Salads are so full of vitamins and minerals that we need daily. But sometimes, eating a salad day after day can get kind of boring. Even worse, sometimes they leave you hungry just a short time after eating, so you might end up eating more food just to feel full. However, there are some delicious salad recipes that can be eaten as a meal, such as this copycat Sweetgreen Avocado Greens Bowl recipe. The best part is that you can create this salad easily from home, and use any of your favorite greens.
More than just a bed of lettuce and grains, this salad also features roasted sunflower seeds, roasted butternut squash, chicken, apples, tomatoes, and avocados. To top off this hearty salad, the recipe below even features a homemade Balsamic Vinegarette dressing. The butternut squash really adds a unique taste, but I’ve also substituted it with roasted yellow sweet potatoes for a sweeter flavor.
This recipe will easily yield two large salads, but you could also split it up into four servings, and serve it with a warm soup and a baguette, which is my favorite way to eat it. Packed with protein and immune-building nutrients, this is a great salad to add to your recipe rotation.
Sweetgreen Avocado Greens Bowl
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 dash kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 4 oz mixed greens (such as baby spinach, arugula, baby kale, and/or mesclun)
- 8 oz chicken, roasted (sliced or shredded)
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved (about 16 tomatoes)
- 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh parsley leaves
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
White Balsamic Vinegairette
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 dash kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup lightly packed shaved parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place the diced butternut squash on a rimmed baking sheet, and drizzle them with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and transfer to oven. Roast them for 20 minutes, flip them, and continue roasting them for another 20 minutes, or until golden. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- Meanwhile, in a medium pot, combine the quinoa, a large pinch of salt and 1 cup water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Then cover the pot with a lid and reduce heat to low. Cook the quinoa for about 12 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the water has evaporated and the quinoa is tender but still al dente, about 4 minutes more.
- Place the sunflower seeds on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Toss them to coat well with the seasoning, and transfer them to the oven. Roast the sunflower seeds until they are toasted and fragrant, about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove from the oven and let them cool.
- Divide the greens, chicken, tomatoes, parsley leaves, avocado, apple, red onion, shaved parmesan, quinoa, butternut squash, and sunflower seeds among two serving bowls. Dress with White Balsamic Vinaigrette and serve.
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Whisk to combine olive oil, white balsamic and dijon mustard. Add in the parmasan and red onion pieces. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- You don't have to use all of the dressing in one sitting. It can be saved in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
For more quick and easy recipes, check out our list of 30 Cheap Recipes.
