Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

This Fall Harvest Salad is filled with some of the best seasonal flavors, including butternut squash, dried cranberries, apples, and kale. It’s so easy to throw together, colorful, filling, and delicious! Enjoy this for dinner and save the leftovers for lunch the next day!

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings

Calories 568

Author Elena Tomasi

Ingredients

For the salad:

1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded, and diced
½ tablespoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
⅔ cup (120 g) raw quinoa
1 cup (240 ml) water
2 cups (130 g) chopped kale leaves
2 small apples cored and sliced or diced

Toppings:

¼ cup (30 g) dried cranberries
¼ cup (30 g) pecans roughly chopped
⅓ cup (50 g) crumbled feta cheese I used reduced-fat
1 ½ tablespoon roasted pumpkin seeds

For the apple cider vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¾ tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove minced
salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

Roast the butternut

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
On a baking sheet, toss together the butternut squash, olive oil, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, until the squash is tender.
Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.

Cook the quinoa

Rinse the quinoa and drain. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with water and bring to a boil uncovered.
When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy.

make the dressing

Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl (or shake together in a mason jar) until combined.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.

Massage the kale

Place the kale in a large bowl and pour half of the vinaigrette over the top. Use your hands to gently massage the dressing into the kale for about 30 seconds, until it starts to soften.

Assemble the salad

Add the quinoa, roasted butternut, and apples into the bowl with the kale and toss to combine.
Divide the salad between 3 plates, then top with the chopped pecans, toasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the top, and serve.

Notes

Servings: Serves 3 as a filling lunch or dinner
Vinaigrette: it can an be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Shake the jar before using.
Quinoa: it can be cooked several days ahead of time and stored in the fridge.
Leftovers: leftovers will keep well for 2-3 days.
Make-ahead: If you are making this salad in advance, add the apple slices + toppings right before serving.

Nutrition