The very best way to repurpose last night’s leftovers is to make savory harvest bowls– and the possibilities are endless! I often make these for a next-day lunch, especially in the fall/winter when I’m wanting something a little warmer than a salad. I get a lot of inspiration from Sweet Green whose menu is nothing short of amazing with rotating seasonal flavors. The formula is simple and flexible: a base of greens (kept cold), your leftover main dish (warmed), a grain or side, some crunchies, maybe some extra veggies, and a good dressing.
As an example, I made a curry harvest bowl today out of leftovers from this recipe (one of my favorite vegan dishes— and even my husband will eat it!). For the harvest bowl I chopped some romaine, heated the chickpea curry and rice, added some cashews and crunchy raw carrots, and believe it or not, those are some of my kids’ leftover Chick-fil-a chicken nuggets! (No judgement!) Usually I’ll toss harvest bowls with a dressing, but the curry was “saucy” enough that all it needed was a drizzle of soy sauce and yum! I think the leftovers may have been better than the original meal!
Basic Formula for Harvest Bowls
Start with your leftovers as your cornerstone of the harvest bowl, and stick to similar flavors for the rest of the ingredients. Usually you will have a leftover side or two that you can add, like rice, beans, or cooked veggies. Add these to a bed of greens (spring greens, romaine, cabbage). Usually you want to use greens that are a little “sturdier” to hold up to the added heat. I usually stay away from spinach or butterhead lettuce as these tend to wilt quickly when you add warm ingredients. Also, if using spring greens I often will beef it up by mixing with romaine, iceberg lettuce, or cabbage. Then I usually add some “crunchies” like nuts or tortilla chips, and I scrounge around for other complimentary veggies. Sometimes a dressing isn’t even necessary depending on the “sauciness” of the original meal, but having a simple vinaigrette or ranch dressing on hand usually will complete the dish. I’ve included some ideas in this FREE printable!
You can make harvest bowls from just about any leftovers you have! I’ve assembled some of my favorites for inspiration. If you have:
Leftover Tacos…
This is one of my favorites because I usually have a bunch of fixings chopped up from taco night ready to go as well. I typically heat the taco meat, put it on a bed of lettuce (sometimes with cabbage as well for some extra crunch), and load it with sides and fixings from the night before (tomatoes, cheese, avocado).
Adding rice, black beans, or quinoa to make it a hearty meal– but only if already prepared, I’m lazy like that. I almost always have a frozen bag of corn in the freezer so I sprinkle some on top (I don’t even bother to thaw it, usually it will thaw as I’m assembling the bowl). I top with salsa, sour cream, or ranch (or sometimes a bit of all three) or whip up a cilantro lime vinaigrette (I love this recipe from Love and Lemons, shaken in a jar and of course nothing measured). Top with tortilla chips (a great use for the tiny chips in the bottom of the bag) and toss for a hearty lunch!
Leftover Curry…
Of course we’ve already discussed this as an example. Just about any curry will do, but I prefer a yellow thai curry for this one. Again start with a base of greens. Then layer on rice or quinoa and curry (heated). Top with some nuts and some fresh veggies from whatever you have (bell peppers, carrots, and tomatoes work well). Add some fresh herbs if you have them (I love this with cilantro or basil). Drizzle with soy sauce**, and toss. This savory harvest bowl always feels so gourmet and exotic!
**I’ve even resorted to the tiny packages of soy sauce leftover from takeout when desperate.
Leftover BBQ Chicken…
This one works with all kinds of chicken, BBQ, grilled, even boneless Buffalo wings. I take inspiration from California Pizza Kitchen on this one, with their BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad: “Black beans, sweet corn, jicama, fresh cilantro & basil, crispy corn tortilla strips, Monterey Jack and our housemade herb ranch on the side. Topped with tomatoes and scallions. Also available with fresh avocado.” This one gets pretty close to CPK’s version, starting with a bed of greens, add black beans and just about any other fresh veggie I can find (see the list in the FREE printable), I like to sprinkle with some dried dill and toss with some Ranch. I top with tortilla crumbs– not as pretty as CPK’s tri-colored tortilla strips, but definitely more economical– and voila! A CPK copycat harvest bowl!
Leftover Pork Chops…
One of my favorite fall recipes is pork chops with sweet potatoes and apples; this is especially quick in the instant pot with frozen cubed sweet potatoes and rescued* apples. For a hearty next day harvest bowl I’ll warm and slice the pork chops and sides. Then, I will layer these over romaine or shredded cabbage. Walnuts and dried cranberries add great texture. Add some fresh apples and maybe even some shaved brussels sprouts if I have them. This is perfect with a Balsamic vinaigrette. Toss and you have a perfect fall harvest bowl!
*When apples start to get soft I’ll peel, core, and slice them and store in freezer bags for later use. I’ll have a whole future post on these near-garbage rescues. For now, let’s just assume I always have a bag of chopped apples in the freezer.
Leftover Pad Thai…
This obviously works for takeout or homemade Pad Thai (my favorite homemade recipe here). I warm the Pad Thai and layer it over a bed of cabbage. Often when I make Pad Thai I’ll also make garlic green beans (a plethora of recipes out there, but this is the jest). If I have some beans leftover I’ll throw them in too (warmed). I’ll scrounge the veggie drawer for any other complimentary veggies: shredded carrots, bell peppers, zucchini (if I’m feeling ambitious I might spiralize it), and/or avocado. I’ll top with some cashews or peanuts and toss in an Asian-inspired vinaigrette. Sometimes, instead of making a dressing, I’ll scrounge the back of the fridge for some condiments that came with takeout instead– plum sauce, duck sauce, sweet chili sauce all work great! Yes, this is the definition of being a scroungist!
Harvest Bowls on the go…
It’s really that simple! And no need to abandon course if you’re missing a few ingredients. Just press on with what you have; I promise it will still be beautiful and tasty! A couple more tips: if you’re packing this for lunch at the office or on the go, I recommend splitting into two containers: one (small/med) to heat and one (large) to keep cold. For dressings I keep individual serving sizes from takeout/fast food in a basket in the fridge. I’ll just grab one of these on the way out. When you’re ready for lunch, warm your leftovers in a microwave. Then, add to the larger cold container, toss with your dressing and you’re ready! Have you made some pretty awesome harvest bowls with your leftovers? Would love to hear about them in the comments!
