Thanks for joining Sarah and me for Meatless Monday today. Since most of the country has been having a heat wave the past few weeks, it seem appropriate to share a refreshing made for summer meal. This Summer Watermelon and Grain Bowl hits the spot and keeps you cool as a cucumber.
Summer Watermelon and Grain Bowl
There is really nothing better on a hot summer day than watermelon am I right? Pair that with some cool cucumbers and greens and grains and you’ve got yourself the perfect meal. Filled with plant based protein (lentils) this Summer Watermelon and Grain Bowl will power you through whatever your day has on tap.
No one really wants to be stuck in the kitchen when it’s just so hot and humid everyday. It’s super easy to make the farro and the lentils in advance and chill them. From there, it’s just a few minutes to assemble this bowl of pure yumminess. Most grocery stores stock farro and it’s crazy easy to prepare. Also find it on Amazon. Not a fan of farro? Any other grain or rice can easily be subbed in.
I added some ricotta salada on top for a little saltiness and texture. Feta cheese is also a great choice. However, this Summer Watermelon and Grain Bowl can easily be made vegan by leaving it off. It’s power packed with lentils to give you a boost of plant based protein with every delicious bite. I cannot wait to make it again this week! I many even try it with cantaloupe next time.
Summer Watermelon and Grain Bowl Meatless Monday
Ingredients
- 1-2 Cups of watermelon
- 1 large cucumber
- 1 Cup of cooked black lentils
- 1C cooked Farro
- 1/4 C Ricotta Salada or feta
- sprouts or micro greens
- Balsamic and olive oil to drizzle
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare lentils and farro ahead according to directions
- let cool
- in a large bowl layer cold farro and lentils
- top w watermelon and cucumber
- sprinkle on cheese if desired
- and greens
- drizzle with balsamic and olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- serve
Tell me: What summer fruits and veggies are you loving right now? Have any non traditional salad combinations I should try? Does the heat make you want to eat cold dishes for dinner?
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I am all about the watermelon an cucumber right now! This is the perfect summer meal!
It is a yummy combo isn’t it!?
I love anything with watermelon and this looks so refreshing!
I think it’s my new fave summer salad!
Watermelon is my favorite summer fruit. I could literally eat it everyday but never thought to put it in a salad. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thanks! It’s super easy to make and really filling with the lentils and grains. Looking forward to talking veggie food ideas with you in person
Watermelon is the best part of summer!! This looks so good
I agree and thanks so much!
This sounds great! I’m trying to avoid cooking as much as possible right now. It’s just too hot! Watermelon is so great in the summer. The last race I ran had fresh watermelon at the finish line. It was so good I must have eaten close to a whole one by myself!
It’s is so easy for me to eat a half of a watermelon at a time it’s so good! Maybe your hubs will like this salad too
I love watermelon, but have not had much of it yet this summer.I’m pretty sure I’ve never had farro (LOL…imagine that, right?)
ha ha I may need to bring you some! It’s one of the trendy whole grains people are using now but you could use any other one that you like and it would work as well
I love watermelon in the summer.
I am eating a lot of cherries and strawberries … and unfortunately a lot ice cream.
All of the fruit is so good! I feel like I need to stock up before winter
Yum, this sounds delicious! I always think of lentils as a hearty, cold weather thing but combining it with fruit and cucumber like this seems perfect for the hot weather.
Yes they are great in salads too
I never thought to mix watermelon with grains like this – what a yummy idea!
It was so good together hope you try it
Ooh definitely neeed to add more watermelon to my salads! Looks delicious love
Yup they are great in salads
We were on the same page for watermelon – I love the fruit!
the fruit is amazing right now!
Once again, a combination of which I would never have dreamed! Looks fresh and perfect for summer!
Thanks hope you give it a try
I love tomatoes in the summer. Just can’t get enough. This salad looks amazing though. Watermelon is always so refreshing in the summer.
Tomatoes are also my go to and they could be combined in here as well.
I’ve been low-carbing it lately and literally just read that watermelon and cucumbers are some of the lowest-carb summer favorites there! I think I am going to make this for my family this week and then just take it easy on the grains for myself. Thanks for sharing!
Fabulous! The lentils will fill you up and give you some nice protein too.
Looks like a great summer salad! I just put watermelon on my shopping list with plans of making a salad!
The watermelon is so good right now I cannot get enough
dang it! I need to get to the store stat! this looks amazing! I am loving melon in general right now. I don’t have any farro but I have quinoa so I might do that instead – I have melon, I have lentils, I have cukes… I am definitely going to do a version of this, this week.
quinoa will work for sure. The melons are so good right now I cannot stop eating them. Hope you enjoy
Yum! I would love to try this and substitute quinoa for farro. I am really loving strawberries right now. So so yummy in the summertime!
Yes quinoa would certainly work! Hope you enjoy it
I’ve been loving watermelon lately and tried a salad with watermelon, feta, and mint. This recipe looks like another I’ll have to try!
The melon is so good right now I cannot stop eating it myself. Hope you enjoy this one
I’ve been all about adding fruits to my salads lately. The juicer the better.
Definitely!
I have a giant watermelon that is ready and waiting for this! What a perfect summer dish!
Fabulous! Hope you enjoy it. I will be making it again this week too
I love all the different grains you can get at the grocery store these days! Interesting idea to have watermelon in this salad- yum!
Yes endless possibilities
This is a bowl of goodness. Watermelon is a perfect ingredient for this recipe.
Thanks Jill hope you try it out sometime
This bowl sounds yummy! You really can’t beat watermelon in the summer heat. San Diego has definitely been getting a heatwave, and the difference is that here most people don’t have A/C – myself included! – so the indoors feels almost warmer than outside sometimes. I’ve been drinking lots of smoothies to cool off!
I did not know that about the AC! Stay cool 🙂
This is, indeed, summer in a bowl! So colourful and pretty, and healthy too! 🙂
Thanks so much hope you give it a try