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This hearty and satisfying copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl recipe has a delicious combination of wild rice, seasoned chicken, sweet potatoes, kale, crisp apples, almonds, and creamy goat cheese, all tossed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. I'll show you how to recreate this classic grain bowl in the comfort of your own kitchen!

Harvest bowl with a side of vinaigrette in a white bowl on a wooden board.

When you're looking to pick up a quick meal on-the go, it can be difficult to find options that are fast, delicious AND healthy. Enter Sweetgreen. A fast-casual restaurant that serves vibrant salads and nourishing bowls, Sweetgreen was started back in 2007 by former Georgetown students who had a visionary goal to reimagine fast food in a healthier way.

Known for its commitment to sourcing high-quality, seasonal ingredients, Sweetgreen has become a go-to destination for anyone seeking fresh, vibrant, and nourishing meals.

Now, I'm excited to bring you this amazing harvest bowl copycat recipe! No need to wait in line—this homemade version allows you to recreate the beloved flavors and textures of Sweetgreen's classic harvest bowl right at home.

Picture this: a hearty bowl featuring warm wild rice, seasoned chicken, and roasted sweet potatoes as the base. Crunchy apples and almonds add a delightful crunch, and creamy goat cheese adds a luxurious touch. It's all tossed with a simple balsamic vinaigrette that has a delicious blend of sweet, savory, and tangy notes.

This harvest bowl is more than just a bowl. It's a celebration of wholesome ingredients that will fill you up and make you feel oh-so-good inside and out!

Looking for more copycat recipes? Try my tasty Chick-fil-A kale crunch salad or Chipotle corn salsa.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Dish
Umami Seasoning
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
How To Make Harvest Bowls Step-By-Step
Chef's Tips
Recipe Substitutions and Variations:
More Salads and Bowls
Recipe
Reviews

Why You'll Love This Dish

Wholesome and Satisfying: A satisfying meal with a hearty combination of warm wild rice, seasoned chicken, sweet potatoes, crunchy apples, almonds, and creamy goat cheese.
Nutrient-Rich Goodness: This harvest bowl offers a wholesome balance of proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, fiber, and a variety of vitamins and minerals.
Versatile and Customizable: Tailor the recipe to your preferences by experimenting with different proteins, seasonal veggies, and grains.
Family-Friendly: Loved by all ages, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser. My kids gobble it up!
Perfect For Meal Prep: A convenient meal prep option. Enjoy this harvest bowl as a nutritious lunch or dinner throughout the week.

This Harvest Bowl recipe is featured in my collection of 30+ Healthy High Protein Lunch Ideas!

Umami Seasoning

According to Sweetgreen's website, the roasted chicken and sweet potatoes are seasoned with umami seasoning. What is umami seasoning? First, let's talk about umami.

Umami is considered the fifth taste, along with sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. It's often described as a savory, meaty, or brothy flavor.

Examples of foods rich in umami are soy sauce, miso paste, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste.

Umami seasoning is designed to enhance the umami taste in dishes. You can make your own umami seasoning at home or buy it in stores (like Trader Joe's) or online. Most umami seasoning blends include umami-rich ingredients like dried mushrooms, nutritional yeast, or kelp to add depth of flavor to your dishes.

I use a simple combination of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper for the umami seasoning in these harvest bowls. Sweetgreen's harvest bowl also has nutritional yeast in the umami seasoning, according to their website.

Nutritional yeast has a savory, nutty flavor and is a common vegan substitute for parmesan cheese. It's delicious sprinkled on dishes like popcorn, salads, and pasta.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

This harvest bowl is topped with a simple and flavorful balsamic vinaigrette. It's the perfect dressing to tie all of the ingredients together.

Did you know that it's really easy to make your own salad dressing at home? Plus, it tastes better than store-bought dressing, is cheaper, and healthier!

The balsamic vinaigrette is simply a mixture of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. The mustard acts as an emulsifier to stabilize the vinaigrette, making it creamy and ensuring it doesn't separate.

Not sure what the difference is between balsamic vinegar vs balsamic glaze vs vinaigrette? Read my post to learn more.

Ingredients

Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.

