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Fall Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette


  • Author: Dulcia
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 3 1x

Description

This Fall Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette brings the best of autumn’s bounty in a colorful, nutrient-rich dish. The salad combines roasted butternut squash, fluffy quinoa, crisp apples, and tender kale, all topped with a sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette. Finished with dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, and crumbled feta, this salad is both delicious and visually stunning.


Ingredients

Scale

For the Salad:
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
½ tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
⅔ cup (120 g) raw quinoa
1 cup (240 ml) water
2 cups (130 g) chopped kale leaves
2 small apples, cored and sliced or diced
Toppings:
¼ cup (30 g) dried cranberries
¼ cup (30 g) pecans, roughly chopped
⅓ cup (50 g) crumbled feta cheese (reduced-fat if preferred)
1 ½ tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
¾ tbsp honey or maple syrup
1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste


Instructions

Roast the Butternut Squash: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss diced butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through, until tender. Remove from oven and let cool.
Cook the Quinoa: Rinse and drain quinoa. In a small saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until fluffy and water is absorbed. Let cool.
Make the Dressing: Whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey or maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper in a bowl (or shake in a mason jar) until well combined. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Massage the Kale: Place kale in a large bowl and pour half of the vinaigrette over it. Gently massage the dressing into the kale for 30 seconds until softened.
Assemble the Salad: Add cooked quinoa, roasted butternut squash, and apples to the kale. Toss to combine. Divide salad among plates, then top with cranberries, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and feta cheese. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the top, and serve.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition

  • Calories: 320