Apple Fall Salad

This Apple Fall Salad is full of flavor and made with seasonal vegetables like massaged kale, sweet apples, roasted butternut squash, crunchy pecans, pumpkin seeds tossed in a sweet and tangy maple vinaigrette. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo and Whole30 compliant.

PIN HERE for later and follow my boards for more recipe ideas

Easy Apple Fall Salad Recipe

Looking for a healthy and delicious seasonal salad for autumn? This Apple Fall Salad is loaded with beautiful colors, cozy fall flavors and the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table or any holiday dinner!

The great thing about salads is how quick and easy they come together. You can easily customize them with whatever you have in your fridge or kitchen pantry. It’s made with massaged kale, apples, caramelized roasted butternut squash, crunchy nuts, pumpkin seeds and tossed in a sweet and tangy maple vinaigrette. Not only is this stunning salad packed with flavor, it’s a healthy side dish that is also naturally gluten-free, vegan, paleo, low carb, dairy-free and can easily be Whole30-friendly.

Ingredients you need

The best part about making fall salads like this is that you can customize them with whatever you have on hand. This festive kale salad uses:

• Chopped Kale: The base of this holiday salad. Lacinato kale, dinosaur kale or curly kale all work. Be sure to remove the stems and give it a good massage.
• Arugula: Adds a peppery kick. Sub with more kale or your favorite salad greens.
• Roasted Butternut squash: You can roast them in the oven or your air fryer.
• Crispy apples: We like Honeycrisp but you can also use Granny Smith, Pink Lady (cripps) or Fuji.
• Toasted pecans and walnuts: For that added crunch.
• Pumpkin seeds: Adds crunch and healthy fats.

Optional for topping:

• Vegan Feta: Adds a hint of savory saltiness. We love this brand but regular feta or even goat cheese work too if not dairy-free.

Dressing ingredients

For this homemade vinaigrette, you are going to need:

• Avocado oil: or extra-virgin olive oil.
• Dijon mustard: tahini works great as well.
• Apple cider vinegar: or fresh lemon juice
• Pure maple syrup: you can sub with any liquid sweetener. You can use Lakanto sugar free maple syrup for lower sugar / lower carb or orange juice for Whole30.
• Fine sea salt: to taste.
• Freshly ground black pepper: to taste.

How to make this Apple Fall Salad

1. Make the vinaigrette: Add the dressing ingredients to a bowl or a jar. Whisk or shake until combined.
2. Prep and massage the kale: Remove and discard the hearty stems and tear or chop the kale leaves into thin piece and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil & a pinch of salt and use your hands to massage until the leaves start to soften and wilt.
3. Add dressing and assemble the salad. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Drizzle with dressing & black pepper. Toss lightly to coat and top with more nuts, seeds or feta if desired.

Variations

• Cheese: Instead of vegan feta, you can use goat cheese or halloumi if not dairy-free.
• Blueberries: Add some fresh berries for some sweetness.
• Pomegranate: Swap the dried cranberries with pomegranate arils for sweetness.
• Nuts: Instead of pecans or walnuts, you can swap with sliced or slivered almonds, shelled pistachios or cashews.
• Seeds: Swap the pumpkin seeds with sunflower seeds or hemp seeds.

Serving Suggestions

This cozy salad would be delicious on it’s own or perfect as a healthier side to Thanksgiving, Christmas or any holiday potluck.

We like to serve as part of our Thanksgiving dinner with our Thanksgiving Turkey, Roasted Brussels Sprouts or Vegan Mashed Potatoes.

Can I make this ahead of time?

The great thing about kale is that it lasts much longer than traditional salad greens so it works great for meal prep.

You can prep the kale ahead of time and store it in a resealable bag or container for up to 5 days.

How to store this kale salad

Store this winter kale salad in an airtight container in the  fridge for about 1-3 days.

How to roast the vegetables

1. Skip if not adding roasted vegetables. Start off by dicing the pumpkin and roasting in the oven (or air fryer if you have one for 15-25 minutes) at 400F for about 25-35 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Serve with grilled chicken, protein or your favorite main dishes.

How to Prepare Kale for a Salad

My kids are actually big kale fans and will eat raw kale straight from the garden. But what if you’re not a big kale lover? Is kale good in a salad? I happen to think kale is perfect and makes a delicious vessel for a salad since it keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days. That means you can wash and prep it ahead of time on your Sunday or Monday meal prep day.

• Kale has lots of fiber which is one of its great health benefits. But when preparing kale for salads, you should tear or cut  into thin little pieces.
• Remove the kale’s stem and only use the leaves

How to soften kale

• Massage the kale leaves for about 2-3 minutes with a little bit of your salad dressing. This helps to break down the plants fibrous cells. Although it’s an extra step – massaging the kale makes a big difference and is key when making delicious kale salads!

More healthy fall salad recipes you might like:

Harvest Salad

Fall Salad with Kale and Delicata Squash

Thanksgiving Salad

5 from 1 vote

Print

Apple Fall Salad

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

25 mins

Total Time

30 mins

 

This Apple Fall Salad is full of flavor and made with seasonal vegetables like massaged kale, sweet apples, roasted butternut squash, crunchy pecans, pumpkin seeds tossed in a sweet and tangy maple vinaigrette. Naturally vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and easily low, carb, keto, paleo and Whole30 compliant.

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple salad, apples, butternut squash, fall salad, harvest salad, kale, kale salad, paleo, pumpkin, salad

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 238 kcal

Author: Kelly

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ¾ tablespoon maple syrup , can sub with vegan honey or preferred sticky liquid sweetener
• 1 ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Kosher or sea salt to taste
• Ground black pepper to taste

For the salad

• 2-3 cups chopped or shredded kale leaves , about 1 small bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
• 1 cup arugula
• 1 ½ cups chopped Honeycrisp or Gala apples , about 2 small or 1 medium
• 1 ½ cups cubed butternut squash , air fried or roasted (about 1 small butternut squash)
• 1/3 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup toasted pecans
• dried cranberries or dried cherries , optional for topping
• dairy-free feta , crumbled, optional for topping. Regular feta works too.

Instructions

1. In a jar or small bowl, add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Shake the jar or whisk until combined. Adjust seasonings to taste as needed.
2. In a large bowl, add the kale. Pour 1 tablespoon 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. Add the arugula to one side of the bowl, then top side by side with apples, butternut squash, red onion, pumpkin seeds, pecans, dried cranberries and feta. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss to coat.

To make the roasted butternut squash:

1. Preheat the oven to 400F or air fryer to 390F.

   Drizzle the cubed butternut squash with 1-2 tbsp of olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste. Toss to coat.

   Working in batches as needed, add the butternut squash to the air fryer basket or on a lined baking sheet.

   Air fry at 390F for 16-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through or roast in the oven at 400F for 30-35 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking, or until the squash is tender. Remove from the air fryer or oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes, before adding to the salad.

Recipe Notes

To make ahead

You can prep the kale ahead of time and store it in a resealable bag or container for up to 5 days.

How to store

Store this salad in an airtight container in the  fridge for about 1-3 days.

Nutrition Facts

Apple Fall Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 238 Calories from Fat 162

% Daily Value*

Fat 18g28%

Carbohydrates 20g7%

Fiber 5g20%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 4g8%

* Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy using the WPRM recipe calculator. It is best to make your own calculations to ensure accuracy. We expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.