This copycat Sweetgreen Autumn Harvest Bowl combines quinoa, sweet potatoes, chicken, Honeycrisp apples, shaved brussels sprouts, kale and toasted almonds tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette for a seasonal dish that's full of flavor.

One of the reasons I really like this bowl is that much of the prep can be done ahead of time, making it a great solution to the typical weeknight "what's for dinner" dilemma. This bowl is sure to become a staple in your fall meal rotation.

Autumn harvest bowl topped with sweet potatoes, apples, quinoa and goat cheese

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When I lived in Chicago one of my favorite places to go for a salad was Sweetgreen. All they do is salads and bowls. The inspiration for this bowl started with their harvest bowl but I made a few modifications like subbing quinoa for the warm wild rice. I find quinoa to be more versatile when it comes to cooking at home.

Contents:

Ingredient Notes
How to make this recipe
Meal Prep Tips
Favorite Tools
Serving Suggestions
More weeknight recipes
Autumn Harvest Bowl

This recipe makes two hearty bowls so it makes a great easy weeknight dinner for two. And because it's a great meal prep recipe it's also ideal for eating one now and saving the other for lunch or dinner later in the week!

Ingredient Notes

The full list of ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.

Sweet potato: You can use any variety of sweet potato or yam you like. I typically use Garnet yams.
Brussels sprouts: If you use a lot of Brussels sprouts, you can buy them pre-sliced and bagged. Otherwise, I'd recommend buying them loose. You'll need 8-10 sprouts depending on the size.
Cooked chicken: You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken or grill or bake your own.
Quinoa: You can use either white or tri-colored quinoa for this recipe.
Sliced almonds: I use sliced almonds most of the time as they are easier to toast than slivered almonds.

How to make this recipe

Since several of the components can be made ahead of time, this bowl is great for meal prep. Check out the meal prep tips after the step-by-step instructions.

Chopped sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet

Roast the potatoes. While the oven is preheating, add the chopped sweet potatoes, olive oil, rosemary and pepper to a large mixing bowl. Toss to coat. Spread the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and roast them for 25 minutes.

Small mason jar of homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing

Make the dressing. I recommend making dressing in a small mason jar as it's easy to mix them well, simply add everything and shake to combine. Mason jars are also great for storage. You can substitute a bottled version but making your own is so easy!

Chop the veggies. While the potatoes are roasting, chop the kale, brussels sprouts and apples.

Assemble the bowls. Divide the kale between two large salad bowls. Top with quinoa, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, chicken, apples and goat cheese. Add the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve.

Kale and brussels sprouts base for fall havest bowl

Meal Prep Tips

Prep the sweet potatoes. In the fall and winter, I usually chop and roast a couple of sweet potatoes at the beginning of the week. They can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. You can also roast them ahead of time, though I think they are best when they come right out of the oven.
Make the dressing. Homemade vinaigrette will keep for about two weeks in the refrigerator. If you've never made your own dressing before, I highly recommend giving it a try. Check out this post for tips on how to make vinaigrette in just a few easy steps.
Prep the chicken. Buy a rotisserie chicken and shred or chop it up. You can freeze some of it for later use. The rest will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. If you like white meat best, you can grill or roast a couple of chicken breasts at the beginning of the week.
Cook the quinoa. Let it cool and then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Warm it for about 30 seconds in the microwave before adding it to the bowl.
Chop the kale. Chopped kale can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days in a large mason jar or other air-tight container.
Toast the almonds. These will keep in an airtight container in your pantry for a couple of weeks.

Close-up of sliced apples, sweet potatoes, goat cheese and almonds on harvest bowl.

Favorite Tools

Handheld Juicer – I was recently introduced to this juicer by the owner of a local kitchenware store and I'm obsessed. It works even better than the type I used to use and materials stand up well to the acidic nature of lemons and limes. I highly recommend it - it's definitely one of my new favorite kitchen tools!

Serving Suggestions

The beauty of a bowl-style meal is that it can be a meal all on its own. If you want to add a starter and some dessert I'd recommend adding these Balsamic-Glazed Melon, Prosciutto and Mozzarella Skewers and this Skillet Apple Crisp.

More weeknight recipes

If you are looking for more bowl-style weeknight recipes check out these reader favorites:

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Chopped kale salad topped with sweet potatoes, apples, quinoa and goat cheese

Autumn Harvest Bowl

Author: Kathryn | Urban Foodie Kitchen

This Autumn Harvest Bowl combines some of fall's best produce for a big, beautiful salad! Tossed with balsamic vinaigrette this bowl is sure to become a fall staple in your meal rotation.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Course Salads

Cuisine American

Servings bowls

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 cup chopped sweet potato
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
dash of salt
3 cups kale
1 cup chopped brussels sprouts
6 ounces cooked chicken, chopped into bit-sized pieces
½ cup chopped Honeycrisp apple
¼ cup cooked quinoa
¼ cup goat cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted

For the dressing:

1 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon minced garlic
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper, to taste
pinch sea salt
¼ cup olive oil

Instructions

Roast the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Add the sweet potatoes, olive oil, rosemary and pepper to a mixing bowl.Toss to coat. Spread the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 25 minutes.
Make the dressing. Add the balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, garlic, pepper and salt to a small bowl or mason jar. Mix well. Add the olive oil and mix until blended.
Chop the veggies. While the potatoes are cooking, chop the kale and the brussels sprouts and slice or chop the apples.
Assemble the salads. To prepare the salads, divide the kale and brussels evenly between two large salad bowls. Top with chicken, potatoes, apples, and quinoa. Add the goat cheese, almonds, and dressing. Toss well and serve.

Notes

If you made the quinoa earlier in the week, warm it in the microwave for about 30 seconds before adding it to the bowl.
If you want to roast chicken breasts at the same time as the sweet potatoes you can add them to one side of the baking sheet. I recommend lining that side of the baking sheet with parchment paper to contain any juices.
If you are saving a portion of the bowl for later I suggest combining the kale, brussels, apples, chicken and goat cheese. Before serving warm the potatoes and quinoa and add to the bowl then top with almonds and dressing.

Keywords : fall salads, kale salads

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This post was originally published in November 2018. It was updated in September 2025 with some new information. A few minor changes were made to the original recipe.