Fall Harvest Salad is stunning, easy to put together, and tastes amazing. All of the things and it’s super healthy! It’s perfect for the upcoming holiday festivities, but also wonderful for your weekly meal prep salad. Whatever you do, just don’t sleep on this one. It’s a keeper!
Let’s get started!
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
let’s chat!
This Fall Harvest Salad is my current fixation salad. The flavors and textures and colors are out of this world. This recipe serves 4 and I can eat it all. And, I’m not ashamed to admit that. And, just look at it. All those colors means all the vitamins and minerals that are good for you. It’s a healthy and delicious salad that is easy to make. You cannot go wrong!
This recipe is perfect for the busy holiday season. It comes together in about 30 minutes and is just stunning. While the potatoes roast in the oven, the rest of the salad can be prepped. A little chop and slice of this, a whisk of the vinaigrette, and a crumble of the salty feta and that’s it!
It’s a fantastic holiday salad to bring to your family get-togethers – for Thanksgiving and Christmas tables alike. Need an idea for a Friendsgiving? Look no further. I also love to make this as a meal prep salad for the week and add a little extra protein – I always have some roasted chicken or pork tenderloin on hand and it’s sooooooo good here.
fall harvest salad ingredients
- Sweet Potato
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
- Sage Leaves
- Pomegranate
- Honeycrisp Apple
- Pecans – Plain or Candied
- Feta
- Arugula
- Kale
- Balsamic Vinegar
- Whole Grain Mustard
how to make a fall harvest salad
roasting the sweet potatoes
Roasting sweet potatoes is super simple, and while those hang out in the oven, the rest of the salad can be prepped. Everything can easily come together in under 30 minutes.
To begin, cube the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. You can peel them, but you do not have to. Simply toss the potato cubes in olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast them on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 20 minutes in a preheated 400° oven. Once they have roasted for 20 minutes, throw the sage leaves on top and let them continue roasting for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove the sheet pan from the oven. The sage leaves will have dried out quite a bit. You can pulverize them between your fingers or finely mince them with a knife. Then, sprinkle them back over the top of the sweet potatoes and toss.
harvest salad assembly
While the potatoes roast in the oven, the remainder of this recipe can be prepped. And, it is super simple.
To make the balsamic vinaigrette, whisk the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and whole ground mustard together. Add a healthy pinch of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Set that aside until ready to serve.
For the remainder of the Fall Harvest Salad, it’s just a bit of chop and prep. Remove the ribs from the kale leaves, chop or tear those and massage them just a bit to make them more tender.
Slice the apple, crumble the feta, and remove the pomegranate arils. I know it’s really tempting to use the ones already prepared in the cup, but in the history of all things, I’ve never gotten one that has fresh arils. I highly recommend buying a whole pomegranate and doing it yourself. That’s a good task to assign to someone in the house that looks like they need to be busy. I always have a least one of those standing around!
For the pecans, I simply toasted plain ones in a skillet over medium heat just a for a few minutes. If you are a fan of candied pecans, throw those in instead. They’re just a tad bit too sweet for me.
Starting with a base of arugula, start layering all of the ingredients together. Finish by topping with the roasted sweet potato cubes and the balsamic dressing. I always add another sprinkle of the feta cheese at the end for good measure.
All that’s left to do is sit back and marvel at your gorgeous, culinary creation. And, then devour it!
recipe frequently asked questions
This recipe is completely gluten-free. If you want to make it dairy-free, all you need to do is substitute the feta for your favorite DF crumbly cheese.
If you make the entire salad to serve at one time, it is best eaten right then. It won’t stay good if dressed for long. Things wilt and the apples will turn brown and all the things.
Separately, the ingredients will stay good in airtight containers in the fridge for about 3 days. If I’m not serving the whole salad for a meal or get-together, I store everything in separate containers and build my salads as needed.
fall harvest salad tips and tricks
- Remove the ribs from the kale, chop/tear into bite-sized pieces and massage the leaves. This will help make it more tender.
- Don’t dress the salad with the vinaigrette until just before serving.
- Keep ingredients separate if not serving the Fall Harvest Salad all at once.
- If you want to add protein, roasted chickens or a simple pork tenderloin would be awesome with this Fall Harvest Salad.
- Substitute roasted beets or butternut squash for the sweet potato. Either would be phenomenal!
other easy salad recipes
shop recipe essentials here
Fall Harvest Salad
Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 1-1½ lbs sweet potato
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp fresh ground pepper
- 3-5 fresh sage leaves
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fall Harvest Salad Assembly
- 3 cups baby arugula
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed and chopped massage the kale just a bit to make it more tender
- 1 Honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate arils
- ½ cup pecans, toasted used candied pecans if you like
- ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
- flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
Roasting The Sweet Potatoes
- Cube the sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces. Toss the potato cubes in olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 20 minutes in a preheated 400° oven.
- Once they have roasted for 20 minutes, throw the whole sage leaves on top and let them continue roasting for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven. The sage leaves will have dried out quite a bit. You can pulverize them between your fingers or finely mince them with a knife. Then, sprinkle them back over the top of the sweet potatoes and toss.
The Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Whisk all of the vinaigrette ingredients together in a mixing bowl and set aside until ready to serve.
Fall Harvest Salad Assembly
- Starting with a base of arugula, layer all of the ingredients together. Finish by topping with the roasted sweet potato cubes and the balsamic dressing. I always add another sprinkle of the feta cheese at the end for good measure.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Fall Harvest Salad recipe and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! And, please leave a comment or star rating below. I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces. And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
Rufus for Real is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a commission, with no additional cost to you, if you purchase through those links.
other reader favorite recipes
If you guys make this Fall Harvest Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a 5 star rating! I absolutely love to hear from you all and always do my best to respond to each and every one of your comments!
so delicious!!! perfect for a Thanksgiving side too!