Autumn Grain Bowls: The Best Harvest Bowl Recipe for Fall!
I’m a salad girl, through and through. When you do salads right, they’re hard to beat – filled with seasonal flavor, great texture, and tons of fresh ingredients! I’ll gladly eat a good salad any day of the year, but once fall rolls around I begin to crave something a little more comforting – that’s exactly when it’s time to bust out a cozy harvest bowl!
This autumn grain bowl recipe is one of my absolute favorites. It’s filled with all of the best fall ingredients: a hearty base of shredded kale and wild rice is piled high with spiced sweet potatoes, crisp apple, chopped nuts for extra crunch, and smoked gouda for a little bit of creaminess in every bite.
It all comes together to create oh-so-satisfying bowls with the most perfect combination of flavors and textures: smoky, sweet, crunchy, chewy, and more. It’s seriously the coziest salad you’ll ever try!
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The Perfect Fall Grain Bowl Dressing: Maple Cinnamon Vinaigrette
This particular vinaigrette is a fall-inspired twist on my favorite maple balsamic vinaigrette. The littlest dash of ground cinnamon creates the slightest kiss of warmth, making a dressing that’s tangy, sweet, caramelly, and warm. It tastes just the way fall food should, and it couldn’t be simpler to make.
Autumn Grain Bowl Assembly
Once all of the harvest bowl ingredients are prepped and the maple cinnamon vinaigrette is ready to go, assembly is a cinch!
Massage the kale. Place shredded kale in a large bowl and drizzle a little cinnamon balsamic vinaigrette over top. Using your hands, work the vinaigrette into the kale until the leaves wilt slightly and turn vibrant green.
Assemble the grain bowls. Add wild rice, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, shredded chicken, red onion, apple, cheese, and walnuts to the the bowl on top of the massaged kale. Drizzle more of the cinnamon vinaigrette over top (don’t hold back – no judgement here!) and toss it all up to combine well.
Enjoy! These grain bowls are great served warm, cold, or at room temperature, so feel free to dig in right away or package it up for later. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for storage instructions.
How to Make Grain Bowls Easier: Meal Prep and Assembly Tips
As much as I love them, I’m the first to admit that grain bowls are a little high maintenance. Cooking a couple of different grains, chopping up a variety of veggies, and making a homemade dressing quickly feels like a lot of work for 1 salad! The good news? All of the prep work involved for this harvest bowl recipe is pretty simple, and much of it can be done well in advance.
Meal Prep Tips
There are a few simple tasks you can complete with about 20 minutes of active prep. When it’s time to make your autumn grain bowls, all you have to do is prep the sweet potatoes and make the vinaigrette – easy! Check out the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.
Grain Bowl Shortcut
A good grain bowl really needs 2+ grains to create varying textures and flavors in each bite. Grains aren’t difficult to prepare, but cooking a bunch of different grains for 1 dish can be a little much!
My favorite grain bowl shortcut ⇢ buy a pre-mixed grain blend! Many stores carry pre-mixed grain blends that you can in the same pot all at once. Along similar lines, you can also use those handy packets of quick-cook grains or grab a few bags from the freezer section. Whatever works best for you!
Easy Recipe Variations – Vegetarian and Vegan Options
For vegetarian grain bowls ⇢ Omit chicken, or swap it with…
- Crispy spiced chickpeas – Drain and rinse a 14-ounce can of chickpeas, patting them as dry as possible with paper towel. Toss them on the sheet pan with the sweet potatoes, doubling the oil and spices to ensure there’s enough to coat the chickpeas, and roast until crispy.
- Crispy tofu – Dice a block of firm tofu into 1/2-inch cubes, then toss with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Double the oil and spices used for the sweet potatoes and coat the tofu cubes. Roast on a separate sheet pan alongside the sweet potatoes for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crispy.
For vegan grain bowls ⇢ Omit the cheese or replace it with your favorite dairy-free alternative.
I cannot wait for you to try this Cozy Autumn Grain Bowl recipe. It’s one of my all-time favorites for fall, and I know you’re going to love it too!
If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!
Cozy Autumn Grain Bowls with Maple Cinnamon Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 50 Minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes (includes inactive time)
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Entree Salad & Bowl Recipes
- Method: Baked, Stovetop, Roasted
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Cozy Autumn Grain Bowls are a longtime PWWB favorite. It’s honestly the perfect fall salad! Each bowl is loaded with fresh, seasonal ingredients that create layers of cozy flavors and satisfying textures:
- Grains. I like a combination of hearty wild rice and delicate quinoa. If you don’t feel like cooking up multiple grains from scratch, store-bought grain blends are a great grain bowl shortcut. For an even quicker option, grab a couple packets of “quick cook” grains or some frozen brown rice.Â
- Hearty fall ingredients, like roasted spiced sweet potatoes, sweet and crisp apples, and chopped nuts for extra crunchy texture.
