These Copycat Cava Bowls are a delicious and easy weeknight meal! With the help of a few key shortcuts, dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes. Try these the next time you are craving something new, fresh, and flavorful!
When I say “for weeknights,” I am not referencing the Wednesday nights when you are trying to get one kid to dance, another to soccer, and have a parent meeting to be to yourself. Reserve those nights for spaghetti and a jar of Rao’s marinara.
However, if you have 30 minutes for a dinner and want something absolutely delicious that isn’t another night of tacos (not that there is ever a darn thing wrong with tacos), then these copycat CAVA bowls are a great option!
I was hooked on the idea of making these at home after my first CAVA experience. CAVA is a modern, casual restaurant that serves Mediterranean and Greek food in a fully customizable way.
Their food is delicious (and I hear you can even buy some of their most popular dips, spreads, and sauces- see where they are sold here). I loved the idea of recreating my favorite combo at home, but was intimidated at all the parts and feared it would take hours.
However, with the help of a few shortcuts and my rice cooker, this meal came together quite easily and was a huge hit for the whole family. Customization (and deconstruction) for the win!
The Copycat CAVA Bowl Base
Let’s start with the base. At CAVA you have an option of greens, grains, pita, or a combo of the above. I knew I needed our base to be filling (David), but wanted an option to lighten it up (me).
Easy CAVA Bowl Base Options:
- Baby kale and chopped cabbage
- Cauliflower rice
- Rice
- Lentils
You know I love my rice cooker; it makes it easy and mostly hands off. Plus, you can make rice and lentils at the same time. For a hearty and nutritional base, add 1.5 c long grain rice, 1 c black lentils, 3 c broth, and 1 c water to the rice cooker and hit “go” on the rice cycle.
As for the “meat” of the dish, I went with falafel. I can and have made falafel on my own, but again, this was a quick weeknight meal, so I opted for frozen, which had a great ingredient list and baked up nicely in just 20 minutes!
Hearty Main Component Options for Copycat CAVA Bowls:
- Falafel
- Grilled chicken (using this Greek marinade)
- Lamb meatballs
- Hearty roasted veggies
Toppings and Sauces
While the rice cooked and the falafel baked, I assembled the rest of the goodies. I already had pickled red onions in my fridge, which are easy to make (see how here!), last a long time, and add a lot of flavor to all sorts of salads and dishes.
Here are some of my favorite copycat CAVA topping options, which you can make at home or buy the store-bought/ready made versions of to really make the meal come together quickly:
- Chopped up a cucumber and grape tomatoes with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and oregano.
- tzatziki
- harissa
- shredded kale and cabbage
- pickled red onions
- hummus
- feta
- banana peppers
- vinaigrette
- pita chips
From there, you are ready to assemble! For younger kids, the deconstructed method works so well; they can make a giant snack plate. Adding some large tortillas for older kids to make wraps with (I find they work better than pita bread for wrapping up, but pita or naan bread both make yummy additions) is also a good idea.
From start to finish (if you don’t include the extra time it took for the rice cooker to cook the brown rice, which was hands-off time, but can also be made from a pouch or frozen), this meal came together in less than 30 minutes.
It isn’t the meal with the fewest ingredients but it felt like such a mid-week treat of a meal and the best part? There were plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day- the best!
David and I both devour this meal- so many flavors and textures. It is delicious! And if you are a spicy food fan, I highly recommend not skipping on the harissa. It’s hot, but so flavorful and added a great depth to the dish.
I hope you enjoy these copycat CAVA bowls as much as we do!
PrintCopycat CAVA Bowls for Weeknights
Description
These Copycat Cava Bowls are a delicious and easy weeknight meal! With the help of a few key shortcuts, dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes. Try these the next time you are craving something new, fresh, and flavorful!
Ingredients
Base options:
- rice
- lentils
- baby kale
- shredded cabbage
- cauliflower rice
Main components:
- Falafel
- Grilled chicken (using this Greek marinade)
- Lamb meatballs
- Hearty roasted veggies
Toppings and Sauces:
- Chopped up a cucumber and grape tomatoes with a little olive oil and red wine vinegar, salt and pepper and oregano.
- tzatziki
- harissa
- shredded kale and cabbage
- pickled red onions
- hummus
- feta
- banana peppers
- vinaigrette
- pita chips
Do you have a favorite restaurant dish that you’d love to recreate at home?
laura says
Where did you find the frozen falafel? Apparently Trader Joe’s has a mix that is pretty good, too. This month’s cooked illustrated has a recipe for authentic falafel, but that’s a weekend afternoon with no plans kind of cooking adventure! Also, my almost 7 year old has that same yellow/pink sundress. She loves those as nightgowns. =) Happy Tuesday!
Brittany Dixon says
I found it in the frozen section at Whole Foods! No Trader Joe’s near me unfortunately. I’ll bet that falafel recipe is so good- I wonder if it would freeze well? Then it may be worth it! 🙂
Melissa says
Yum those look great! I always find myself trying to recreate salads from restaurants. My favorite is one with salmon, goat cheese, and dried cranberries. But for some reason it always tastes better at the restaurant with a glass of wine and the baby with grandma…. hmmm. Haha!
Hope you have a great week!
Brittany Dixon says
LOL! Glass of wine and baby-free- so much yes to that 😉
Laura says
This looks amazing! I grew up in an area of Michigan that has a huge Middle Eastern population so we had access to amazing Lebanese restaurants, bakeries and stores. So many good memories at these places… I first tried Turkish coffee when I was 10 with my mom and grandma and can only describe that experience as “life changing” 🙂 Your pictures and post is inspiring me to make some falafel, although I prefer them deep fried with a crispy brown crust. I’m thinking I could make it all in bulk and then freeze for later. I’ve been burnt out on my typical bean bowls for lunch and have been leaning towards Greek salads, but this sounds like a perfect option that can be made ahead of time. My favorite rice that cooks up quick for late dinners is basmati. I buy the massive Himalayan basmati rice bags from Costco and it cooks up in less than 20 minutes (although ideally you soak it first for 20 minutes). I’ve found it to be the most versatile, and predictably fluffy and nutty tasting rice that goes with anything (not just Indian curry). As much as I like whole grains and healthy foods on their own accord, I do not much care for brown rice or any sort of wheat or alternative grain pastas.
Brittany Dixon says
I have to agree- the deep fried falafel is the best! (go figure…. ;))
Liz says
I love Cava and this looks like a great way to replicate! Whenever I make brown rice, I cook half rice half green lentils (a cup of each makes a ton with leftovers) in the rice cooker. You can just throw them both in together and they cook perfectly!
Brittany Dixon says
That is so good to know! I’m going to try this next time- thanks!
Dominique says
This looks AMAZING and I’m dying to try it. That falafel looks so good and the nutrition stats are great compared to a lot of frozen brands I’ve seen – where did you find it?
Brittany Dixon says
I found this brand at Whole Foods! 🙂
Tracy says
Loooove the new blog design! Looks awesome!! And very “user friendly”!
Brittany Dixon says
Thank you so much!! I appreciate the feedback! 🙂
Rachel says
Where have you found the cava hummus? I live in Charlotte and would dieeeee for some of their roasted red pepper hummus.
Brittany Dixon says
I’ve seen it and the crazy feta dip at Whole Foods, but it’s expensive- like $10! But if you’re a super fan, it may be worth it 🙂
Elyssa says
Excited to try my take on this!
★★★★★