This Autumn Harvest Bowl is warm, comforting and filled with healthy ingredients. The base is made with arugula and it's topped with quinoa, sweet potatoes and goat cheese, along with a delicious maple-tahini dressing for tons of flavor!
Bowl food is the best food, and this autumn harvest bowl is perfect this time of year!
One of the many reasons why I like bowls like this (and my vegan burrito bowl and my Mediterranean quinoa bowl) is because they're quick and generally filled with healthy ingredients. This bowl in particular is topped with all of the best foods like sweet potato, apple, goat cheese, and the most delicious maple-tahini sauce.
I still remember the first time I tried tahini. Everyone was so obsessed with it, so I had high hopes that I would be too. To be honest, plain tahini doesn't thrill me, but tahini mixed with other things IS SO GOOD. It's a great nut-free dressing or sauce option, and pairs well with so many flavors (in this case, maple syrup!).
Why you'll love this bowl
- It's loaded with vegetables like arugula and sweet potato, but has plenty of protein thanks to the quinoa and chickpeas
- The maple tahini sauce is INSANELY good
- It can be enjoyed warm or cold (yes really!)
- It's quite similar to the harvest bowl from Sweet Green, so think of this as making your own homemade version.
Ingredients and substitutions
Arugula: The base of this bowl should be some sort of greens, and I chose arugula, but other options could be spinach or massaged kale.
Quinoa: The quinoa adds a bit of protein to this, but again, any grain works! Rice, farro, barley, etc. would all be delicious.
Sweet potatoes: You could also used cubed and cooked butternut squash.
Cranberries: Who doesn't love cranberries? They add a little bit of sweetness and scream "fall", but you could also use raisins or chopped pitted dates.
Goat cheese: Or sub feta cheese
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Cook the quinoa and sweet potatoes. You can do this ahead of time if you want to make this even quicker.
Step 2: Add arugula. Place arugula in a bowl, then top it with the cooked quinoa. Then, add the remaining salad ingredients.
Step 3: Make the dressing. Whisk tahini and maple syrup together, then drizzle it over the salad.
Expert tips
- Don't love arugula? Try using mixed greens or even kale instead.
- Do NOT to slice the apple until you're ready to eat it.
- If you don't love maple syrup, you can use honey in the dressing instead.
What if I want to add meat to this?
You can! However, since the dressing is maple-tahini, I'm not sure how well that'd pair with most meat. If you do want to add meat, I'd go with chicken, and maybe just use a different dressing.
Storage
If you're prepping this harvest bowl ahead of time, you'll want to store it in the refrigerator, but in separate containers.
Store the arugula, chickpeas, cranberries, and goat cheese in one container and the cooked quinoa and sweet potato in another. That way, you can reheat the potatoes and quinoa if you want.
More healthy bowls
- Vegan Bibimbap
- Vegan Burrito Bowl
- Cauliflower Breakfast Bowl
- Sun-Dried Tomato Salad
- Mediterranean Hummus Bowl
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Autumn Harvest Bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups arugula
- ½ cup quinoa cooked
- 1 small sweet potato roasted*
- ½ apple sliced
- ¼ cup chickpeas rinsed
- 2 tablespoon dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoon goat cheese
for the dressing:
- 2 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to the package instructions, and roast the sweet potato either in a skillet or in the oven.
- Add the arugula to a bowl, then top it with the cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, apple, chickpeas, cranberries, and goat cheese.
- Make the dressing: whisk tahini and maple syrup together until they're well combined.
- Drizzle the dressing over the bowl and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2019. It was updated with new text in September 2020.
Julie says
Any substitution ideas for the tahini? I hate to buy a 16oz jar as I know I will not use it all. Or a dressing substitution?
Erin says
Great question! I'd maybe try a honey mustard.. either pre-made, or whisk Dijon and honey together, along with some olive oil.
Sara says
I made this tonight- delicious! We added red onions to sweet potatoes when we roasted them and some Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar to the dressing to give it some acid. Will definitely be making again!
Pj says
Enjoyed the bowl ingredients but the dressing was way too thick! The two ingredients result in a thick paste. I don’t see adding water as a desirable option; ended up using another dressing.
Maggie says
We love this at our house! I add chicken sausage for the meat eaters in the family, and it's always a huge hit. Thank you!
Erin says
YUM -- happy to hear the whole family approves!
Breanna says
Hi There,
I am allergic to apples, is there another vegetable/fruit that would suit this recipe?
Erin says
Great question! You could use pears instead, or simply omit them and increase the amounts for the other ingredients.
Elle says
i make pretty much that exact dressing and put it on banana bread. not sure how you drizzled it here because she is thicc
(i haven't even made this but 5 stars for the dressing. when you know you know 🙂
Erin says
Ha! Thanks Elle -- I added a little water so I'd be able to drizzle it 😉 But yes, it's my favorite and I'm glad you like it too!
Vanessa says
THanks fo rsharing! Does it keep long?
Erin says
Hi! I would say you could definitely prep the toppings ahead of time and store them in a container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Then, when you're ready to eat it you can assemble the bowl.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Do you use this dressing for any other recipes?
Erin says
I don't, but you definitely could! It tastes very "fall", so it'd be good drizzled on top of roasted sweet potatoes/butternut squash/etc.
Alfredo says
Very delicious salad! I substituted the goat cheese with vegan feta to make it vegan friendly.
Sabrina says
lovely, great set of ingredients, especially the roasted sweet potato! thank you!
Sarah | Well and Full says
This bowl looks so festive for fall! I need to try that maple tahini dressing 🙂