- Maple cinnamon vinaigrette, a simple homemade salad dressing that’s borderline drinkable! Mix it up in your food processor or blender for even quicker results.Â
I like to finish them off with a little shredded chicken. If you prefer a vegetarian or vegan grain bowl, be sure to check out the blog post, above, for some plant-based protein ideas.Â
One last note – while they’re so fun to eat, grain bowls can kind of be a pain to prepare. I like to break prep up into a couple of phases, which makes all the difference for me. Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked wild rice (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa (see Recipe Notes)
- 1–2 cups shredded Rotisserie chicken or poached chicken (see Recipe Notes)
- 1 large sweet potato, diced into ½-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 bunch kale, destemmed and finely chopped
- 1 large apple, diced into ½-inch cubes
- 1 small red onion, finely diced
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup shredded smoked gouda or sharp white cheddar
for the Cinnamon Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup good aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
- heaping ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- heaping ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- heaping ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cook the wild rice and quinoa according to package directions. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.Â
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Place the diced sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Toss to combine. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and crispy around the edges. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the cinnamon vinaigrette: Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes roast, mix up the cinnamon maple balsamic vinaigrette. Add the olive oil, balsamic, maple syrup, garlic, cinnamon, kosher salt, and ground black pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until emulsified and creamy, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a jar or airtight container, then add in the fresh herbs. Shake or stir to combine. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.Â
- Other prep: Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes roast, prep the remaining grain bowl ingredients – pull the chicken, shred the kale, finely dice the red onion, dice the apple, shred the cheese, and chop the nuts.Â
- Assemble the grain bowls:Â Place the shredded kale in a large bowl. Drizzle a little of the cinnamon balsamic vinaigrette over top. Using your hands, massage the vinaigrette into the kale until vibrantly green and softened. Add the wild rice, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, shredded chicken, red onion, apple, cheese, and walnuts to the bowl. Drizzle more of the cinnamon vinaigrette over top, then toss to combine.
- Serving: These grain bowls are great warm, room temperature, or cold. See Recipe Notes, below, for more meal prep tips. Enjoy!
Notes
- Grains: I love the hearty, textural combination of wild rice and quinoa in these autumn grain bowls, but any blend of grains will work great (brown rice, farro, etc.). Using a pre-mixed grain blend is also a great grain bowl shortcut! Make it your own by using whatever you love most, and if quick-cooking rice is your jam…go for it!
- Make-ahead and Storage: These harvest bowls are super hearty and store very well. Feel free to prep and assemble in advance, omitting diced apple until serving. Store your grain bowls individually or in one large airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.
- Meal prep: A little bit of meal prep will goes a long way in making grain bowls a little easier to throw together, cutting down on the active prep time involved. There are a couple of different routes you can go for this grain bowl recipe:
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: Cook the grains in advance to eliminate any stove time the day or night you’d like to make Autumn Grain Bowls.Â
- Cook the wild rice according to package directions. (~5 minutes active)
- Cook the quinoa according to package directions. (~5 minutes active)
- 20-Minute Meal Prep:Â Prep grain bowl components, chopping, dicing, shredding, etc. All you have to do at dinnertime is roast up the sweet potatoes and make the vinaigrette – easy!
- Shred rotisserie chicken. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Destem and finely shred kale. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Place a piece of paper towel in the container to soak up any condensation or moisture.
- Dice 1 large sweet potato. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Dice an apple. Store in an airtight container submerged in water to prevent browning in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
- Finely dice a small red onion. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- 15-Minute Meal Prep: Cook the grains in advance to eliminate any stove time the day or night you’d like to make Autumn Grain Bowls.Â
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Absolutely phenomenal recipe! I am so excited to eat this for the week. So glad I found this!
Thanks so much, Sam. Enjoy your grain bowls!
I hate to say this but I save most recipes so each week I can make one. But I don’t always follow them. I have to go by availability and personal taste. Seeing this one I decided on cut leaf lettuce, shredded chicken, a box of rice-a-roni wild rise and long rice, some red onion, shredded cheddar topped with ranch
Glad you’re able to make our recipes work for your needs, Connie!! 🙂
Best bowl I’ve ever made. Delicious!
It’s one of my favorites too, Jon!! So glad you enjoyed it!
This is the best cold weather bowl! I meal prep it for lunches throughout the week. Every bite has something great!
This is one of our favorites for meal prep too, Susan! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
The best grain bowl I’ve ever made! All the textures and flavors are perfect together!!! It’s now in my regular rotation for weeknight dinners!!! Yum!!
This is one of our all-time favorites too, Anne! So happy you loved it! 🙂
This grain bowl is so delicious! And it gets even better as left overs! I’ve never tried a vinaigrette like this before and I loved it. So good for lunches.
We couldn’t agree more, Joanna! This one is SO good for meal prep – and we LOVE this vinaigrette!
Not gonna lie, I was a bit skeptical about this one, but Jess has never disappointed me, so I pressed on. Soooooo glad I did! What a delicious bowl for fall! Don’t sleep on this one! 10/10
So happy to hear you loved these bowls as much as we do, Carole! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! We made this our weekend special and everyone loved it. We didn’t do kale or raw onions; substituted a blend of fresh spinach and arugula instead. So flavorful and went well with a number of our wines. Thank you!
Hi Katie, we’re so glad to hear that these bowls were a hit! 🙂
I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve commented on a recipe. This bowl is seriously incredible!
We’re honored you took the time to leave a review here, Steffi! So glad you loved the bowls as much as we do!