Fall Harvest Salad is honeycrisp apples, roasted sweet potato, toasted pecans, pomegranate, vibrant greens and salty feta with a tangy vinaigrette! This simple salad is stunning, easy to put together, and tastes amazing!
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!
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The flavors, textures, and colors of this Fall Harvest Salad are out of this world. 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.
This recipe is perfect for the busy holiday season. It comes together in about 30 minutes and is just stunning.
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 herb roasted chicken or pork tenderloin on hand and it's sooooooo good here.
Key Ingredients
Sweet Potato and Sage Leaves - Roasted simply together, it gives this fall harvest salad the wonderful roasted Autumn flavors we all love. If you don't have fresh sage, you can also use a little dried sage or even a bit of dried thyme.
Pomegranate arils - For beautiful color, the crunchy texture, and that wonderful pop of sweetness.
Honeycrisp Apple - My all-time favorite apple for the crispness and the sweet flavor.
Pecans - Plain or Candied are fantastic. These nuts pair wonderfully with the rest of the salad ingredients.
Feta - For the salty bite that balances out the sweetness in the other salad ingredients.
Arugula and Kale - My go-to greens for this Autumn harvest salad. They are cool weather greens, so perfect for the cool time of year!
Balsamic Vinegar and Whole Grain Mustard - The flavor players in the quick and easy vinaigrette.
Substitutions and Variations
Roasted Butternut Squash or Roasted Beets are a perfect swap for the sweet potato. Either one would work beautifully. Acorn Squash or Kabocha would also be nice because they will both get that lovely, caramelized flavor.
Apples - You can use any variety of apple you prefer. Pears would also be a fantastic option.
Nuts and/or Seeds - Walnuts would be a great alternative nut option for this recipe. Likewise, pumpkin seeds (or pepitas) would be awesome!
Cheeses - Any firm, salty cheese you love would be great instead of feta. Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or even a nice cheddar would be delicious!
Greens - Whatever salad greens you have would be great. Have fun with it and use what you love!
Apple Cider Vinaigrette - Instead of balsamic vinegar, use the same amount in a good quality apple cider vinegar.
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.
Make Ahead Instructions
The dressing can be made ahead up to a week in advance if you store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
The sweet potato can be roasted and kept in the fridge two days before the salad assembly.
For the remaining salad ingredients, I suggest keeping and storing them separately in the fridge. Cut the apple and assemble the salad only just before serving so the apple doesn't oxidize and turn brown. This will also keep the greens nice and vibrant and prevent wilting.
Fall Harvest Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 1-1½ lbs sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon 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
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this Fall Harvest Salad recipe gluten-free?
This recipe is completely gluten-free. No worries there!
Can you make this recipe dairy-free?
If you want to make it dairy-free, all you need to do is substitute the feta for your favorite DF crumbly cheese.
How do I toast the pecans?
It's super simple. All you need to do is place the pecans on a sheet pan and into a preheated 350°F oven for about 10-12 minutes. Toss them halfway through cooking and keep an eye on them. The fat content in nuts can allow them to burn easily. They should smell toasty and wonderful. That's all there is to it!
If you decide to use pumpkin seeds, the method is the same, just cut down on the roasting time to 5-7 minutes.
Storage Instructions
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 Fall Harvest Salad 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.
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
Other Wonderfully Hearty Salad Recipes
Roasted Beet Salad - Another stunning, delicious salad that's simple to make and perfect for the holidays!
Thai Beef Salad - Hearty, healthy, and so delicious! With a peanut ginger dressing, it's a fun spin on your weekly meal prep situation!
Crispy Chicken Salad - Homemade chicken tenders and a savory honey mustard that will knock your socks off!
Greek Salmon Salad - Buttery salmon and a tangy feta dressing that tastes so good you won't even notice it's really good for you!
brenda hill says
so delicious!!! perfect for a Thanksgiving side too!