Copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl Recipe

What's Not to Love About the Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl Copycat?

Packed full of healthy, whole ingredients. It's got kale, sweet potatoes, wild rice, apples, almonds, only the good stuff. It's also hearty, so you feel full after eating it unlike some salads.

The balsamic dressing will be your go-to dressing. Anytime I need a quick balsamic vinegar, I use this one. It's creamy thanks to Greek yogurt, making a tangy coating for the salad. I use the dressing in my strawberry caprese salad, too.

Double the recipe and eat it all week. It's not the fastest recipe to make because there's some ingredient prep involved (see below on some serious time-saving hakcs though), but it's 100% worth it. I always double the recipe so I can eat the the salad for lunches all week.

So much cheaper. I love Sweetgreen, but their salads can get expensive. My salad is now over $15/bowl. This one is way more economical and can feed the whole family.

Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl Copycat Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this Sweetgreen harvest bowl dupe:

Kale: I love buying the pre-washed, pre-cut kale to make my life easier.

Wild rice: I prefer Lundberg's Family Farm organic wild rice. It's got a nice bite to it and never turns out mushy.

Chicken breast: Feel free to use whatever your favorite chicken is -- chicken thighs, breasts, etc. or use rotisserie chicken for even easier prep.

Umami, olive oil, salt and pepper: The umami adds a little bit of flavor to the chicken breast. The umami is purely optional.

Sweet potatoes: I roast simply with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Apples: Use whatever apples you love. Fall is the perfect time to make this salad but apples are now delicious year-round.

Goat cheese: A nice cheddar is also delicious. The cheese gets slightly warm when the wild rice and chicken is added. That's my favorite part!

Almonds: You could also sub in pistachios or walnuts.

Individual ingredient bowls for the salad, including kale, apples, chicken, almonds, goat cheese, and wild rice.

Sweetgreen's harvest bowl dressing

Within the last couple of years, Sweetgreen changed their balsamic dressing recipe. It's much thinner now because now the dressing uses oil rather than Greek yogurt. I'm an OG girl though, so I prefer the creaminess of this dressing. If you like the current Sweetgreen balsamic dressing recipe, substitute sunflower oil for the Greek yogurt.

Aside from the Greek yogurt (I use 0% fat), you'll need a good quality balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The yogurt gives the dressing a creaminess that's unmatched, the Dijon a little kick, the honey some sweetness, and the lemon more freshness.

Close up picture of a small dish filled with creamy balsamic dressing.

worn slap out? Try these Time-Saving tips!

Buy the microwaveable wild rice that heats in the microwave for 90 seconds. It's a lot faster than the 45 minutes it takes to make wild rice on the stove top.
Buy pre-cut sweet potatoes. Our Whole Foods carries cubed sweet potatoes. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Use rotisserie chicken instead of roasting your own chicken.
Buy pre-washed, pre-chopped kale.
Use a store-bought balsamic vinaigrette. There's no shame in that game.

Storage & Meal Prep

To store: This salad is delicious for leftovers. If you're saving this for a another meal at home, I recommend storing the kale in a separate container in the fridge with a paper towel inside to reduce any moisture. Cut the apples just before serving.

For leftovers: If you're meal prepping, place all of the ingredients together (with the exception of the apple and the dressing) in individual containers. The salad will stay fresh for 3-4 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you meal prep with this Harvest Bowl recipe?

Yes, yes, and yes. I don't actually ever make one portion of this recipe. I always double to make it worth my while!

What can I use instead of wild rice?

Try using farro if you're not a fan of wild rice!

Is the Harvest Bowl eaten warm or cold?

This is a personal preference. I prefer everything cold except for the chicken and wild rice. Then when you add the chicken and wild rice to your goal, it warms up the cheese and is so delicious.