American
Cali-Style Grain Bowl
The farm-to-table philosophy in a bowl — wholesome, vibrant, and endlessly adaptable.
Recipe by Cyman Huang
Cooked, styled and photographed in his kitchen.
The grain bowl is one of California cuisine's most enduring innovations — a format rather than a fixed recipe, built on a base of cooked grain, topped with roasted seasonal vegetables, a protein, fresh greens, and a bold dressing.
It embodies the California philosophy perfectly: use what's best right now, let the produce speak, make it beautiful, make it nourishing. This version uses quinoa with roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and a tahini-lemon dressing that ties everything together.
Watch it come together
Ingredients
For the tahini-lemon dressing
- 4 tbsp tahini (well-stirred)
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1 tsp honey
- 4–6 tbsp warm water (for thinning)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For the bowl
- 1½ cups quinoa, rinsed
- 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced ¾-inch
- 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and dried
- 3 tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 cups mixed greens or arugula
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Toasted pepitas or sunflower seeds
Method
- 1
COOK QUINOA: Combine the rinsed quinoa and stock in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce to the lowest heat, cover and cook 15 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and season with salt.
- 2
ROAST VEGETABLES: Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss sweet potato and chickpeas with 2 tablespoons olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast 25–30 minutes until the sweet potato is caramelized and the chickpeas are slightly crispy.
- 3
MAKE DRESSING: Whisk all dressing ingredients together, adding warm water a tablespoon at a time until thick but pourable. Taste and adjust lemon and salt.
- 4
BUILD BOWLS: Divide the quinoa among four bowls. Arrange the roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, greens, avocado, and cherry tomatoes in sections over the quinoa.
- 5
Drizzle the tahini dressing generously over each bowl and scatter pepitas over the top. Serve immediately.
Substitutions
- Chef's tip: this bowl is fully customizable by season — spring asparagus and peas, summer corn and zucchini, fall butternut squash and kale, winter roasted beets and citrus.
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