Fall Harvest Salad Recipe • Kath Eats

Q4 harvest salad recipe is made with massaged kale as the bottom and crowned with roasted butternut squash, crumbled blue cheese, sliced honeycrisp apple, and crunchy spiced pecans. A maple and apple cider dressing brings all of it in combination.

The primary day of fall for me is the primary day there’s a crisp within the air

I completely love autumn climate – the drop in humidity, the shadows that appear to stretch for miles off of vegetation nonetheless stuffed with leaves. Cold mornings and heat afternoons. And naturally the entire fall flavors that come round this time of 12 months! 

It is a fall harvest salad I’ve made over and over. The flavors are best notch: warming spices, roasted greens, gourds, and hearty kale.

Q4 harvest salad is somewhat heartier than summery ones because of loads of pleasant fiber from chopped kale and roasted butternut squash. This salad is not just healthy and nutritious however filling and pleasant as smartly. The distinction in flavors between cinnamon-dusted squash, tart blue cheese, and crunchy candy pecans is heaven on earth. 

The kale will get massaged in a easy maple syrup and apple cider vinegar salad dressing. Only a trace of garlic taste is going far. 

Q4 salad recipe makes a colourful addition for your vacation desk as smartly, whether or not its the principle route at a women lunch (upload some grilled rooster on best) or as an aspect dish to a Thanksgiving desk. I love to stay it slightly disassembled within the refrigerator so I will be able to bring together it briefly at time for supper, whether or not that’s to revel in somewhat on a regular basis for lunch or as a served dish. 

Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

Salad Elements

Butternut Squash – both one massive entire squash or a bath of pre-cubed squash from the grocer

Kale – a big head, 2 mediums, or a bag of pre-chopped to avoid wasting time

Honeycrisp Apple – my favourite however use no matter you prefer!

Spiced Pecans – you’ll be able to additionally use simple and toast them. Or any other roughly spiced nut. 

Blue Cheese – Bleu d’auvergne is my favourite selection. Purchase it in a block and crumbled it your self. In recent years I’ve been on an enormous gorgonzola kick, so that may be a nice possibility as smartly. 

Cinnamon – Only a dusting for the squash to roast in. 

Maple + Apple Cider French dressing

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup further virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt + pepper

Substitutions

• Butternut is my favourite squash to roast! Acorn squash would paintings too. You’ll additionally use roasted candy potato and even roasted pumpkin (along side its pumpkin seeds, roasted and spiced) when you don’t love butternut squash. 
• You’ll use blended vegetables when you’d desire and toss them with the dressing at serving time.
• Blue cheese now not your factor? Feta cheese or goat cheese would paintings too.
• Sub sliced pear for apple. 
• Upload pomegranate seeds for extra juicy texture. 
• As a substitute of pecans, you’ll be able to use toasted walnuts, slivered almonds, or marcona almonds. 

Directions

Step 1: Roast Squash

Preheat the oven to 400 levels. If the usage of an entire butternut, wash the squash, peel off the surface, slice it in part, de-seed, and chop into cubes. 

Unfold cubes of butternut squash out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on cinnamon. Therapeutic massage butternut till smartly covered and bake for 30-35 mins, till fork mushy and browning on the edges.

Step 2: Prep Elements

Whilst squash bakes, wash and dry kale and take away any stems. Chop the kale into small items. Slice the honeycrisp apple thinly. Fall apart blue cheese with a fork or blank palms.

Step 3: Make The Dressing

To make the dressing, grate or press garlic clove (use as little or up to you prefer, relying for your palate) and mix all substances in a jar and whisk or shake. I like the usage of a microplane zester to make sure the garlic is nearly a paste. Take into accout: somewhat is going far! 

Step 4: Therapeutic massage Kale and Marinate

Therapeutic massage kale with dressing the usage of blank fingers till kale is shiny inexperienced and softens – longer than you assume! Permit to take a seat and marinate a minimum of 20 mins, however as much as a couple of hours. It’s possible you’ll want to upload extra dressing at serving time because the kale will take in one of the crucial dressing because it sinks in. 

Step 5: Bring together Salad

Upload massaged and dressed kale to a big bowl and toss with roasted butternut squash, apple, pecans, and blue cheese. Upload any ultimate dressing. I cling any proteins to serve on best relatively than blending in, however when you’re the usage of one thing like rooster cubes, cross forward and blend it in! 

Step 6: Serve

Recipe Notes

Shortcuts: Save your self a host of steps if you’ll be able to to find pre-cubed butternut squash for a just right worth on the grocery retailer. 

Upload-ons: Upload a grain like wheatberries, quinoa, or bulgur for additonal protein and fiber. Pomegranate arils or dried cranberries would upload somewhat extra sweetness. 

Make-ahead: It is a nice make-ahead salad as a result of massaged kale will get higher with time! If you already know you’ll be making it smartly prematurely, reserve somewhat dressing so as to add at serving time since a large number of it will get soaked into the kale within the refrigerator. Additionally, depart pecans out and upload on the closing minute to stay them from getting soggy. 

Serve: Function an aspect, a gentle lunch or as a base for a meal salad with protein of your selection on best. Grilled rooster or leftover vacation turkey can be perfect. I additionally adore it with salmon! 

Retailer: Retailer in an air-tight container within the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Extra Harvest Meal Concepts:

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