Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

Move over, Waldorf salad! This superfood kale salad is the perfect Fall Harvest salad recipe.

Seasonal ingredients shine in this hearty and healthy green salad. Lacinato kale + shaved Brussels sprouts, toasted pecans, crisp apples, and a salty bite of pecorino cheese give this Thanksgiving salad an unforgettable flavor combination.

I love using seasonal ingredients whenever I cook. This salad makes the most wonderful Thanksgiving kale salad. And when winter comes around, kale is always on the menu. Check out my Kale Pesto Recipe for another easy fall recipe.

The recipe for this kale and Brussels sprout salad started as a way to prove to my mom that kale is delicious. On two separate occasions, I've made a kale dish that Mom couldn't believe actually tasted good. One was a roasted kale vegetable medley, and the other is this absolutely delicious kale salad.

While of course, I love a juicy Thanksgiving turkey. I am all about the side dishes. Orange-Scented Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Sausage, and Apple Sourdough Stuffing, and my Aunt Donna's Fluffy Dinner Rolls. Top it all off with pecan pie, a pumpkin pie, or this Vegan Pumpkin Tart, and it's basically Heaven.

Mmmm. But with all that decadence, I also love having a crunchy and healthy side dish that isn't so carb-heavy.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

• Ultra healthy. This easy fall salad recipe only has a few ingredients in it. The basics are kale, Brussels sprouts, pecorino, and pecans.
• So many variations. This salad recipe is perfect in its simplest form, but I love to change up the add-ins. Sometimes I use apples, or cranberries, or both. Roasted sweet potatoes are also super yummy in this salad.
• The dressing. The easy homemade salad dressing in this recipe is so good. It is really flavorful and versatile, so I honestly use it on other salads as well.

Recipe Notes

If you're afraid of kale, don't be. This fall kale salad will change your mind about all things kale. I'm going to talk a little bit about the different varieties of kale and how to properly prepare fresh kale in a salad so that it is super delicious.

Ingredients for the Salad

• Kale. You can use any variety of kale in this salad, but I love lacinato kale. You will also see it called dinosaur kale.
• Brussels sprouts. Find 12 to 14 large Brussels sprouts. You want the outer leaves to look fresh.
• Pecans. Toasted pecans add a lovely flavor to this salad. Feel free to skip the toasting in a pinch.
• Apples. I like to use a tart apple in this salad. My favorite apple is Honeycrisp, because they are both tart and sweet. Plus, they are super crisp and juicy.
• Pecorino Romano cheese. Pecorino is a salty Italian cheese, and it adds a delicious salty bite to this salad. You can usually find this in the fancy cheese section at the grocery store. If you can't find it, feel free to substitute parmigiano reggiano or shredded parmesan cheese.
• Green olives. Spanish green olives are what I use for this salad.
• Green onions. Fresh scallions add the perfect flavor bite to this salad recipe.

Ingredients For The Harvest Salad Dressing

• Shallot. Shallots are a mildly flavored onion variety. Shallots are commonly used in sauces and dressing because of their mild flavor and tender flesh.
• Salt. I recommend fine sea salt or Kosher salt when cooking.
• Lemon juice. Use fresh squeezed lemon juice if you have it.
• Olive oil. I like to use fragrant olive oil in salad dressing. You might find this labeled as "first press" olive oil.
• Dijon mustard. Dijon mustard adds flavor to this salad dressing, and it also adds emulsion to give the salad dressing a more creamy consistency.
• Black pepper. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Toast the pecans.

Toasting the pecans is totally optional. It only takes a few minutes, though, and toasted nuts always add a special touch to this fall salad recipe.

To toast the nuts, add them to a dry skillet and heat them over medium heat for a few minutes. Be sure to watch them closely so that they don't burn.

Step 2: Start the salad dressing.

I like to mix the minced shallot with the salt and lemon juice and set it aside for about 20 minutes to extract the flavor before mixing in the olive oil.

Step 3: Prepare the kale and Brussels sprouts.

For this salad, I like to keep the kale finely sliced and the Brussels sprouts shaved. Cutting the brussels sprouts is super easy if you use a mandoline slicer. Just make sure you keep your fingers away from the blade! You can also use the mandoline slicer for the apples.

An alternative way to shred the Brussels sprouts is to pulse them lightly in a food processor. Just be sure not to over-process them, unless you want sprouts pesto...

Step 4: Cheese, olives, and green onions

Grate the cheese using a box grater. Slice the olives and the green onions.

Step 5: Finish the salad dressing and toss.

Whisk in the olive oil and the dijon mustard. Add the dressing to the salad and toss.

Variations for the Autumn Kale Salad Recipe

You can add so many different seasonal ingredients to this salad. A few of my favorites are:

• A handful of roasted sweet potatoes. If you're like me, you might have some roasted sweet potatoes, or some roasted butternut squash, already in the fridge.
• A handful of dried cranberries or chopped dried figs. A chewy bit of dried fruit is always tasty in an autumn salad recipe.
• Swap out the nuts. Or leave them out entirely for guests with nut allergies. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds are great in this salad.
• Swap out the apple for pear. Crisp apples are one of my favorite fall ingredients, but a thinly sliced pear would also be really delicious in this salad.
• Swap out the cheese. This salad is also really delicious with parmesan, goat cheese, or even feta or blue cheese.
• Add a teaspoon of maple syrup. This adds depth to the salad dressing without making it too sweet.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Other Salad Recipes That You’ll Love

• Apple Matchstick Salad
• Easy Couscous Salad with Black Lentils
• Savory Watermelon Salad
• Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad
• Greek Salad Dressing
• The BEST Champagne Vinaigrette

Other Fall Side Dishes That You May Like

• Green Bean Casserole (no condensed soup)
• Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
• Homemade Dumpling Noodles

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