Copycat cava Bowls with balsamic date vinaigrette

An homage to the cozy and comforting flavors we love, with a mildly sweet note thanks to the seasonal balsamic date vinaigrette, these copycat Cava Bowls will quickly become a favorite healthy lunch and/or dinner staple and save you some money, making it at home! They are satiating, nourishing, and so delicious!

I crave Cava almost on the daily and when we travel, i’m always on the hunt for them because unfortunately, we don’t have them here in Seattle. If you’re in the same boat, or just don’t want to spend tons of money eating out, you’re in the right place! We are making homemade Copycat Cava Bowls today. These bowls are great because you can batch the individual components to make an easy meal prep for the week!

Cava’s date balsamic dressing is my all time favorite (closely followed by their lemon tahini, garlic sauce, and harissa vinaigrette) but I wasn’t aware that it is seasonal – gasp! So of course, I set out to make it at home and couldn’t get over how simple it is to make at home and how spot on the flavor is! It’s a mix of dates, balsamic, sea salt, avocado oil, mustard, and water! For ultimate flavor, I like to add hummus and homemade dairy-free tzatziki!

Copycat cava bowl recipe video

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Customizable: Need a low carb option? Swap rice for cauliflower. Need a vegan option? Swap in falafel, chickpeas or roasted tofu for protein. Dairy-free? This recipe is already dairy-free, but you can also add full-dairy Tzatziki if that’s your jam! Try switching up the veggies and proteins, too! Roasted salmon, shrimp, chicken, or steak are all great!
• Healthy: This meal is packed with nourishment and antioxidants, as well as fiber, healthy fats, and protein. Ensuring your meal contains all of these macronutrients, you’re set to feel satisfied and satiated!
• Easy: Bowls are my favorite meals because of how easy they are! You just throw all the components together and enjoy! They make a great weeknight dinner or easy lunch recipe!
• Meal prep: Spending a little time prepping the components of the bowl at the beginning of the week is great for meal prep. You can portion out and make individual bowls for the week so you are set with ready-to-go, healthy meals!

How to make copycat cava bowls with balsamic date vinaigrette

Full recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of the post!

Date balsamic vinaigrette Ingredients

• Balsamic vinegar: Cava’s vinaigrette is actually made with white balsamic, but I couldn’t find that near me and regular balsamic worked great!
• Dijon mustard
• Dates: I like to use pitted Medjool dates as they are soft and sweet but Deglet Noor dates will work as well.
• Oil: Avocado oil is my personal favorite as I love the health benefits and neutral taste. However, you can also use olive oil.

Cava bowl ingredients

• Protein: Use whatever protein you like – grilled chicken, steak, salmon, chickpeas, falafel, grilled tofu, or even a tuna steak like I made here! Whatever protein i’m using I mix it with a blend of spices – garlic, oregano, cumin, coriander, paprika, lemon juice, and parsley!
• Rice: You can use pre-cooked rice, cook it yourself, or even heat up frozen rice – whatever makes your life easier! If cooking rice from scratch, I like to cook it in bone broth or veggie broth for extra protein & flavor! Once the rice is cooked, I like to stir in some sea salt and finely chopped parsley.
• Greens: Use your favorite! I like a mix of romaine and arugala.
• Cucumber
• Tomato & onion salad: This is a staple Cava topping for me when I go! It’s a mix of onion, tomatoes, parsley, olive oil, and red wine vinegar (you can also use lemon juice!)
• Toppings: pickled onion, sliced pita, Tzatziki, hummus, feta (Regular or dairy-free. My favorite vegan/dairy-free feta is the brand VioLife).

Steps to make copycat cava bowls

• Step 1: Prepare the dressing – simply combine everything in a blender and blend until smooth. I love using my Beast Blender for this!
• Step 2: Prepare your protein – I like to let my protein marinate for 30 minutes to a few hours, then cook it with my preferred cooking method depending on what the protein is!
• Step 3: Make the veggies – prepare the tomato and onion salad by tossing everything together in a bowl. Chop the cucumbers.
• Step 4: Build your bowl! Add cooked rice, greens, protein, tzatziki, and other toppings to your bowl. Enjoy!

faq’s

• Storing leftovers: Store leftover date balsamic vinaigrette in a mason jar or storage container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Shake well before using!
• Meal prep tip: If meal prepping these bowls, I like to add the dressing to a small, portable squeeze container, to prevent the bowl from getting soggy.

more healthy recipes to try

• Healthy chili cornbread casserole (paleo options)
• Vegan broccoli cheese soup
• Healthy chicken broccoli rice casserole
• Healthy chicken pot pie soup
• Japanese carrot ginger salad dressing
• Viral TikTok egg breakfast sandwich
• One-pan enchilada breakfast skillet
• Paleo sandwich bread
• Breakfast egg stuffed peppers
• Thai crunch salad with peanut dressing

Copycat Cava Bowls with Balsamic Date Vinaigrette

An homage to the cozy and comforting flavors we love, with a mildly sweet note thanks to the seasonal balsamic date vinaigrette, these copycat Cava Bowls will quickly become a favorite healthy lunch and/or dinner staple and save you some money, making it at home!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course dinner, lunch

Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients

  

Tomato & onion salad

• 1 carton grape tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion, sliced thin
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or lemon juice
• sea salt & pepper, to taste

Dressing

• 1/3 cup white or regular balsamic vinegar
• 6 pitted medjool dates
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup avocado oil
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2-1 tsp sea salt

Bowls

• greens
• cucumber, sliced thin or diced
• prepared rice

Toppings

• pickled onion
• tzatziki
• hummus
• sliced avocado
• microgreens (I like Bright Fresh) *optional! adds extra nutrients!

Protein

• 8oz chicken, steak, salmon, or shrimp *can also use tofu or chickpeas but just use as much as you need and adjust spices as needed.
• 1 tbsp avocado oil or olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tbsp dried parsley
• 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp smoked or sweet paprika
• 1/2 tsp sea salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

 

Dressing

• Add all ingredients to a high powered blender and blend until smooth. Taste & adjust as you'd like. Store leftovers in a mason jar or air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days!

Tomato onion salad

• Note: this will make leftovers, so store in an air-tight container in the fridge to use on bowls/salads throughout the week or to prep a few extra Cava bowls as meal prep!
• Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, parsley to a bowl and toss. Then add the remaining ingredients, tossing again until well mixed. Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Protein

• I like to add my protein to a glass container with a lid, then add in the oil, lemon juice and spices. Rub it all together and let the protein marinate for 30 minutes before cooking. Cook your protein, depending on what it is, with whatever method you prefer (I always cook mine in the air fryer).

Assembling bowls

• Add the greens to a bowl. Then add in a serving or so of rice, some of the tomato & onion salad, sliced or diced cucumber, and your protein. Then top with some pickled onions, tzatziki, hummus, and optional avocado. Drizzle with the dressing and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Note: I’m not leaving exact measurements for the protein, rice, greens, etc. because this is totally up to you – especially if using prepared rice, etc. I just left tips on how I like to elevate mine by adding spices and herbs! For the protein, prepare as much as you need, but the spices are shown for a 6oz portion of meat!

faq’s

• • Storing leftovers: Store leftover date balsamic vinaigrette in a mason jar or storage container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Shake well before using!

• • Meal prep tip: If meal prepping these bowls, I like to add the dressing to a small, portable squeeze container, to prevent the bowl from getting soggy.

Keyword cava bowl, dinner meal prep, easy dinner, easy lunch, greek bowls, healthy dinner bowl, healthy lunch bowl, lunch meal prep, mediterranean diet, mediterranean recipes, paleo greek bowls, vegan greek bowls