Fall Harvest Salad

I think we can all agree that there is nothing better than Thanksgiving food. I’ll be honest; I do love turkey but I live for the side dishes. And as we all know, not all sides are created equal. While I am a big fan of my buttery mashed sweet potatoes, roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts, and vegetarian cornbread stuffing, I think it is essential to make room for a delicious and healthy salad on the table.

But not just any salad. One that has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, crispy, nutty and creamy. If you agree, then you need this harvest green salad in your life.

This post was created in partnership with California Figs, but as always, all opinions are mine.

Harvest Salad Ingredients

The good news is that you will not need any fancy ingredients to make this harvest fall salad recipe. Plus, below, I will give you ingredient substitution ideas so you can make it work with what you have in your pantry now:

For my go-to harvest salad dressing, you will need:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar: A good aged balsamic vinegar is one reason this dressing is so good, but you can also use red wine vinegar in a pinch.
• Shallot: I love the mellow taste of shallots in this salad, but you can also use finely chopped red onion.
• Maple syrup: Maple syrup is a classic in any fall salad dressing recipe, and this one is no exception. However, you can use an equal amount of honey or agave nectar in a pinch.
• Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed is the best here.
• Seasonings: Kosher salt and black pepper are all you need to make this homemade fall salad dressing.

For the harvest salad, you will need:

• Kale: In terms of salad greens, I used kale because it pairs beautifully with all the fruits and vegetables in season. It also does a good job of standing up on its own when there are all kinds of flavors mixing in one big bowl, as is happening in this Thanksgiving kale salad recipe. Amongst all the kale types, I love using curly kale (the kind of kale you’d find in most supermarkets in the US), lacinato kale, or baby kale. You can use blanched kale for a milder taste (less bitter kale). However, if you are not a kale fan, you can swap it for lettuce, romaine, or any other mixed greens you like. Simply use 2-3 cups more salad greens to compensate.
• Apple: Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji are my favorite apples for this healthy fall salad recipe, but any type of apple would work here. You can even use a pear in a pinch. While I love fall salads with apples, a thinly sliced, slightly ripened pear would also be great in this recipe.
• Dried fruit: I used dried California figs to give it more sweetness. I love California figs in my holiday dishes. I love that they are naturally so sweet that using just a few them easily sweeten a dish and take it up a notch. I used a combination of Golden and Mission dried figs. That said, you can use any dried fruit you have on hand. I especially love dried cranberries as a substitute, but again, any dried fruit would work.
• Pomegranate seeds: This is an optional ingredient, but I love that it immediately turns this simple side dish to a gorgeous looking colorful salad.
• Nuts: I used pecans, but walnuts or almonds would also work. If your guests cannot tolerate nuts, you can either omit using them or swap pecans with pumpkin seeds.
• Cheese: I love goat cheese for its creamy texture and tangy flavor, but you can also use blue cheese, Parmesan cheese, and feta cheese. Of course, if you prefer a vegan kale salad, you can omit the cheese.

Optional Add-Ins:

While this autumn kale salad recipe is delicious as written, you can jazz it up by adding a few ingredients to make it your own. Here are a few I would recommend:

• Roasted butternut squash: A cup (or two) of roasted squash would be a delicious add-in, especially if you are serving this salad for Thanksgiving. Alternatively, roasted delicata squash or acorn squash can be used as well.
• Crispy bacon: Small chopped crispy bacon can be added. I like chopped baked turkey bacon as it is a bit healthier, but any bacon you love can be used.

How to make fall harvest salad?

While I love the simple balsamic vinaigrette I used in this salad, I sometimes switch it up with other fall salad dressings. Below are my two other favorite homemade salad dressings you can also use in this recipe:

• Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing: For a delicious Mediterranean/Middle Eastern twist, you can use my creamy maple tahini dressing.
• My Go-To Maple Tahini Dressing Recipe:
  • ¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
  • 2 tablespoons of maple syrup (or more to taste)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons water to thin it out (adjust to your liking)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    Simply whisk together the ingredients listed below. Give it a taste and add in more seasoning to your liking.
• Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette: If you want an alternative to continuing the fall flavors you can also try the below apple cider vinegar-based dressing that I based on my Maple Dijon Vinaigrette. My Go-To Apple Cider Vinaigrette Recipe:
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
  • 1 clove of minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    Whisk everything in a small bowl or a jar. Give it a taste and add seasoning to your liking.