If you’ve been around Budget Bytes a while, then you already know how much I love bowl meals (we even have a whole category for them). So when several people asked me to replicate the Healthy Choice brand frozen Power Bowls, I needed to go see what all the fuss was about. I bought a few, and I have to say, they’re pretty good! …but expensive. So I knew I could do better. Here is my first riff off of the freezer aisle power bowls: Kale and White Bean Power Bowls. Pretty easy, VERY filling, and about half the price!
My Modifications
This particular bowl is inspired by the White Bean & Feta Salad by Healthy Choice. Since that one had some of my fav ingredients, I knew it was a great place to start. The bowl was nice and filling, but overall it was a touch too sweet for my taste. So here’s what I subbed:
- Sun dried tomatoes instead of dried cranberries to reduce the sweetness.
- A homemade vinaigrette that is more tangy than their sweet vinaigrette.
- Walnuts instead of pepitas. Walnuts just seemed like a better fit for this flavor profile.
- Brown rice instead of mixed grains (theirs has brown rice, red rice, quinoa, and barley). Using one grain was just more convenient.
P.S. My bowls cost about $1.50 each and the store bought version retails at my local grocery store for $3.99 each ($3.50 on sale when I bought them). WIN.
Make it Your Own
One of my favorite things about bowl meals is that they are endlessly customizable. If you don’t like some of the ingredients I used, you can just swap them out! Here are some options:
- Spinach instead of kale
- Quinoa or cauliflower rice in place of brown rice
- Chickpeas or kidney beans in place of cannellini beans
- Store bought Greek or Italian dressing in place of the homemade vinaigrette
How to Store Kale and White Bean Power Bowls
This recipe is made for meal prepping. You can keep these bowls refrigerated for about 4 days, or you can freeze them for a couple of months. I suggest using a microwave to reheat the bowls (if frozen, use the defrost setting first, then full power to heat through).
Kale and White Bean Power Bowls
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain brown rice ($0.40)
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil ($0.52)
- 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar ($0.30)
- 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard ($0.05)
- 1/2 Tbsp Italian seasoning ($0.15)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Sautéed Kale
- 1/2 lb. chopped fresh kale (6 cups) ($1.15)
- 1/2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.02)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/8 tsp salt ($0.02)
Bowl Toppings
- 1 15oz. can cannellini beans ($0.07)
- 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes ($0.83)
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts ($0.30)
- 2 oz. feta ($1.14)
Instructions
- Begin cooking the rice first. The remaining bowl ingredients can be prepared while the rice is cooking. Add the rice and 2 cups water to a saucepot. Place a lid on top and bring the water up to a full boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice sit with the lid in place for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff just before serving.
- While the rice is cooking, make the vinaigrette so the flavors have a little time to blend. In a jar or bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine, or close the jar and shake until combined. Set the dressing aside.
- Add the cooking oil and minced garlic to a large pot or skillet. Sauté the garlic over medium heat for about one minute. Add the chopped kale and salt. Sauté for a few more minutes, or just until the kale is wilted. Set the kale aside.
- Finally, prepare the rest of the toppings. Rinse and drain the white beans. Chop the sun dried tomatoes and walnuts. Crumble the feta.
- When the rice has finished cooking, it's time to assemble the bowls. Add about ¾ cup rice to each bowl or container, followed by ½ cup sautéed kale, ⅓ cup beans, and a tablespoon each of sun dried tomatoes and walnuts. Sprinkle a little feta over each bowl. Divide the vinaigrette between four small containers. Refrigerate until ready to eat.
- Reheat the bowls using a microwave just before serving, then drizzle with vinaigrette, stir, and enjoy!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
How to Make Kale and White Bean Power Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Start with the brown rice because it takes about 50 minutes to cook and the rest of the bowls can be prepared while the rice cooks. Add 1 cup brown rice to a pot with 2 cups water. Place a lid on top and bring it up to a boil over high heat. When it reaches a full boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest, lid in place, for an additional 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork just before serving.
Next, make the vinaigrette so the flavors have a little time to blend. Combine ¼ cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar, ½ Tbsp Dijon mustard, ½ Tbsp Italian seasoning, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper in a jar or bowl. Whisk the ingredients to combine or close the jar and shake until combined. Set the dressing aside.
Next, prepare the kale. I buy pre-chopped kale because it’s super inexpensive and really cuts down on the prep work. I do give it an extra rinse, though, and pick out any large pieces of stems.
