I have paid restaurant prices for this bowl more times than I want to put in writing.
It is worth it, right up until you look at the receipt and realize you bought a sweet potato, some rice, and a handful of almonds for the cost of a decent bottle of wine. So this is that bowl, made at home for a fraction of it, in a quantity that feeds four people or one person for four days.
The version below is close enough that you will not miss the original. Warm roasted sweet potato and chicken over cool kale and wild rice, sharp apple, tangy goat cheese, toasted almonds, and a balsamic vinaigrette that ties the whole thing together.
What makes it taste like the real one
Three details do the heavy lifting, and skipping any of them is where copycats fall apart.
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Warm on cold. The sweet potato and chicken go into the bowl hot, over kale and rice that are room temperature or chilled. That temperature contrast is most of the experience.
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Kale that has been massaged. Raw lacinato kale with a little oil and salt, worked with your hands for a minute, goes from tough to tender. Untreated kale makes this taste like a health penalty.
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Apple cut into matchsticks, not chunks. Thin sticks distribute through every bite. Chunks sit there being apple.
Ingredients
For the bowl
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2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
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1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
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3 tbsp olive oil, divided
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1 cup wild rice blend, uncooked
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1 large bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and thinly sliced, about 8 cups
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1 honeycrisp apple, cut into thin matchsticks
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4 oz goat cheese, crumbled
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1/2 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
For the chicken rub
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1 tsp smoked paprika
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1 tsp garlic powder
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1/2 tsp onion powder
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1/2 tsp kosher salt
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1/2 tsp black pepper
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1/4 tsp cayenne
For the balsamic vinaigrette
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1/4 cup olive oil
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2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
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1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
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2 tsp maple syrup
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1 tsp Dijon mustard
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1 small garlic clove, grated
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1/4 tsp kosher salt
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Black pepper
Directions
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Cook the rice. Bring the wild rice blend and 2 1/2 cups water to a boil, cover, and simmer 45 minutes until the grains split open and the water is absorbed. Fluff and spread on a plate to cool. This can be done up to 4 days ahead.
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Roast the sweet potatoes. Heat the oven to 425F. Toss the cubes with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread on a sheet pan in a single layer with space between them, and roast 25 minutes, flipping once, until the edges are browned.
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Cook the chicken. Pat the thighs dry and rub them all over with the spice mix and the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Roast on a second pan alongside the potatoes for 22 to 25 minutes, until they reach 175F. Rest 5 minutes, then slice.
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Massage the kale. Put the sliced kale in a large bowl with a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Work it with your hands for a full minute until it darkens and softens by about half.
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Make the vinaigrette. Shake everything in a jar until it emulsifies. Taste and add another teaspoon of maple if your balsamic is sharp.
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Build the bowls. Divide the kale among four bowls, add the wild rice, then the warm sweet potato and sliced chicken. Top with apple matchsticks, goat cheese, and almonds. Dress generously and serve immediately.
Notes worth having before you start
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Roast the potatoes and the chicken on separate pans. Together they crowd, and crowded sweet potatoes steam instead of caramelizing.
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Salt the kale before dressing it, not after. It seasons from the inside and needs less vinaigrette.
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Add the almonds last, right before serving, so they stay crunchy.
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Buy the goat cheese in a log and crumble it cold. Pre-crumbled is drier and tastes chalky here.
Meal prep for four days
This is where making it at home actually beats buying it. Portion the wild rice, roasted potatoes, chicken, and massaged kale into four containers, and keep three things separate: the vinaigrette, the almonds, and the apple. Cut the apple the morning you eat it, or toss the matchsticks with a squeeze of lemon and add them to the container.
Assembled bowls hold four days in the fridge. Warm the potato and chicken for 60 seconds before dressing, or eat it cold, which is also fine.
Questions that came up
How close is this to the restaurant version? Very close on flavor, and better on temperature, because you control how hot the sweet potato and chicken are when they hit the bowl.
Can I use chicken breast? Yes. Cut the roasting time to about 18 minutes and pull it at 165F, or it dries out.
What is the dressing at the restaurant? Theirs is a balsamic vinaigrette. This version adds Dijon and a little maple, which keeps it from tasting thin.
Can I make it ahead for lunches? That is what it is built for. See the meal prep section above, and keep the apple, almonds, and dressing out until the day you eat it.
Is it filling? Yes. Wild rice and sweet potato are both substantial, and this makes four large bowls rather than four polite ones.
