Ingredients

1 cup (6.5 ounces) wild rice or wild rice blend
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken breast* (2 small or 1 large breast; leftover or rotisserie chicken is fine)
1 1/2 cups roasted chopped sweet potato*
3-4 cups finely chopped kale (tough ribs removed—may substitute spinach)
1 apple, cored and chopped
2 ounces (1/2 cup) crumbled goat cheese (may substitute feta)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped almonds (or try Sarah’s Forager original nut+seed granola**)
Balsamic vinaigrette (I like this recipe; may use your favorite store brand)

Instructions

In a medium-sized pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the rice, stir once, and then cover, reduce the heat, and simmer until tender, about 25-30 minutes. (Check a few minutes early to see if the broth has been absorbed.) Remove from the heat and then let sit for 10 minutes, covered, to continue steaming. Fluff with a fork and cool slightly or to room temperature. (The harvest bowls make be served warm, room temperature, or chilled according to preference.
Meanwhile, if making your own vinaigrette, combine those ingredients in a jar or small bowl. Shake or whisk to combine and set aside. The dressing may be made several days in advance and stored in the fridge. Bring to room temperature and shake or stir well before using.
In a very large bowl combine the rice, chicken, sweet potatoes, kale, apple, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and nuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette (start with approximately 1/3 cup, adding more to taste), and then toss to evenly coat. Serve immediately or refrigerate and enjoy later, served cold or at room temperature.

* Much of the prep can be done in advance and leftovers work well in this recipe. I try to plan for extra chicken and roasted veggies one night to make this meal extra easy. Following are easy cooking instructions when leftovers aren’t available: to quickly cook boneless chicken, season it with salt and pepper and then sauté in a non-stick sprayed skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink in the center, about 4 minutes per side, depending on thickness of breast. Remove to a plate to cool slightly, and then chop into bite-size pieces. To roast sweet potatoes, toss unpeeled, chopped pieces with a few teaspoons of olive oil, just enough to lightly coat. Season with salt and pepper, and roast on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet at 400 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
** If using the Forager mix, you may wish to use a half cup or so (coarsely chopping it) and omit the dried cranberries. The mix contains raisins, which are a fine substitute. The original Forager granola is available at Costco, through nutsaboutgranola.com, and locally at Lemon Street Market and Green Circle Organics at Lancaster Central Market. Additional flavors can be found at both markets and online.