Harvest Bowl Recipe
on Mar 15, 2023, Updated Aug 13, 2024
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This copycat Sweetgreen harvest bowl recipe is packed with flavours and textures for a hearty and delicious plant-based meal.
The bowls feature kale, sweet potato, chickpeas, apple, almonds, wild rice and balsamic dressing – a great option for those looking to incorporate more plant-based foods into their diet.
This recipe is a copycat of the popular Harvest Bowl from Sweetgreen, a healthy casual food chain with locations across the US. The Sweetgreen bowls also have chicken and goat cheese but this version is made vegan by using chickpeas and omitting the cheese.
They’re super easy to customize with whatever you have available too. No kale? Try spinach. No sweet potato? Butternut squash works. No apple? Dried cranberries or raisins work well.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- Vegan and gluten-free.
- Good source of protein and fibre.
- Well-balanced with protein, carbs and fat.
- Great for meal prep.
- Components can be made in advance.
- Tangy balsamic dressing.
- Plenty of flavours and texture.
- Delicious combination of sweet and savory.
Ingredient Notes
Please scroll down the page to find the full recipe with ingredient measurements.
This following sections provide notes on specific ingredients and possible substitutions and a quick step-by-step with photos.
Harvest Bowl Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas are perfect for a convenient option but you could also cook your own from scratch. You’ll need a 19 oz can or about 2 cups.
- Oil: You can use olive oil, avocado oil or another cooking oil you enjoy for roasting the chickpeas and sweet potato.
- Seasonings: You’ll need dried thyme and garlic powder for the chickpeas and sweet potatoes. Feel free to experiment with other spices like paprika or add some heat with a pinch of cayenne.
- Sweet Potato: You’ll need 1 medium sized sweet potato or about 3 cups cubed. The amount doesn’t have to be exact. Butternut squash works well as a substitute.
- Wild Rice: You can use wild rice, brown rice, a brown and wild rice blend or use a different grain like quinoa or farro.
- Apple: Any crisp apple variety works.
- Kale: You can use any variety of kale. Spinach works as a substitute though I’d recommend kale if you’re making these for meal prep so it doesn’t get soggy.
- Almonds: Use raw almonds or dry roasted almonds. You can substitute any other nut or seed here.
Dressing Ingredients
A balsamic dressing is suggested for these bowls but some other good options are miso tahini dressing, dijon maple dressing, glory bowl dressing or lemon tahini dressing.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is best. I like to grate it so it’s smooth.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Any balsamic vinegar will do.
- Olive Oil: A good quality extra virgin olive oil is best for dressings.
- Dijon: Any Dijon mustard works.
- Maple Syrup: Use maple syrup or substitute agave syrup or honey.
Variations
- Try any other grain such as quinoa or farro as an alternative to wild rice.
- Make these crispy lentils instead of roasted chickpeas.
- Try butternut squash instead of sweet potato.
- Add dried cranberries.
- Add feta or other cheese of choice.
- Add a protein like baked tofu or tempeh
- Add roasted carrots or Brussels sprouts..
Step-by-Step Instructions
Before you start, note the recipe calls for cooked wild rice. Begin cooking that now if you don’t cooked rice on hand, according to package instructions.
About a heaping 1/4 cup is suggested per bowl but feel free to adjust that amount as needed.
STEP 1: Roast the chickpeas and sweet potato.
Add the chickpeas to one pan with the oil, half of the thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper and mix them up.
Add the sweet potato to another pan with 2 tsp oil, the rest of the thyme, salt and pepper and toss to coat.
Place the chickpeas and sweet potato in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes at 425 F, tossing and rotating the pans halfway through until the sweet potatoes are tender and chickpeas are crisp.
STEP 2: Make the dressing.
Add all of the dressing ingredients to a bowl or container and whisk until emulsified.
STEP 3: Massage the kale.
Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with 1 tbsp of the dressing and a pinch of salt.
Massage the kale with your hands until the leaves are coated in dressing and turn dark green.
STEP 4: Assemble the bowls.
Arrange the cooked rice and the rest of the ingredients in bowls and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
FAQs
I wouldn’t recommend it. Though you could safely freeze them, this recipe isn’t really ideal for freezing.
The recipe as written contains 514 calories per serving along with 12 grams of protein and 12 grams of fibre, a little lower in calories than the harvest bowl from Sweetgreen.
Storing and Meal Prep
- The wild rice, sweet potato and chickpeas can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge in an airtight container.
- The dressing can be made a few days in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Assembled bowls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- I’d recommend leaving the apple off until serving if storing more than 1 day.
- Leftover bowls can be enjoyed cold or lightly warmed in the microwave.
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to comment section below to leave your star rating and review.
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Harvest Bowls
Ingredients
For the Bowls
- 19 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 4 tsp oil, divided
- 1 tsp dried thyme, divided
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 medium sweet potato, cut into ½-inch cubes (3 cups, 365 g)
- 1 heaping cup cooked wild rice
- 1 crisp apple, chopped (1½ cups, 160 g)
- 4 cups thinly sliced kale, 90 g
- ⅓ cup toasted almonds, chopped (33 g)
- salt and pepper
For the Dressing
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 45 mL
- 4 tbsp olive oil, 60 mL
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp maple syrup, 15 mL
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook Wild Rice: If you don't have cooked rice on hand, start that now and cook according to package instructions. The suggested amount is a heaping 1/4 cup cooked rice per bowl.
- Roast Chickpeas and Sweet Potato: Preheat oven to 425 F. Prepare two parchment-lined baking sheets.
- On one sheet, add chickpeas. Drizzle with 2 tsp oil, then season with ½ tsp thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
- To the other baking sheet, add sweet potatoes. Drizzle with another 2 tsp oil, then season with ½ tsp thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to coat, then spread out in an even layer.
- Roast chickpeas and sweet potatoes for 20-25 min, tossing halfway through and rotating baking sheets, until sweet potatoes are tender and chickpeas are crisp.
- Make Dressing: Meanwhile, in a bowl or vessel, add garlic, balsamic vinegar, oil, dijon and maple syrup. Season with salt and pepper, then whisk until emulsified.
- Massage Kale: Add kale to a large bowl. Drizzle 1 tbsp dressing over top, then season with salt. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the leaves, until well coated and leaves turn dark green.
- Assemble Salad: Arrange cooked wild rice, kale, roasted chickpeas, sweet potatoes, apples and almonds in 4 bowls. Drizzle remaining dressing over top.
This was fantastic, I made it with the crispy lentils and it was sooo good! This will become a regular dish. Thanks so much.
Omg I need to make these! My husband and I visited Austin a few years ago and LOVED Sweetgreen! Unfortunately, where I live in the US, they don’t have a Sweetgreen close so this is perfect!
Yes, please do! Enjoy!
This was a hit with the family. We also made the veggie power bowls and I’m thinking the miso sauce would be really good with this bowl too. Gonna try it!
This is fabulous! Made it exactly as is and added roasted tofu for additional protein and dried cranberries! I will definitely have this on repeat. You are wonderful. Thanks you for sharing all your delicious recipes.
Thank you, Sandy! I’m so glad you loved them.
My whole family loved this one. The crunch and soft and the sweet on top of it all was awesome. A pretty quick one to throw together. I love dishes that feel complete and this one hits the spot. It’s going in our regular winter rotation!
Thank you!! I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thanks for the review!
You’re welcome, Cara! So glad you enjoyed it.