Warming Fall Bowl with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

If you’re following me on Instagram, you know I am a bit of a fangirl when it comes to sweetgreen. Since their Fall menu launched, I’ve been making this pretty little number a couple of times a month and honestly, it has changed my life. Yes, that is dramatic but here’s why: Ayurveda.

First, let me start by saying I wholeheartedly do not support fad diets for the exact reason that they are fad diets. Most commonly, these diets encourage people to get a result they desire without taking time to understand why their body is the way it is in the first place. Ayurveda is not a diet or a fad. In fact, it’s one of the oldest holistic medicinal practices in the world. Instead, it is a way to live your life and fuel your body and soul when you have a full understanding of how your body works.

A few months ago I listened to a podcast on the benefits of Ayurvedic medicine and some general dietary guidelines in association with the practices. Essentially, each one on us is born with a certain energy style, or dosha, which has profound impacts on the way our bodies experience stress, digestion, sleep, anxiety, etc. My dosha is vata, which is typically full of energy and creativity. Vata resonated with me on many levels, from sensitive and irregular digestion, to dry skin and hair, to almost continually running cold. Based on what I was hearing in the podcast, and supplemental research I started doing on my own, I decided to test out eating more warm, nourishing foods, rather than my typical raw veggie salads to see what kind of, if any, difference it made on my body. (Vata’s tend to do better with cooked vegetables and warm foods.)

The difference has been profound. I have had significantly less stomach aches and bloating, better sleep, and honestly just feel more comfortable during the day when I eat something warm for lunch. I’m only bringing or buying warm lunches to work now, and if it’s a salad (like my beloved sweetgreen), I make sure it’s something I can heat up and enjoy warm. That, my friends, is the long winded version of why I started making this bowl in the first place—healing, warm, full of Fall flavors and textures and still packs a good bit of crunch.

This salad does take a bit more time than just simply throwing together a salad kit or a quick vegetable toss, but all the ingredients can be reused throughout the week for a multitude of dishes or sides. Additionally, the quantities I’ve written here should be enough for three large bowls. If you’re a meat eater, this would pair really well with shredded rotisserie chicken. For more plant based protein, you could add chickpeas, hemp seeds (always a good stand by), lentils, and even sub out the wild rice for quinoa. To really lean into vata, try mung beans here. They are one of my favorite beans and so underutilized.

The key to this salad is actually the balsamic vinaigrette. So, if you’re the overachieving type, you could wing the roasted squash, veggies, rice etc., and only follow the recipe for the vinaigrette. You’d still have an impeccable warm veggie bowl.

Warming Fall Vegetable Bowl with honey balsamic vinaigrette

Ingredients

For roasting
2 - 2 1/2 cups brussels sprouts
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
pinch cinnamon
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

For the salad
1 small - medium apple, chopped (I used honeycrisp bc honeycrisp forever)
1/2-1 pomegranate, seeded
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 bunch kale, chopped
2 cups cooked wild rice

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette 
1 tsp whole grain mustard
3 tbs evoo
3 tbs balsamic
1 small clove garlic
½ tsp minced shallot
½ tsp honey (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425.

First, prep the brussels sprouts and squash for roasting. Remove end from sprouts and cut in half, discarding outer leaves. Place in a small bowl and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, place chopped squash and add cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, and a pinch cinnamon. Toss to coat. On separate baking sheets, bake until the sprouts are brown and crispy (about 15-20 minutes) and the squash is slightly brown and very tender, about 25-30 minutes. If you haven’t made the rice yet, do so now.

While they’re baking, make the vinaigrette. Using a standing blender or immersion blender, blend all ingredients until fully emulsified and the dressing takes on a thicker texture.

To make the bowls, first chop and sauté your kale. In a large fry pan, add a tbs of olive oil and heat on med-high heat. Add kale and a pinch of salt and sauté until wilted. Add kale, rice, brussels sprouts, and squash to a bowl. Top with pomegranate, onion, and apple. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Toss well and enjoy.

*Note: I used portions of each to make 1 individual bowl, and stored the ingredients separately. This allows for a fresher salad over the coming days.