This Fall Harvest Salad is loaded with kale, butternut squash and apples! It’s refreshing, hearty and filling. Works well for a meal prep lunch too!

Today is the official first day of fall! And I have the perfect way for us to celebrate! This Fall Harvest Salad is packed with kale, roasted butternut squash and crisp apples. It’s also topped off with a delicious creamy apple cider vinegar dressing and is great for meal prep.

What’s your favorite season? I’ve always gravitated to the seasons that bring less extreme weather: spring and fall. Although my husband and I got married in spring and I love the newness that it brings, there’s just something about fall that makes it number one for me.

What You’ll Need For This Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

I feel like I see butternut squash in the grocery store year round these days but it’s really a fall/winter squash and perfect for roasting. I roast it with a little olive oil and salt and it has such a nice sweet flavor. You could also use sweet potatoes or another kind of winter squash if you couldn’t find butternut squash.
I chose to use kale as my green for this Fall Harvest Salad because it’s hearty, has great texture when raw and stands up well to the other flavors. You could also use spinach or your favorite lettuce mix if you like.
Apples add the perfect texture and sweetness to this salad. You can use any kind of apple you like here. A honeycrisp would be perfect.

I also added in some chickpeas for protein. Chickpeas are usually my goto legume in a salad (that’s not Mexican) because they have a mild flavor and go well with a lot of other ingredients.
I also like to always add some kind of toasted nut to my salads because they have such great flavor and add a nice crunchy texture. I usually go with nuts over croutons in my salads. Walnuts are perfect for this time of year.
Lastly, I added in some red onion because I just love a little bite of red onion in my salads. It helps to cut the richness of butternut squash and walnut and also adds some great color.

Creamy Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing

I love experimenting with making my own salad dressings and this Fall Harvest Salad definitely calls for a special dressing! It made sense to use apple cider vinegar since it’s for fall and I love adding in tahini to my dressings to make them creamy. The tahini also adds a nice nuttiness and helps tame down the acid from the vinegar.

Fall Harvest Salad For Meal Prep

This salad is perfect for meal prep! The kale is really hearty so it will hold up in the refrigerator for a few days. This salad is also packed with protein from the chickpeas and walnuts so it’s filling but also light at the same time. I always look forward to lunch when I know I have a loaded salad like this waiting for me 🙂

Fall Harvest Salad

Author: She Likes Food
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4-6 1x
Category: Lunch, Salad, Vegan, Gluten Free
Method: Oven
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Description

This Fall Harvest Salad is packed with so many delicious seasonal ingredients! It’s great for lunch and keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days.

Ingredients

1 medium sized butternut squash
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large bunch curly kale, ribs removed and chopped up
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 large apple, or two medium apples, cored and diced
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/3 cup diced red onion
Chopped parsley for garnish, if desired

Creamy Apple Cider Vinegar Dressing:

1/3 cup water or olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (use 3 tablespoons if you don’t want it too acidic)
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel butternut squash, but it in half, scoop out all the seeds and dice into bite size pieces. On a large sheet pan, toss together butternut squash, olive oil and salt. Roast squash until fork tender, 30-40 minutes.
Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl, or jar, and mix until combined. You may need to add extra water/oil depending on the consistency of your tahini. The brand I buy is pretty liquidy. Add chopped kale to a large bowl and drizzle on about 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale for about 30 seconds.
Next, add the roasted butternut squash and remaining ingredients and mix until combined. Top with fresh parsley, if desired and drizzle on desired amount of salad dressing for your individual serving.

Notes

To make salad for meal prep: divide all ingredients into four glass containers. Dress the salad just before eating to keep it from getting soggy. Store salad in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.