You’ll want to drizzle this creamy lemon yogurt sauce over just about everything! Like this Grains and Green Bowl, a filling vegetarian dinner idea.
This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are our own.
How do you go green? These Go Green bowls with lemon yogurt sauce are in honor of Earth Day, which is in a few days on April 22. But of course every day should be Earth Day, right? The way we eat affects the planet, and that’s always been at the center of Alex and my approach to food.
We started eating more vegetables because it’s a bit gentler on the Earth, since it takes less resources to produce than meat. Eating organic is something we do not just because it’s better for us as eaters—it’s better for the planet too. So, today’s recipe is a celebration of plant-forward and organic eating, featuring our favorite Stonyfield organic yogurt in a creamy, savory yogurt sauce that you won’t be able to stop eating. >> More: the win-win-win of organic dairy
Before we get to the recipe, though, let’s talk about eating vegetable forward and organic as early as possible—as kids! (continue)
Related: 10 Brain Food Recipes to Boost Your Mood | Best Healthy Dinner Recipes
How to get kids to try vegetable-forward foods
Feeding kids good, clean, real food is something we’re passionate about! You may remember us talking about Yo Baby in past posts: it’s organic yogurt for kids 6 months to 2 years with added probiotics for gut health. Our son Larson loves it, and we love that he loves eating organic. Babies can start eating Yo Baby at 6 months, because the cultures make cow milk easier to digest compared to straight-up milk! To celebrate baby’s 6 month birthday, here are 6 ways to get kiddos to try new vegetable forward, organic foods:
- Think texture. Larson loves creamy textures right now, so stirring a bit of yogurt into a chunky soup helps him eat more of it!
- Easy to eat foods. Larson also loves to feed himself right now, so we make his foods easy to hold, like banana slices, strips of red pepper, steamed green beans.
- Make food for the entire family. If we love something and show it, Larson is more likely to want to eat it too. Most of what we feed him are the delicious, plant-forward foods we love, not “kid foods”.
- Sneak in greens. Cooked greens tend to take on the flavor of the dish, and are much easier for Larson to eat than raw. This turmeric yogurt mac and cheese is one of our favorite ways to add greens.
- Make it naturally sweet. Treats in our house typically have fruits, nuts and grains, and are sweetened just enough with maple syrup or honey. This strawberry yogurt pie is a perfect way to sneak in organic yogurt, strawberries, and oats.
- Blend it up. If all else fails, blend up veggies and fruits into a smoothie! It’s another great place to sneak in organic yogurt.
Creating these Go Green Bowls with yogurt sauce
Back to this recipe, which Larson loves! And just about anything tastes good when smothered in this lemon yogurt sauce! We wanted to create a savory, creamy delicious yogurt sauce that would work on just about anything: roasted vegetables, salads, and grain bowls.
Related: 10 Green Food Recipes | Creamy Cilantro Sauce
We tested the yogurt sauce several times in search of the perfect flavor. Alex had the idea of broiling lemon peel and garlic before blending them into the yogurt sauce. It makes the flavor pop in a way that’s indescribable! Both bright and savory, we’ve been drizzling it over everything: especially these Go Green bowls.
These quinoa bowls are surprisingly filling and satisfying: full of quinoa, brocolli, kale, and fresh greens. If you can find it, brocolini is a fun addition with its elegant, long stems. But it’s not required for the bowl—you can use any green vegetables you’d like.
For the yogurt: organic yogurt is a win-win-win since it’s better for the eater, the cows, AND the Earth, and it tastes better too! Alex and I found this bowl to be even more delicious and satisfying than we expected. The leftovers fed us for days. And that yogurt sauce…well, you’ve GOT to taste it!
Did you make this recipe?
If you make these Go Green bowls with lemon yogurt sauce, we’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment below or share a picture on Instagram and mention @acouplecooks and @stonyfield.
Looking for more healthy bowl meals?
Outside of these Go Green bowls, here are some of our favorite healthy bowl meal recipes:
- Veggie Burrito Bowls
- Chickpea Couscous Bowls with Tahini Sauce
- Green Goddess Salad Bowls
- Raw Falafel Buddha Bowls
- Greek Sofrito Quinoa Bowl
- Grain Bowls with Roasted Fall Vegetables
- Vegetarian Quinoa Bibimbap Bowls
- Chickpea Fattoush Bowls
- Thai Salad with Peanut Sauce Dressing
- Homemade Dolsot Bibimbap
- Stress Reducing Avocado and Quinoa Bowl
- Vegan Buddha Bowl with Tahini Sauce
- Broccoli and Turmeric Yellow Rice Bowls
- All our quinoa recipes!
This recipe is…
This Go Green bowls with lemon yogurt sauce recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, use our Best Lemon Tahini Sauce.
Lemon Yogurt Sauce (+ Go Green Bowls)
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
You’ll want to drizzle this creamy, savory lemon yogurt over just about everything! It’s perfect with this Go Green grain bowl, a filling vegetarian dinner featuring quinoa and tasty green veggies.
Ingredients
For the quinoa
- 2 cups dry quinoa
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh herbs (we used basil and chives)
- 3 green onions
- Juice of 1 large lemon (use one of the lemons from the sauce)
- Fresh ground pepper
For the lemon yogurt sauce (for vegan, use our Lemon Tahini Sauce)
- Peel of 1 1/ 2 lemons
- 1 medium garlic clove
- 1 cup Stonyfield Organic Whole Milk Yogurt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the bowl
- 2 heads broccoli
- 1 head broccolini (optional)
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 8 cups fresh salad greens
- Pepitas (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa (or use our Instant Pot quinoa method): Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water, then drain it completely. Place the quinoa in a saucepan with 3 cups water. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Stir once, then simmer where the water is just bubbling, adjusting the heat as necessary for about 17 to 20 minutes, until the water has been completely absorbed (check by pulling back the quinoa with a fork to see if water remains).
- Remove from the heat, cover the pot and allow the quinoa to steam for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and stir in the olive oil and kosher salt.
- Meanwhile, chop the herbs, thinly slice the green onion, and juice the lemon.
- When the quinoa is done, add the herbs, green onion, lemon juice and pepper. Taste, and add additional salt if necessary.
- For the lemon yogurt sauce: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel of 1 ½ lemons in very large pieces (dig into the lemon with the peeler so that it comes off in large strips). Slice the garlic in half. Place the lemon zest and garlic on a baking sheet and broil on high for about 5 minutes until the edges of the lemon peel start to brown. Remove from the oven and roughly chop. Then, in the bowl of an immersion blender (or small blender or food processor), combine the chopped lemon peel and garlic with the yogurt, olive oil, capers, and kosher salt and blend until creamy. Refrigerate until using (can store refrigerated for a few days).
- For the broccoli and kale: Chop the broccoli and broccolini, if using. Chop and destem the kale. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables, salt and pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add ¼ cup water and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the water is evaporated and the broccoli is bright green and tender. Taste and add additional salt if necessary. To serve, place the fresh salad greens in the bowls and top with quinoa. Then add broccoli and kale mixture and drizzle with yogurt lemon sauce. Sprinkle with pepitas, if using.
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Buddha Bowl, Nourish Bowl, yogurt sauce, green bowl, lemon yogurt sauce
Love your recipes! Is there nutrition information for this that I’m not seeing?
Hi! I updated with the nutrition info.
Thank you so very much!!
We made this last night and it was so delicious. I love the variety of healthy ingredients so much. Thank you!