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Copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl

Jump To Recipe // September 18, 2024 // posted by Michelle // 5 Comments »

This copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl tastes like the real deal, but maybe even better! It’s packed with fall flavors and topped off with a delicious creamy dressing. It’s gluten-free and can be modified to paleo.

What is the Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl?

Sweetgreen is a plant-forward restaurant that specializes in salads and bowls. The harvest bowl is one of the most popular, made with kale, sweet potato, almonds, apple, goat cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette. It’s nourishing, delicious, and so perfect for fall!

This version is a pretty good dupe, with a tiny bit of a twist. This salad still has those warm and cozy flavors from the rosemary, thyme, sweet potato and apple, but it has an extra layer of creaminess with coconut yogurt in the salad dressing to make it the perfect balance of crisp flavors with creamy and rich.

Why you’ll love this recipe

It’s filling. Some salads can be a little bit too light, but this one is super filling.
It’s nutrient dense. Kale, almonds, sweet potato, and more all make this a nutrient-dense bowl.
It tastes like fall. The sweet potato and apple really make this taste like fall in a bowl!

What Ingredients you need to make a copycat Sweetgreen Harvest bowl at home

Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Honey, and Coconut Yogurt. These are the main ingredients for the dressing. I love adding honey and coconut yogurt for a sweet and creamy flavor and texture. You can omit the coconut yogurt if you can’t find it, but my favorite brand is Culina.
Wild Rice. The wild rice really adds a lot to the salad. You can also use quinoa if you don’t tolerate rice, or you can simply add more sweet potato.
Chicken Breast, Salt, Pepper, Dried Thyme, Rosemary, Garlic Powder Dried Parsley, and Avocado Oil. These seasonings really add the flavor to the chicken breast and complement the rest of the salad.
Sweet Potato, Avocado Oil, Salt, and Pepper, and Cinnamon.
Kale, Olive Oil, and Salt. Make sure to massage the kale!!
Gala Apple, Almonds, and Goat Cheese. These toppings round out the salad and bring so much flavor!

How to make the Copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl

Step one. Make the sweet potato. Toss the sweet potato with the oil and seasonings and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through until crisp. Set aside.
Step two. Make the chicken. season the chicken generously on both sides. Using a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until cooked through. Allow to rest before cutting into cubes.

Step three. Make the dressing, combine the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine until smooth and creamy.
Step four. Assemble the salad. Add the kale to a large bowl and massage. Top the salad with cooked sweet potato, chicken, wild rice, apple, almonds, goat cheese, and dressing. Toss before serving.

Tips & Tricks

Don’t skip massaging the kale! Raw kale get a bad rap for a reason. Don’t skip this step!
Scale the recipe up or down. This recipe makes four servings, but you could easily cut it in half for a small dinner for two.

Why do you need to massage the kale?

A lot of people dislike kale for how tough it is, but in reality, most restaurants just don’t serve it right. In order for it to be a softer texture that’s easier to bite into, raw kale needs to be massaged. This takes away some of the toughness and makes it more like eating any other green.

How do you massage kale?

Simply add salt and olive oil to the kale and massage it with clean hands for a few minutes! You’ll both see and feel the kale start to break down. It will be softer and slightly wilted.

How can you make this recipe AIP?

Leave out the almonds and goat cheese and add a bit more dressing.
Double the sweet potato and omit the wild rice.

How can you make this recipe vegetarian?

If you want to leave out the chicken to make this recipe vegetarian, crispy chickpeas would be a great swap. I recommend using similar seasonings and crisping the chickpeas in the oven so you still get the same flavors and a crisp texture.

Storage instructions

You can prep all of the ingredients ahead of time, and assemble them fresh when you’re ready to enjoy a fresh salad to ensure that the salad is fresh and crisp!

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