Sweetgreen Chicken Pesto Parm Copycat Recipe

Overhead shot of chicken pesto parm bowl.

5 from 4 votes

Sweetgreen Chicken Pesto Parm Copycat Recipe

This recipe is our simplified version of Sweetgreen's Chicken Pesto Parm bowl. It features baby spinach topped with warm quinoa, roasted chicken, spicy broccoli, cherry tomatoes, shaved parmesan, and your favorite breadcrumbs or croutons.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Total Time40

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 439kcal

Author: Olivia & Annie

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast (about 2 chicken breasts)
Lightly drizzle or spray with olive oil, sprinkle of salt, pepper, garlic powder (and optional umami seasoning).

For the spicy broccoli:

2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
Lightly drizzle or spray with olive oil, sprinkle of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes (and optional umami seasoning)

For the salad:

6 cups baby spinach
⅔ cup uncooked quinoa and 1 ⅓ cups water (~2 cups cooked quinoa)
1 ½ cups sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
½ cup shaved parmesan cheese

Optional toppings:

½ cup breadcrumbs (Za'atar bread crumbs (see post), other breadcrumbs of choice, or croutons of choice)
Hot sauce drizzle

For the pesto vinaigrette:

2 cups packed basil
1 teaspoon garlic
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
⅓ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional: pinch of umami seasoning

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Butterfly each chicken breast, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and place in a parchment-lined 8x10 pan or on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cut the broccoli into small florets and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Toss until the broccoli is coated evenly.
Place both pans in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the broccoli is tender and slightly crisp. Keep an eye on the broccoli and pull it out before the chicken if it finishes before the 15 minutes are up. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting. Once cool, cut the chicken into small cubes (bite-sized pieces).
While the chicken and broccoli are cooking, add the quinoa and water to a saucepan over medium-high to high heat. Bring to a boil. Once at a boil, cover the pot with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Set a timer for 11 minutes while the quinoa cooks. Once the timer goes off, remove the pan from the heat and let the pan sit with the lid on for 5 minutes. Then fluff the quinoa with a fork and leave it to cool.
While the other items are cooking or cooling, begin to prepare the pesto vinaigrette if you did not make it before hand. Simply add the basil, garlic, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt to a food processor or blender and pulse until well blended and smooth.
Cut the cherry tomatoes into halves.
Assemble the bowl. Add spinach, quinoa, chicken, spicy broccoli, tomatoes, parmesan, and bread crumbs of choice. Drizzle with the pesto vinaigrette and enjoy!

Notes

Make it gluten-free: make sure to choose gluten-free breadcrumbs or croutons if you choose to add those to your Chicken Pesto Parm Sweetgreen Copycat bowl.
Make it dairy-free: simply omit the parmesan cheese.
Make it vegetarian: omit the chicken breast. If you are still looking for a protein source to add to your salad, you could try adding chickpeas (raw or roasted).
Make it vegan: omit the chicken breast and parmesan cheese. If you are still looking for a protein source to add to your salad, you could try adding chickpeas (raw or roasted).

Nutrition