Cozy & Quick: Your New Favorite Healthy Autumn Harvest Bowl
A delightful bowl that captures all that autumn goodness in one delightful bowl, and honestly? It's so incredibly easy and quick, you'll wonder where it's been all your life. Perfect for a busy weeknight, a healthy lunch, or just when you need a little dose of sunshine on your plate.
Equipment
- Big bowl
- Small bowl For dressing
- Tongs or forks For tossing
Ingredients
Hauptzutaten
- 2 cup arugula peppery, vibrant base; feel free to mix it up with other greens!
- 0.5 cup cooked quinoa Fluffy, protein-packed, and adds lovely texture. Cook ahead for extra speed!
- 1 small roasted sweet potato Cubed and roasted until tender and slightly caramelized is key!
- 0.5 apple sliced; Adds a wonderful crisp crunch and bright flavor contrast. Any crisp apple works great!
- 0.25 cup rinsed chickpeas Little bursts of protein and fiber. Super versatile!
- 2 tablespoon dried cranberries Chewy, sweet little gems that just scream 'fall'.
- 2 tablespoon goat cheese Creamy, tangy goodness. If you're not a fan, feta is a good swap!
Dressing
- 2 tablespoon tahini The base for our gorgeous, creamy dressing.
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup Hello, liquid gold! Sweetens the dressing. Use the good stuff!
- Warm water Optional, to thin dressing if needed (maybe half a teaspoon at a time)
Instructions
- First things first, grab your favorite big bowl. You're going to add all the beautiful main components in there. Start with the arugula base.
- Pile on the cooked quinoa, those lovely roasted sweet potato cubes, your crisp apple slices, the rinsed chickpeas, the dried cranberries, and crumble that delightful goat cheese right over the top. Doesn't it look pretty already?!
- Now, let's make the dressing. In a small separate bowl, whisk together the tahini and the maple syrup. You might notice it thickens up; this is normal! If it's too thick to pour easily, you can whisk in a tiny splash of warm water, maybe half a teaspoon at a time, until it's pourable consistency.
- Finally, pour that creamy, sweet dressing generously over your bowl of goodness. Grab some tongs or a couple of forks and gently toss everything together until all those ingredients are coated in that dreamy dressing.
- And that's it! Your absolutely delicious, healthy, and incredibly satisfying Autumn Harvest Bowl is ready to be devoured.
Notes
Substitutions & Additions: Feel free to swap arugula for spinach, kale (massage first!), mixed greens, or romaine. Replace quinoa with farro, brown rice, couscous, or wild rice. Use feta, crumbled blue cheese, or shaved Parmesan instead of goat cheese, or omit for dairy-free. Add grilled chicken, roasted salmon, baked tofu, or toasted nuts and seeds (like pecans or pepitas) for protein. Roasted Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, or red onion are great veggie additions. Pears are lovely instead of apples, or toss in some pomegranate seeds. For the dressing, whisk in lemon juice, ginger, cinnamon, or use a simple apple cider vinaigrette instead.
Tips for Success: For quick assembly (5 minutes!), prep roasted sweet potato and cooked quinoa ahead of time and store in the fridge. Start with about half the dressing, toss, and then add more if you need it to avoid over-dressing. This bowl is wonderful served slightly warm if your components are still warm. If your tahini dressing is too thick, add warm water very slowly (half a teaspoon at a time) and whisk until it's pourable.