Bowl meals are my favorite – there is just something about different flavors and textures all piled into one that makes me so happy. And today we are sharing one of my favorite grains bowls – the Sweetgreen harvest bowl!

If you are unfamiliar with Sweetgreen, it is a fast-casual restaurant that serves healthy salads and grain bowls. I discovered them in 2019 while in DC for our friend’s wedding. I ended up getting it 2 times in 3 days and became obsessed.

While we love grabbing a bowl for an easy weeknight meal, it can quickly add up as they can easily run over $10 each. So I figured let’s make it at home!

While this recipe is not exactly like Sweetgreen (of course, I added my own spin), it’s pretty dang close! Made with baby kale, marinated and roasted chicken, roasted sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts, sprouted brown rice, apple, goat cheese, and pecans.

I opted for sprouted brown rice as sprouted grains are easier to digest for some and can help increase nutrient availability in the body. I love NOW’s sprouted brown rice as it has a light nutty flavor with just a touch of sweetness. It makes the perfect addition to this grain bowl adding some complex carbs and a little protein and fiber.

While this grain bowl does take some time and has a decent number of steps, a lot of the time is inactive cooking time. You can also prep things in advance to make assembly easier (see below for details).

Ingredients

• chicken – I used thighs for juicy and flavorful chicken
• brown rice – the original recipe calls for wild rice, but I used sprouted brown rice. Any kind of grain or rice will work.
• sweet potatoes
• brussel sprouts – not in the original recipe, but helps add some more veggies
• apple – I love gala apple for this bowl
• goat cheese
• pecans
• baby kale
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• creamy balsamic dressing – a little different from the balsamic vinaigrette they use, but so tasty!

How to make Sweetgreen harvest bowl recipe

1. Marinate your chicken. Add the chicken, coconut aminos, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to a large glass baking dish or plastic bag and mix well to combine, making sure the spices evenly coat the chicken. Let marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours. When done marinating, roast in the oven on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-45 minutes until cooked through.
2. Roast your veggies. Add diced sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts to a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Toss with oil and salt and pepper. Roast in the oven, along with your chicken, for 35-45 minutes under tender.
3. Make your rice. Add to a pot with water or broth (broth adds a little more flavor) and follow instructions according to the package.
4. While the rice and veggies cook, make the dressing. Add the balsamic vinegar, almond butter, salt, and water to a small jar. I find using an immersion blender works best to make sure it’s thoroughly combined, but you can just mix it with a fork. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency.
5. Prep the remaining ingredients. When the rice and veggies are almost done, dice the apple, crumble the goat cheese, and roughly chop the pecans.
6. Assemble your bowls. Evenly divide the greens, rice, chicken, roasted veggies, apple, goat cheese, and nuts. Serve with the creamy balsamic dressing and enjoy!

Chicken marinade

Marinating the chicken is optional, but it really adds some flavor to this power bowl. Not only that, the marinade is amazing and will be your new favorite! It’s simple yet flavorful, easy to make, and goes with so many things. You’ll want to use it for more than just this harvest bowl!

Chicken marinade ingredients:

• coconut aminos
• garlic powder
• ground ginger
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

You can let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours – the longer you let it marinate, the more flavor it will have.

Once done marinating, add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 35-45 minutes juicy and tender. Chicken is done when it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. The time will depend on the size of your chicken thighs.

You can also pan-fry or grill the chicken if you find those ways easier.

Creamy balsamic dressing

What’s a good power bowl without a delicious dressing? This creamy balsamic is made with only 4 ingredients, 2 of them being salt and water, and makes a delicious creamy salad dressing thanks to the addition of all-natural almond butter.

Creamy balsamic dressing ingredients:

• balsamic vinegar
• almond butter – cashew butter will also work
• salt
• water – optional, but thins it out some

Add all ingredients to a small jar and mix well to combine. I find using an immersion blender works best to make sure it’s thoroughly combined, but you can just mix it with a fork as well. Add more water if you want a thinner consistency.

Meal prep

I love making a batch of these on Sunday to use for meal prep throughout the week. They keep and hold up really well for 4-5 days. You can go about prepping them a few different ways, depending on the time you have and how much you want to make in advance.

• partial prep– there are a few things you can do beforehand to make assembly easy. Either do one or a couple of these things below. The time will range from 5-15 minutes of active time working in the kitchen.
  • cook the rice – cook rice according to the directions and store in the fridge for 5 days until ready to use.
  • marinade the chicken – marinade and then roast for 35-45 minutes before you want to assemble your bowls. It will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
  • chop and/or roast the veggies – either chop the veggies and store them in the fridge until you are ready to roast or fully roast them. Store in a glass container in the fridge.
  • make the dressing – mix and store in a small jar in the pantry.
• full prep – prep and cook all your ingredients according to the recipe directions. If making them for a grab-n-go lunch, you can fully assemble the bowls. If making them for a meal where you have time to assemble, store the chicken, rice, veggies, and dressing separately. When ready to eat, chop your apple, crumble the cheese, chop the pecans, and assemble the bowls.
• heating them up – we personally enjoy this cold, but I know that not everyone likes cold food. Simply store leftovers separately and heat them up when ready to eat.

Sweetgreen harvest bowl nutrition

This harvest bowl has a great macronutrient breakdown making it a great balanced meal. It’s also full of micronutrients thanks to all the different foods and colors.

• protein from the chicken and a little from the veggies, rice, cheese, and nuts
• complex carbs from the sprouted rice, sweet potato, and veggies
• fiber from the rice and veggies
• healthy fats from the chicken, cheese, nuts, oil, and almond butter in the dressing
• packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, B vitamins, manganese, potassium, and copper from all the different veggies

The Sweetgreen harvest bowl calories come out to be 641, with 36 grams of protein, 64 grams of carbs, 29 grams of fat, and 13 grams of fiber.

Overall, this is very similar to the restaurant version, with a little bit fewer calories, the same amount of protein, a little more carbs, and a little less fat.

More power bowl recipes

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If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!