Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl

The sweetgreen harvest bowl is probably one of Sweetgreen’s most well loved and popular bowls (and it’s quickly becoming a favorite of mine as well!). This copycat recipe shows you how to make a delicious juicy chicken, the sweetgreen harvest bowl dressing (a balsamic vinaigrette), and roasted sweet potatoes. Put together, it tastes like fall in a bowl and is PERFECT as we transition into fall 🙂 

FAQ – for the Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl

Q: Can I make this recipe ahead of time? What’s the best way to store this? 

A: Yes! I love to meal prep this recipe. To keep each ingredient fresh:

• I recommend storing the washed and dried greens in a ziplock bag with a paper towel.
• For the cooked wild rice, chicken, and roasted sweet potatoes, store these in small individual tupperwares. I combine all three of the cooked ingredients into portions that are easy to grab each morning. You can store this all together and scoop out an individual portion each day if you don’t have enough Tupperware. You can reheat the rice, potatoes, chicken container for 1 minute in the microwave before adding to the salad. Reheating is optional.
• For the apples, I cut this fresh each morning I pack my lunch. You can store 1/2 the remaining uncut small apple in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
• Each morning, I add the greens into my large salad Tupperware container, along with the freshly cut apples, and a dollop of goat cheese. I store the dressing in a small dressing container and keep this separate until I’m ready to eat.
• Once you’re ready to eat, reheat the wild rice / sweet potatoes / chicken container. Add this into the large Tupperware with the remaining salad ingredients and dressing, shake everything together, and enjoy!

The ingredients (stored undressed) should last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and the sweetgreen harvest bowl dressing should last 2 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Q: Can I use a different type of grain instead of wild rice? 

A: Yes, you can use quinoa and I actually used a 7 grain multigrain rice instead of wild rice. Be sure to cook the grains according to the package directions if you use something different than the 7 grain multigrain rice.

Q: What type of chicken should I use? Do I need to butterfly the chicken? 

A: I used boneless skinless chicken breast in this recipe, but you can use chicken thighs or chicken tenders. You don’t need to butterfly the chicken, but you may need to cook the chicken longer if you keep it whole. I butterfly the chicken mainly to reduce the cooking time.

Q: What’s the best way to cook the chicken?

A: You can cook chicken however you most prefer. I’ve been cooking a lot of oven roasted chicken lately, and wanted to switch it up this time so opted for a pan seared chicken. You can alternatively air fry the chicken or roast it in the oven at 425F for 10-12 minutes.

Q: What are recommended substitutions for kale?

A: If you’re not a big fan of kale, you can substitute any greens you like. I use a combination of kale and romaine, but you could also use spring mix, arugula, or even spinach.

Step by Step Instructions

1. Cook the wild rice according to package directions. Since I used the 7 grain rice, I made this similar to how I make rice. In a small pot, add the 3/4 cup of multigrain rice, 1.25 cups of water, and pinch of kosher salt. Bring up to a boil, then stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit with the lid on for 10 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 425F.

3. Prep the sweet potatoes – peel the sweet potatoes, then cut them into half moons that are about 1/4” thick. Add this to a baking sheet, drizzle with neutral oil, kosher salt, and black pepper, and give everything a toss. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and soft.

4. Prepare the remaining vegetables – chop the romaine, kale, and apples.

5. Butterfly the chicken breasts and season with the kosher salt, neutral oil, black pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic powder. Give everything a mix.

6. Heat a pan on medium high heat, then sear the seasoned chicken breasts for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Once cooked (internal temperature is at 165F), remove from the heat and chop into 1” cubes.

7. Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl or jar. Whisk until smooth, taste, then adjust seasoning as desired.

8. Assemble the salad by combining the greens, goat cheese, wild rice, apples, sweet potatoes, chicken, and almonds. Add the dressing over the top, mix, taste for more dressing as desired, and serve!

Video Tutorial Here: Sweetgreen HArvest Bowl

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The Cost Breakdown

For the salad:

• 5 cups of kale – $3.49
• 1 head of romaine – $1.50
• ¾ cup wild rice – $0.75
• 1.5 lbs chicken -$8.49
• 2 sweet potatoes – $2
• 2 apples – $1.50
• 5 ounces of goat cheese – $2.99
• Chopped almonds (optional) – $1.00
• Seasoning – salt, neutral oil, pepper – $.50

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1 lemon – $0.50
• Seasoning – balsamic vinegar, salt, honey, pepper, mustard, oil – $1

TOTAL – $23.22 for 4 servings

This salad has become one of my new favorite things to meal prep – it keeps you feeling energized throughout the day, and if you follow my recommendations to store the ingredients separately (details in FAQ), it tastes SO FRESH every day!

Other great salad bowls you might like:

• Sweetgreen Peach and Goat Cheese Salad (+optional salmon)
• Green Goddess Chicken Salad