Add ½ Tbsp cooking oil and one clove of minced garlic to a large pot or skillet. Sauté the garlic over medium for about a minute.
Add 1/2 lb. chopped kale to the pot with ⅛ tsp salt and continue to sauté for a few minutes more, or just until the kale is wilted. Set the kale aside.
Prepare the last few ingredients. Chop about ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes and ¼ cup walnuts. Rinse and drain one 15oz. can of cannellini beans. Crumbled about 2 oz. feta.
When the rice is finished cooking, it’s time to build the bowls. Start with ¾ cup rice in each bowl or container, ⅓ cup beans, and about ½ cup sautéed kale.
Add about 1 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes and chopped walnuts on top, and a light sprinkle of crumbled feta. Divide the dressing between four containers. Refrigerate the bowls until ready to eat. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the bowls after reheating, then stir and enjoy!
I made it this recipe this week for lunches and it was delicious and easy! However, on day 3, my beans developed some dark brown/purple spots. Have you seen this before and have any idea if it’s safe to eat? Is it a normal reaction for the beans being out of the can? Could it have something to do with keeping it in plastic containers instead of glass? Really enjoyed the recipe but worried about my beans! Thanks!!
I’ve never seen that happen, but my first guess is that it might be some sort of color bleed from the pigments in the kale?
This happened on day 3 with mine too! It was just the color of the cranberries bleeding onto the white beans a little. It was perfectly safe to eat.
This recipe was awesome! Will definitely make it part of my regular rotation. Decided to scale down the walnuts because they added a bit too hearty of a flavor for me. Also added roasted salmon which went nicely!
This turned out even better than I expected! Thank you for a healthy easy lunch.
I’ve been making several of your recipes for the past few months. This one was great! I made it last night and actually just ate it cold out of the fridge for dinner today. I really enjoyed the texture, and the kale is so tasty with the garlic.
My boyfriend and I loved this, definitely will make again. I toasted the walnuts and made the dressing in the morning to give it time to blend in the fridge. All of the flavors together are amazing. You can get sun dried tomatoes at Dollar Tree too!
Do you use the oil packed sundried tomatoes or the kind in the plastic pouch?
I used the dry kind, but you can use the oil-packed variety if you prefer.
This is so delicious, and super easy to make. I’m a huge fan of easy meals, especially meal prep ones. This is easily one of my new favourites!
molto buono
Oooh, I bet these would eat more like a grain salad if I upped the vinaigrette. I’m currently looking to expand my list of no-heat meals to bring to work when I get back into the classroom, since we won’t be allowed to congregate in the staff room at lunchtime.
This looks amazing! Suggestions for subbing out sun dried tomatoes? I don’t like the taste of those.
There’s nothing else quite like them, unfortunately! You could try the dried cranberries like the store-bought version of this bowl, but they’re definitely sweeter.
I’m planning to do roasted red pepper strips.
I got sun dried tomato pesto from aldi and just put a dollop in each bowl. Regular basil pesto would be good too.
I was thinking about doing unsweetened dried cranberries
Same, not a fan of the sun dried tomatoes. What about a dollop of Trader Joe’s bomba sauce for some heat?
Thinking of the flavor profile, what cheese could I sub for the feta. My guy won’t eat it 🙄 Do you think grated pepper jack would work?
I don’t know if you have parmesan available, but I think that would probably fit nicely :)
You could literally do any cheese that you like. :) I think goat cheese would probably be the closest fit, but just go with whatever cheese you like best. :)
I agree with your guy Katie, I tried this with extra feta and made the mistake of microwaving it and several people complained about the smell. I think I’ll go with shredded jack next time as it’s so creamy and delicious.
Can I sub white wine vinaigrette for the red? I don’t have any red on hand! Thanks! :)
*white whine vinegar. Oops.
Yes, that would also taste good. :)
If you or a friend belong to Costco, get your feta cheese there. It is under $8.00 for 24 oz in the Phoenix area
Could frozen spinach or kale be used here? this looks delicious!
Frozen kale will probably be pretty good because the texture won’t change much once sautéed, but because spinach is so delicate it’s going to be really stringy in a recipe like this. I mean, you *can* use it, but the texture won’t be as good. :)
DANG IT!!!!!!!! Just meal prepped your pesto-white bean-kale salad YESTERDAY!!! I love that recipe but ABSOLUTELY want to give this one a try. The good news is that I am sitting on a TON of leftover washed and chopped kale that should keep till next week.
Do you think these would freeze well, perhaps without the vinaigrette?
Yes :)