The Art of Arranging
The beauty of a bowl doesn’t just lie in the flavors—with so many vibrantly hued ingredients, bowls can look as appetizing as they taste. It’s easy enough to toss all the ingredients together, but we wanted to recreate the gorgeous, photo-ready bowls that have made this trend so popular. Surprisingly, we found that a few simple arrangements could take a bowl from boring to beautiful in seconds.
Make Piles
Section off your bowl toppings into small piles to highlight their colors and textures. Clumping the components together shows off each different element in your bowl.
Garnish with Herbs
Herb leaves can be chopped or torn and sprinkled on top to add an extra pop of color along with fresh flavor. Whole leaves also make for a beautiful presentation that shows off the natural beauty of the herbs. For more information on working with fresh herbs, try our All About Fresh Herbs course.
Shape Perfect Rice
Artfully arrange your rice into a perfect circle by pressing it into a measuring cup, then flipping it upside down into your bowl. You can present other components around, or on top of, the rice mound.
Add Texture
Nobody wants to look at a bowl of mush. Add toppings with a variety of textures to make your bowl more interesting. Sprinkle a crunchy element on top for quick contrast, and try out components of different shapes and sizes in the same bowl to add some extra visual appeal.
Line Things Up
Arrange components in neat rows along your bowl to create a striped effect. Try this technique with fruits and vegetables that are circular or semicircular, or use straight or matchstick-style vegetables for a completely different effect.
Add Color
Fresh fruit and vegetables like pomegranate, tomatoes, oranges, or avocado can add a whole rainbow of colors to your bowl, making it as visually pleasing as it is appetizing. Try out different colors of common vegetables, like golden beets or purple cauliflower.
Drizzle Sauce
Use your sauce as a final flourish. Try a zigzag motion to make striking lines, drizzle in a circular pattern to make a sauce spiral, or drop the sauce in polka dots. The more colorful, the better, to add extra contrast to your finished bowl.
Fan Out Slices
Sliced fruits and vegetables like mango, apple, avocado, or pear look beautiful arranged in a fan-like shape. Hold one end of the slices together, and then fan the slices outward. (If you're feeling extra creative, try making an avocado rose.)
