AMBA’s September Recipe: Chicken and Wild Rice Harvest Bowl

With the temperatures dropping and the autumn harvest approaching, September is the perfect time for a hearty, healthy harvest bowl. This recipe shared by AMBA features a base of wild rice blend cooked in a flavorful broth, tender chicken, colorful veggies, hearty grains, and savory cheese. It’s layer upon layer of texture and flavor! 

Best of all, this recipe is easy to swap for your favorite substitutions. For example, you can use white rice, farro, quinoa, or couscous instead of wild rice. Switch out the baby kale for spinach or spring greens. Or use butternut squash and broccoli in place of the sweet potato and Brussels sprouts.  There are so many ways to make this recipe new every time you make it!

How to Make AMBA’s Chicken and Wild Rice Harvest Bowl

Ingredients:

For the Bowl:

  • 1 2 lb. rotisserie chicken
  • 1½ cups wild rice blend
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 cup fresh baby kale
  • 1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and cubed
  • ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
  • ¼ cup roasted, salted almonds, coarsely chopped
  • 1½ tsp. kosher salt
  • 1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
  • 2 small sweet potatoes, cut into ½ inch cubes
  • 2 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. paprika
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne

For the Balsamic Vinaigrette:

  • 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp. honey
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1 garlic clove, grated 
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. ground black pepper
  • ¼ cup olive oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
  2. Place the rice blend in a fine mesh sieve. Rinse the rice under water, using your hand to move it around for approximately 1 minute. Place the rice in a medium saucepan with the broth, butter, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and cover the rice for 15 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
  3. Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with foil. Add the Brussels sprouts and sweet potato. Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne, tossing to coat. Roast until the vegetables are tender and browned, about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  4. For the balsamic vinaigrette, add the balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper to a mason jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake vigorously until the ingredients are well combined, about 15 seconds. Add the olive oil and shake the closed jar again until the dressing is well emulsified. Store in the refrigerator and shake well before using.
  5. Remove the skin and bones from the chicken. Shred or cut the meat into cubes, as desired.

To serve: Divide the baby kale among four bowls. Spoon on the wild rice and divide the Brussels sprouts, sweet potato, chicken, apple, goat cheese, and almonds. Drizzle with the balsamic vinaigrette.

Do you have a recipe you’d like to share?