Autumn Harvest Bowl with Sweet Potatoes

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. This bowl is sure to become a staple in your fall meal rotation.

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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. You can either pick one of their combos or create your own. 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 ....and I'm also not a huge wild rice fan.

Contents:

• Easy meal prep for two!
• Recipe Ingredients + Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Frequently asked questions
• Tools you'll want for this recipe
• Serving Suggestions
• More weeknight recipes
• Autumn Harvest Bowl

Easy meal prep for two!

One of the reasons I really like this bowl is that much of the prep can be done ahead of time. Bowls are generally a great option for meal prep!

I just love this combo of chopped kale, shredded brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, Honeycrisp apples along with some roasted chicken, hearty quinoa, soft creamy goat cheese, and toasted almonds. It all gets topped with balsamic dressing for a slightly sweet, slightly crunchy, yet savory salad that is perfect for autumn days.

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!

Recipe Ingredients + Substitutions

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.
• Kale: I generally use curly kale in my salad recipes as it holds up well and is readily available.
• 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.
• Apple: I recommend using Honeycrisp apples for this recipe.
• Quinoa: You can use either white or tri-colored quinoa for this recipe.
• Goat cheese: I keep a container of crumbled goat cheese in my refrigerator to use on salads throughout the week.
• Sliced almonds: I use sliced almonds most of the time as they are easier to toast than slivered almonds.
• Spices: dried rosemary, sea salt, ground black pepper
• Pantry staples: Olive oil, balsamic vinegar

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.

Step 1 | 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.

Step 2 | 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.

Step 3 | Chop the veggies. While the potatoes are roasting, chop the kale, brussels sprouts and apples.

Step 4 | 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.  

Frequently asked questions

Tools you'll want for this recipe

Large baking sheet – Half sheet pans are a kitchen necessity. They are great for roasting veggies and making sheet pan dinners. They also work for baking cookies and making slab-type pies. I recommend lining them with parchment paper or a silicon mat for most uses as it makes clean-up a breeze.

Handheld Juicer – I was recently introduced to this juicer by the owner of a local kitchenware store and I'm obsessed. It worked 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!

Small mason jar - These are great for mixing salad dressing and also for storing small amounts of ingredients - ideal if you are going to meal prep. I also sometimes use them to make individual serving desserts.

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, Proscuitto 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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This post was originally published in November 2018. It was updated in October 2023 with some new information. A few minor changes were made to the original recipe.