Wild rice- the base of this bowl is wild rice; I use a wild rice blend like Lundberg wild blend rice, which is a combination of black, brown, red, and wild rice. Learn more about wild rice and its nutritional benefits. You can substitute any healthy whole grain like brown rice, quinoa or farro.
Chicken- I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but you could also use chicken thighs. For a short-cut, you can use any leftover chicken you have in your fridge or rotisserie chicken.
Sweet potatoes- you can peel them or leave the skin on for extra nutrients. You can substitute other veggies like butternut squash, parsnips or carrots.
Kale- you can use curly or Tuscan kale. You can substitute other greens like baby spinach, arugula, spring mix or watercress.
Apples- use your favorite apples- I like Honeycrisp.
Goat cheese- adds creaminess and tangy flavor. If you're not a fan, you can substitute feta cheese or a shredded cheese like cheddar.
Almonds- I use roasted almonds, which add a nice crunch. You can substitute other nuts like pecans or walnuts, or seeds like pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds.
Umami seasoning- I use a flavorful combination of onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, cumin, kosher salt, and cayenne pepper. Sweetgreen also uses nutritional yeast, which you can add.
Balsamic vinaigrette- according to their website, Sweetgreen uses a simple blend of sunflower oil, balsamic, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and cracked black pepper; I substitute heart-healthy olive oil. Use a high-quality balsamic vinegar for maximum flavor.

How To Make Harvest Bowls Step-By-Step

See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.

Step 1- Cook the wild rice in a sauce pan on the stove according to package directions.
Step 2- Place chicken on one side of a sheet pan and arrange the sliced sweet potatoes on the other side of the sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with umami seasoning. Toss the sweet potatoes to coat with the seasoning.
Step 3- Roast at 400°F in a preheated oven about 20 minutes until sweet potatoes are crispy and golden brown and chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F as checked with an instant thermometer. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then dice it up.
Step 4- To make the dressing, place olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper together in a small jar like a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid. Close the lid and shake until blended. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.

Then, it's time to assemble your harvest bowl! I like to pour a little of the balsamic dressing on the kale and massage it into the leaves to soften it. Then, place some wild rice in the bottom of your bowl.

Top with the kale, diced chicken, sweet potatoes, apples, goat cheese, and almonds. Drizzle the balsamic vinaigrette dressing over your harvest bowl. Toss to combine. Dive in!

Chef's Tips

I season the roasted chicken and sweet potatoes with a homemade umami seasoning made with dried spices. You can also add nutritional yeast like Sweetgreen does, if you have it. You can also buy umami seasoning at stores or online.
I use Lundberg wild rice blend in this dish, which is a blend of black, brown, red, and wild rice. You can use any grain you like including brown rice, white rice, quinoa, farro. You can even substitute cauliflower rice for a low carb option.
Meal Prep Tips: This recipe is perfect for meal prep!
- I would suggest making a large batch so that you are set for meals the whole week. Then, during the week, your power bowl will come together effortlessly!
- Prep the ingredients ahead. Chop all the veggies. Roast your chicken and sweet potatoes. Cook the wild rice. Make the balsamic dressing.
- To save time, you can also use any leftover chicken in this recipe or even rotisserie chicken.
- Store pre-chopped kale, roasted sweet potatoes, chicken, cooked rice, and dressing in separate airtight containers in the fridge.
- Then, when you're ready to eat, simply toss all the ingredients together and add apples, almonds, and goat cheese.

Recipe Substitutions and Variations:

The beauty of this harvest bowl recipe lies in its versatility. Feel free to get creative with your ingredients. Experiment with different protein or grain choices, swap veggies based on seasonal availability, or personalize the flavor profile of the balsamic vinaigrette to make this nourishing bowl uniquely yours. Here are some ideas:

Grains- you can use any grain you like including brown rice, white rice, quinoa, farro. You can even substitute cauliflower rice for a low carb option. Or try my tasty kale and quinoa salad.
Protein- you can use salmon, steak, turkey or shrimp instead of chicken. To keep this harvest bowl vegetarian, use tofu, beans or lentils.
Greens- you can substitute other greens for the fresh kale like baby spinach, arugula, spring mix or watercress.
Vegetables- you can pretty much use any combination of vegetables that you like. You can substitute butternut squash, carrots, parsnips for the sweet potatoes. You can also use roasted Brussels sprouts or broccoli.
Cheese- you can substitute other cheeses like feta or shredded cheddar. To keep the bowl vegan, sprinkle on some nutritional yeast.
Nuts- you can substitute other nuts like pecans or walnuts. You can also use seeds like sunflower seeds or pepitas (pumpkin seeds).