sourdough if you’re having one of those days where you don’t want a grain base. Both work. Neither will disappoint you.

Key ingredients: fresh or frozen peas, whole-milk ricotta, fresh mint, lemon zest, prosciutto, farro or sourdough, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh cracked pepper.