Nourish Bowls, Buddha Bowls, Macro Bowls, Power Bowls… whatever you call them, they’re all pretty similar. They’re a delicious way to bring together a well-balanced meal with a little bit of everything. This Sweet Potato Nourish Bowl with Avocado Dressing checks all the boxes with complex carbs, protein, veggies, and healthy fats.
This recipe came to fruition when I was using up leftovers to make my usual lunch salad. We had Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Harissa and grilled chicken hanging out in the fridge. Sweet potatoes might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a salad, but trust me on this one! Warmed up with grilled chicken and kale, drizzled with a creamy avocado dressing, and finished with crunchy and chewy toppings, this bowl is downright delicious and surprisingly filling.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A little bit of everything: Complex carbs, protein, veggies, and healthy fats come together to make one satisfying meal.
- That avocado dressing! Creamy, fresh, and full of flavor, it brings everything together without needing a store-bought dressing.
- Great for meal prep: Roast your sweet potatoes, cook your chicken, and prep the dressing ahead of time for easy lunches throughout the week.
- Crunchy, creamy, chewy goodness: Between the tender sweet potatoes, hearty kale, creamy dressing, and assorted toppings, every bite has something going on.
- A delicious way to use leftovers: Have leftover roasted veggies or grilled chicken? Toss them in! Nourish bowls are easy to customize with what you already have on hand.
4 Healthy Components of a Nourish Bowl
Complex Carb
There are 3 components to Carbohydrates: fiber, starch, and sugar. Simple carbs are the sugar, while complex carbs are the fiber and starch. According to Simple Carbohydrates vs. Complex Carbohydrates, an article by Kristeen Cherney at Healthline.com:
Complex carbs pack in more nutrients than simple carbs. They’re higher in fiber and digest more slowly. This also makes them more filling, which means they’re a good option for weight control.
Kristeen Cherney, Healthline.com
Just to name a few complex carbs examples:
- 100% Whole Grain Bread
- Quinoa
- Oatmeal
- Beans
- Potatoes
The complex carb in this recipe is sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are loaded with healthy properties:
- Great source of Fiber
- High in Vitamins A, C & B6, Copper, & Manganese
- Excellent source of Beta Carotene
- Rich in Antioxidants
The best is making this sweet potato recipe as a side dish for your dinner and using the leftovers for this Nourish Bowl. However, it’s pretty easy to toss some sweet tators in the air fryer for 10-15 minutes and have them warm and fresh.
Like sweet potatoes, then you’ll love this Sweet Potato Crisp.
Protein
Eating protein is important for building muscles, bone health, staying full longer, and repairing damaged cells.
Almost any protein can work in this Nourish bowl: chicken, steak, pork chops, hard boiled eggs, beans, or tofu.
I usually have chicken on hand. I like to grill up extra chicken breast, shred or chunked up, and portioned out in my freezer. It makes preparing salads so much easier with a quick defrost.
If you like this recipe, you’ll love my easy Artichoke Chicken.
Veggies
We all know eating vegetables is vital for all of our bodily functions and keeping diseases at bay. Pick your favorite hardy green for this Sweet Potato Nourish Bowls. Kale and spinach are your best options for handling the heat.
Add in more veggies if you like. I like how radishes give this bowl a nice crunch.
Healthy Fat
Healthy fats can be found in nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, fish, and some cheeses. This powerhouse bowl gets its healthy fat from avocado in the dressing, and pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top.
If you like this nourish bowl, you’ll love my Nourish Bowl with Chimichurri.
How to Make the Nourish Bowl
Warm or cold, either way this feel-good Nourish bowl is delicious. For a warm version: heat up the sweet potatoes, chicken, and kale. Then top with the rest of the cold ingredients. For the cold version: just throw them all together.
How to Make the Avocado Dressing
Yummy, creamy, and healthy; homemade dressings taste so much better than the bottled ones. I use an immersion blender to make this recipe. However, you can also use a food processor, blender, or even a ninja bullet smoothie maker to bring these simple and fresh ingredients together.
Dressing Ingredients
- Avocado
- Milk: any type (unsweetened), or water
- Fresh Chives
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Garlic Salt
Throw all the ingredients together and blend. Depending on the size of your avocado, add more milk until you get the desired consistency.
You can also make this Nourish Bowl with these leftover Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
If you like this avocado dressing, you’ll love my post on 5 Healthy Salad Dressings.
Healthy Salad Recipes
Beet Arugula Salad with Citrus and Avocado
Apple & Feta Salad with Cinnamon Maple Vinaigrette
Spinach Salad with Easy Pesto Dressing
Easy Peasy Spring Salad with Lemon Mint Dressing
How ever you wish. I prefer to warm up the protein, greens, and potatoes then add in the rest.
Yes, but sweet potatoes add a little bit of sweet, and go great with the dried cranberries.
Take 15 minutes and make them in the air fryer. Cube up the sweet potato, drizzle with olive oil, add desired spices and a sprinkle of salt. “Fry” for 10-15 minutes.
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Sweet Potato Nourish Bowl with Avocado Dressing
Equipment
- 1 Immersion Blender or blender or any kind
Ingredients
Nourish Bowl Ingredients
- 2 cups Baby Kale or Spinach
- 3/4 cup Cooked Chicken i.e. rotisserie or grilled
- 1/2 cup Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 Radishes sliced or julienned
- 1 tbsp Pepitas hulled pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds
- 1 tbsp Dried Cranberries or Cherries
Avocado Dressing
- 1/2 Avocado
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup Milk (your preference) or water i.e. cow's, or unsweetened almond
- 1 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1-2 tbsp Fresh Chives or favorite herb
- garlic salt to taste
Instructions
- For a warm Nourish bowl, place kale, chicken, and sweet potatoes in a microwave safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute.], or until sweet potatoes and chicken are warmed through. Next, add in radishes, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds.
- For a cold Nourish Bowl, combine all the Nourish Bowl ingredients in bowl.
- For the dressing, in a bowl with tall sides, place avocado half, lemon juice, milk, garlic salt and chives. Using an immersion blender, blend ingredients until smooth. It may be necessary to add more milk to get the consistency of a creamy dressing. Taste and add more salt if need be.
- Drizzle desired amount of dressing on Nourish Bowl. Enjoy!