Cava is probably my favorite fast casual restaurant these days. I love the flavor combos and all the topping options. I usually get the Harissa Steak Bowl and max it out on vegetables and add-ins. I thought I’d try to recreate it in my home kitchen!
I got pretty close to the original. The key is making a harissa spiced vinaigrette that gets drizzled over the whole bowl and kicks up the flavors.
While you could grill the steak, I decided to make more of steak bites which are already chopped up and get tossed in a butter sauce. So good on the bowl!
Let’s dive in!
What is Cava?
If you haven’t been to a Cava before, it’s a nice twist on the idea of a fast casual, make-your-own bowl restaurant. It has a Mediterranean vibe to it with lots of pita, feta cheese, and spiced meats. Plus loads of grains and vegetables you can use to customize your bowl.
While you can make whatever bowl you want, they have a few fave combos that they recommend and the Harissa Steak Combo is a fave at our house.
Tips for cooking the brown rice
Before we get into the bowl, let’s talk brown rice. I like to make a big batch of brown rice that I use for these bowls and also use for leftovers during the week.
Brown rice is great because it has a slightly nutty flavor and holds up well in bowls, but it does take longer to cook.
I recommend rinsing the rice well and then adding about 3x the amount of water to a pot as the amount of rice you are cooking (2 cups of rice should get 6 cups of water). Bring it to a simmer and then simmer on low for about 30 minutes.
Test the rice and when it is tender, drain out any extra water and cover the pot. Let it steam for a few minutes and then fluff the rice with a fork.
Perfect brown rice every time!
These days there are also some instant brown rice products at the store that are pretty good so you can use one of those or a different grain like farro or quinoa as well if you want. (Check out my How to Cook quinoa guide if you want to use that).
Making the steak bites
The steak bites are the star of these bowls. I used Sirloin steak but you can use any cut you like. Personally, I’d go for a leaner cut of steak just because larger pieces of fat don’t go well in a bowl like this.
I seasoned my steak cubes with some all-purpose seasoning. You could also add up to a teaspoon of harissa to these if you wanted to amp up that flavor profile even more.
The key to good steak bites like this is to cook them in a hot cast iron skillet mainly on one side so you get a good sear on that side. Then stir them and finish cooking, but don’t try to get a perfect sear on every side or you will just overcook the bites.
I cook them for 3-4 minutes on side one, then stir and finish cooking, stirring occasionally for another 3-4 minutes.
I like to finish mine with a little butter as well since they are a leaner steak cut.
These aren’t quite done in the above picture, but close.
Harissa Vinaigrette
A lot of the flavor in these steak bowls comes from the vinaigrette. It is a simple Harissa vinaigrette with olive oil, rice vinegar, harissa, and cayenne for an extra kick. Shake it up and drizzle it liberally!
If you are looking for a version of the Cava Crazy Feta dip that goes on some of their bowls, check out this version from my friend MacKenzie.
Ingredients to finish the steak bowls
To finish these bowls, the world is yours when it comes to other options. This what I like to serve with mine:
- Greens. A mix of assorted greens which goes in with the rice.
- Cucumbers. Pickled or fresh work well.
- Red onions. Adds a nice crunch and tangy flavor.
- Cherry tomatoes.
- Feta cheese.
- Fresh herbs like mint or basil.
- Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
- Red pepper flakes for extra heat.
Leftovers
These steak bowls make perfect leftovers. The trick though is to make sure to store the ingredients separately if you can. Assembling the bowls the day of is much better than trying to keep the bowl in the fridge after it has been assembled.
If you keep the items separate though you can enjoy these Harissa Steak Bowls for 4-5 days.
Harissa Steak Bowls
Equipment
Ingredients
Harissa Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons harissa spice
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Steak Bites:
- 1 pound sirloin steak, cubed
- 2 tablespoons steak seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Parsley, optional garnish
Bowl Ingredients:
- 2 cups brown rice, cooked
- 4 cups lettuce or greens
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ½ small red onion, sliced thin
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup red pepper hummus
Instructions
- For the dressing, combine ingredients in a shaker or whisk in a bowl. Shake well to mix. Taste and adjust salt to your liking. Shake before drizzling.
- For the steak, cube steak into 3/4-inch cubes. Toss with steak steasoning and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat over medium-high heat. Add second talbespoon of oil and once shimmering hot, add steak in a single layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes to get a good sear on one side of the steak.
- Stir steak and cook until browned on all sides. Steak should be medium in the center after 3-4 more minutes of cooking.
- Add butter to skillet and toss steak with metled butter. Remove from heat and garnish with parsley (optional).
Assembling Bowls:
- In a large serving bowl, combine a cup of greens with 1/2 cup of brown rice. Toss to combine. Drizzle in a tablespoon of dressing and toss.
- Top greens and rice with chopped vegetables, a scoop of hummus, feta cheese, and steak.
- Drizzle more dressing on top and serve immediately.
