Lauren’s Kitchen: Spring Gratitude Bowls

The name alone of this gorgeous recipe would win it a feature spot on my blog but now that I’ve made this for dinner it also wins for taste! Filled with all the yummy flavors of spring and given some plant based protein heft with the inclusion of millet and lentils, these gratitude bowls are as delicious as they are satisfying. Note that the lentils and millet are soaked ahead of time which increases their nutritional value. Here’s a good explanation of why that is true. Because I wasn’t inspired to cook this until the morning of, I began soaking mine after breakfast. No doubt you will replay this recipe a few times this season.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 heads romaine lettuce, roughly chopped
1/2 cup green lentils, soaked overnight
1/2 cup millet, soaked overnight
1 bunch asparagus, with the ends trimmed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
2-3 radishes – optional but delicious
rapeseed oil/ghee
sea salt and pepper, to taste

MUSHROOMS
5 chestnut mushrooms, cut into sixths
3 sprigs of thyme
rapeseed oil
sea salt and pepper, to taste

CROUTONS (skip if gluten-free or sub with gluten-free bread)
2 slices sourdough bread, cut into squares (around 1 1/2 cups of the squares in total)
2 sprigs of thyme
rapeseed oil
sea salt and pepper, to taste

HONEY/MAPLE MUSTARD DRESSING–Yields 1/3 cup.
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon raw honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
sea salt, to taste

Here are complete preparation directions.