Hydrating Green Goddess Power Bowl
(water-poached protein + warm lentils + crunchy greens + herb yogurt sauce)
Serves
2 hearty bowls (or 3 lighter)
Time
25 minutes (15 min hands-on)
Ingredients
Water-poached protein
- 2 salmon fillets (120–150 g each) or 1 block firm tofu (press + slice)
- 3 cups water
- 1 strip lemon peel, 2 slices ginger, ½ tsp whole peppercorns
- ½ tsp sea salt
Warm fiber base
- 1 cup cooked French lentils (or canned, rinsed)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa or farro (or extra lentils)
- 1 cup finely chopped cucumber + celery (crunch!)
- 1 small avocado, sliced (optional)
- 2 cups mixed greens or shredded cabbage
- 2 tbsp toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Green Goddess yogurt sauce
- ½ cup thick yogurt (Greek or coconut yogurt for dairy-free)
- 2 tbsp tahini (or olive oil)
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- Large handful soft herbs: parsley + dill + chives (or basil/mint)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Pinch sea salt, black pepper
- Optional: ½ tsp honey or a date for balance (keep it low-sugar)
Finishers (choose a couple)
-
Extra herbs, lemon wedges, chili flakes, olive oil drizzle, pickled onions
Directions
-
Poach the protein
- In a shallow pan, bring water, lemon peel, ginger, peppercorns, and salt to a bare simmer. Slide in salmon (skin on) or tofu.
- Keep the water just shivering, not boiling. Poach 7–9 minutes for salmon (opaque edges, slightly translucent inside) or 8–10 minutes for tofu. Lift out to rest. (This gentle method keeps things moist, light, and easy on digestion.) -
Make the sauce
- Blend or whisk yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, herbs, mustard, salt, and pepper until green and creamy. Thin with a splash of water if needed. -
Assemble the base
- Toss lentils and quinoa/farro in a bowl with a spoon of sauce. Fold in cucumber + celery. Divide greens/cabbage into bowls and spoon the warm grain-legume mix over. Add avocado if using. -
Top and finish
- Flake the salmon (or add tofu) on top. Drizzle with more green goddess sauce. Sprinkle seeds and finish with herbs, chili, and a squeeze of lemon.
Make it your way
- Vegan: Use tofu or a heaping cup of chickpeas instead of salmon; swap Greek yogurt for coconut yogurt or a silken-tofu base.
- Gluten-free: Use quinoa or extra lentils (skip farro).
- Extra fiber boost (sane, not extreme): add 1 tbsp ground flax or chia to the bowl, and up the veg volume. Balance is key—don’t jump from 10 g to 40 g fiber overnight.
- Meal prep: Batch-cook lentils + grains; shake the sauce in a jar; poach protein fresh (8 minutes) or use pre-cooked tinned salmon/chickpeas for speed.
What makes it a “power” bowl
- Protein + fiber pairing keeps you full and steady. Use ~25–35 g protein per bowl plus at least 10 g fiber (lentils, grains, veg, seeds).
- Hydration-forward cooking (poaching) and herb-heavy dressing support digestion without heavy oils or added sugar.
- Colour = nutrients: herbs (folate, polyphenols), lentils (iron, fiber), seeds (minerals), salmon (omega-3s) or tofu (calcium/iron depending on brand).
Quick add-ons
- Crunch upgrade: toss shaved fennel or radish with lemon + pinch of salt.
- Heat lovers: Calabrian chili or gochugaru in the sauce.
- NA pairing: sparkling water over ice with lemon and a bruised mint sprig (ties in with the low-sugar/relaxing beverage trend).
Two speedy variations
-
Garden Wrap Version
- Pile the lentil-quinoa mix, herbs, and protein into a whole-grain wrap with cabbage and sauce. It riffs on the viral green-goddess wrap trend and travels perfectly. -
Soup Bowl Flip
- Skip grains; add hot veggie broth to the lentils + greens, then top with poached salmon and a dollop of the herb yogurt. It’s like a light, brothy “water-cooked” soup-meets-bowl for colder days.
Eat now, feel good later
This bowl is bright, clean, and actually filling—exactly the kind of fiber-rich, low-sugar, hydrated meal people are reaching for in 2025. Save the sauce in the fridge (3–4 days), and you’ve got a 5-minute path to another power meal tomorrow