This Vegan Grain Bowl Recipe with Blackberries and Fresh Mint is the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors, and it’s a nutritious summer meal.
One of my favorite summer memories growing up is of my sister and I picking wild berries at my grandparents’ house and eating them as fast as we could pick.
Mom would always send us out with a few pint-sized containers, stained various shades of purple and red inside with remnants of previous summer’s berries. But we ate so many while we were picking, we were hard-pressed to fill up those containers.
It doesn’t get any better than eating freshly picked fruit that’s still warm from the sun.
Blackberries in Savory Salads
Blackberries in particular are one of my favorite summertime treats. I don’t see any reason why they should be destined for sweet recipes only! Their sweet/tart flavor lends itself really well to a balanced flavor profile, and their beautiful deep purple color is always a showstopper.
Blackberries are a natural addition to things like salad!
Salad as a Full Meal – Make it a Grain Bowl!
A lot of people tell me there’s no way they could just have salad as a full meal because they’d be hungry within just a couple hours. I don’t find this to be the case, mainly because I always incorporate a healthy fat and some kind of protein in my salads.
This salad in particular is full of goodies and should keep you satisfied for a while…and it’s vegan!
Vegan Grain Bowl Recipe
For this Vegan Grain Bowl Recipe, I used Village Harvest Black Rice, Black Lentils, Black Quinoa Organic Antioxidant Blend. This blend is a nutritious combination of black lentils, black rice, and black quinoa. Each 1/4-cup serving has 190 calories, 8g protein, and 5g fiber!
I was impressed that Village Harvest products are about more than just rice. They are about discovering new possibilities at home in the kitchen, or in the fields where their grains are grown. In addition to caring for our planet, they believe that sustainability also means caring about their workers. They have pledged 1% of their profits to run programs that give back to the farmers and local communities from which they source their products.
They have three blends; in addition to the antioxidant blend, they also have an Organic Ancient Grain Blend and an Organic Protein Blend. Look for these at your local grocery store.
This salad is light enough to be refreshing for summer, but still filling enough to be a stand-alone meal!
More Salad Bowl Recipes to Try:
- Greek Salad Bowls with Spiced Lamb Burgers
- How to Make a Chipotle Keto Bowl
- Chicken Salad Bowl with Avocado, Strawberry, and Walnut
- Mediterranean Salad Bowls with Lebanese BBQ Meatballs
- Mango Turkey Sloppy Joe Salad Bowls
- Mexican Salad Bowl
- Keto BBQ Chicken Salad Bowls
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Vegan Grain Bowl Recipe with Blackberries and Fresh Mint
Ingredients
Grain Pilaf:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 small-medium white onion diced
- 1 cup Village Harvest Black Rice Black Lentils Black Quinoa Organic Antioxidant Blend
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salad:
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 8 cups baby greens I used kale
- 1/2 small-medium white onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh blackberries
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 1 handful fresh mint cut into a chiffonade
Instructions
For the Pilaf:
- Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until starting to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the black rice/black lentils/black quinoa blend and toast until it starts to smell nutty, about 2 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the water, thyme, salt, and black pepper, and bring up to a boil. Cover the saucepan, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the water is absorbed and the pilaf is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove from heat, let it sit with the lid on for 10 minutes, and then fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature and then prepare the salad.
- Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days in advance.
To Assemble the Salads:
- Whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl. Add the baby greens and toss to coat.
- Divide the greens between 4 large bowls. Top each with 1/4 of the pilaf, onion, blackberries, pecans, and mint.
- Serve.
Faith's Tips
- You can make the pilaf up to 3 days in advance and store it covered in the fridge until you want to make this grain bowl.
Nutrition
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on July 17, 2017. I updated it with more information on July 27, 2020.
Disclosure: I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
I literally started having hunger pangs halfway through the post. It looks amazing and I bet it also tastes delicious too. It is the perfect dish to cook up in this season. I can’t wait to try it . Looking forward to reading more delectable recipes in the upcoming posts.
Wow! Such a great combination of ingredients, Faith! This is definitely a summer meal. Can I use some other kind of oil instead of avocado oil?
Agness, You can use any neutral-flavored oil you like. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!