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: Stovetop, Baked, 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Assemble the grain bowls: 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.
- 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: 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.
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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! 🙂
So good!! Tastes like fall in a bowl. The contrast of spices and textures is just perfect. YUM
We couldn’t agree more, Sarah!! So happy to hear you loved this one as much as we do!
This might be the best salad I’ve ever had
We absolutely agree, this one is SO good! Thank you so much for the kind review, and we’re so glad you loved the bowls as much as we do 🙂
Loved everything about this recipe! It was perfect for meal prep!
Hi Katie, we LOVE this one too, and couldn’t agree more that it’s perfect for meal prep! So glad you enjoyed! 🙂
Amazing! Love the comforting fall flavors! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed, Liz! We couldn’t agree more 🙂
This grain bowl is seriously so tasty! I could honestly drink the dressing. It’ll be on repeat all winter. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank you so much, Halli! We’re thrilled to hear that you loved it!💜
I’ve made these before and they are incredible! A decent amount of work but so worth it. Today I made it with carrots instead of sweet potatoes because that’s what I had and the recipe said you could do this swap but I would not recommend using carrots instead. Definitely just omit the substitute if you don’t have sweet potatoes but it’s amazing with the sweet potatoes! Super filling and very healthy! Will be making again soon with the right ingredients!
Hi Bailey! So glad you love these Autumn Grain Bowls as much as we do & sorry to hear you weren’t as big of the roasted carrots as a substitution!
This was delicious!! The vinaigrette was earthy, sweet, and acidic. The prep time did take a while (close to an hour), but I think its worth it to have a week of lunches ready to go!
I added in beets which I roasted along with the sweet potato and pomegranate seeds. I also used Chicken Apple Sausage instead of rotisserie chicken. My cheese of choice was Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe’s, and it paired great!
Hi Kat! The salad sounds so delicious with your add-ins! We totally agree it’s a bit more prep on the front end but worth it for delicious lunches all week long. 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
PSA: Everyone NEEDS to make these! This might be the best salad I’ve ever had. So cozy and comforting, really easy to whip up, and perfect for leftovers!
Yay! So glad you loved it, Paige! You totally made our day! 🙂
Made this for lunch today…it is DELICIOUS!!! Definitely will make again and again!
Thank you, Kelli! We’re so glad you loved it as much as we do! 🙂
I just finished eating this for lunch for the third day in a row. I actually got sad halfway through because I realized I only have one day’s worth left after today. This is delicious, GREAT for meal prep, and filling. Perfect Fall/Winter lunch.
Love this salad! I could drink this dressing its so delicious.
This was so delicious! We used baby arugula because I had some, and it was great. Took it to some friends that had a baby and they asked for the recipe!
Ah, that’s a fabulous idea & I’m so glad that you & your friends enjoyed!
These were sooo good. Husband and 17 yo son both loved them too. So hearty and great flavors. Thank you for this great recipe.
Hi Lori! We are so glad to hear that your whole family loved it – thanks for taking the time to share!
Oh my gahhhhhd this was good. Super complex flavors – that cinnamon vinaigrette is out of control. No surprise – I don’t think I’ve made anything from this website that isn’t incredible.
Thank you so much Christine! Our team loves the flavors in this one too! If you love maple & balsamic flavors be on the look out for a new recipe for summer when we share some new grilling marinades next week! 🙂
This is exactly the type of meal I would order off a menu because it has so many parts and looks complicated – but its not! The prep notes made this such an easy meal to prep during nap time and throw together for dinner!! The dressing is sooooooo dreamy and delicious, the flavor on the roasted veggies is phenomenal, and its filling and an exciting meal to eat! Definitely adding it this to our regular meal rotations.
Hi Britt! So glad to hear that you found the prep notes helpful & that you loved the dressing (it is our team’s favorite part too!). If you like this maple balsamic dressing, be on the look out for our new grilling marinades later this grilling season there may be a new maple balsamic inspired one, we think you’ll love!
This will be a staple in my fall/winter food prep rotation! It’s perfect. I prepped pulled chicken breast in the Instant Pot, & used farro as my grain. The vinaigrette is AMAZING.
Katie! Yes, we love this grain bowl too! & if you like Farro, you should be sure to check out our Favorite Greek Farro Salad, it’s the perfect side during the warmer Spring & Summer months!
This is so good! I added a pear because my toddler decided to take a few bites out of the apple intended for this and the pear was a solid choice! We used Unexpected Cheddar from Trader Joe’s, which is good on anything but amazing on this. It keeps well in the fridge and I ate it as leftovers two days later with a few blueberries throw in. Also very good. And that cinnamon maple balsamic dressing. AMAZING. A fantastic fall combo that you can easily add:change depending on what you have on hand. Thinking this might be baking into the semi weekly rotation!
Hi Suze! We love to hear it & are so so glad you enjoyed! The combo of the pear, cheddar cheese, & blueberries sound *chef’s kiss* good! Thank you so much for sharing this comment!
I’ve made this recipe a few times, and it’s always a winner! You really cannot go wrong with it, and with so much that you can prep ahead of time, it’s a great salad to plan for weeknights because it’s just a quick toss together! I could drink the cinnamon maple balsamic vinaigrette. It’s that good.
Thanks Anna! So glad you enjoyed this one – we love how quick it all comes together too!
My husband and I ate this for dinner, and we loved it! All the flavors and textures paired really well together. The gouda really makes this salad. I’ll definitely be making this again!
This recipe is very tasty but I’m looking for other dressing suggestions rather than balsamic, I don’t think that this dressing is for me.
Hi Holly – You could try the PWWB All-Purpose Vinaigrette. It’s made with lemon, white balsamic (sub with white wine vinegar if baslamic isn’t your jam), honey, mustard & garlic & has nice, bright flavor that I think will still pair nicely with the other flavors in these grain bowls.
Everything I love about fall in one bowl! So good!
YES! Thanks for sharing, Kiley!!! xx
Thank you for a definite keeper! This was absolutely delicious! You did not exaggerate about the maple balsamic vinaigrette. I could seriously eat it with a spoon. Perfect autumn flavors, sweet, crunchy, smoky and spicy. Yum!!
Thanks for sharing! I’ll be making this tomorrow!
awesome! please let me know how you like it! xo