Fall Harvest Salad
Updated Oct 01, 2024
This Fall Harvest Salad is inspired by the seasonal autumn veggies—including kale, sweet potatoes, and apples tossed in a tahini dressing!
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I get excited about a salad that’s got layers of flavor, texture, and color, and this Fall Harvest Salad is exactly that kind of salad. With crunchy apples and candied pecans, feta cheese, thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, and roasted sweet potatoes, it’s the kind of fall salad that’ll have you saying, “So good!”.
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This fall harvest salad isn’t just a side dish—it’s got potential to be the main event! I think it brings together the best of fall’s produce and takes it up a notch with a creamy, tangy tahini dressing.
Besides fresh kale, feta cheese, Brussels sprouts, and apples, I have sweet potatoes on my list of favorite fall ingredients. If you’re not a fan, you could leave them out, but in my opinion, a autumn harvest salad isn’t complete without these sweet spuds. If you want to know how to roast them, here’s my simple recipe (it basically just involves chopping, seasoning, and roasting the potatoes!).
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Dietary Info: Gluten-free and vegetarian
Key Flavor: Sweet potatoes, kale, pecans, and feta
Skill Level: Easy
Why This Is So Good
- Naturally gluten-free: This harvest salad with sweet potato is all about fresh produce, making it a great choice for gluten-sensitive guests. I like to make it for Thanksgiving for this reason: It’ll please anyone!
- Easy to make: You just have to roast the sweet potatoes, toss all the ingredients together, and drizzle them with the dressing. You could even roast the sweet potatoes ahead of time, making this fall harvest salad even faster.
- Adaptable: Dairy-free? Leave out the cheese. Sesame allergy? Swap the dressing. Dislike kale? Use spinach. Want a heartier salad? Add leftover roasted chicken!
Ingredients to Make a Fall Harvest Salad
- Kale: Remove the stems from the kale and then chop it into bite-sized pieces.
- Sweet potatoes: These get a little caramelized in the oven!
- Brussel sprouts: Thinly slice or shave them! You can achieve this using a knife or a food processor’s slicing attachment. Sometimes, grocery stores will also sell shaved Brussels sprouts.
- Apples: Any type of apple works—use your favorite!
- Candied pecans: These are cinnamon sugar pecans, sweet and savory. I use my candied pecans recipe, but you can buy them, too.
- Feta cheese: This adds a salty bite. It’s one of my favorite cheeses for salads.
- Tahini paste, lemon juice, minced garlic, maple syrup, water, and salt: These are what you’ll need to make the fall harvest salad dressing!
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Use another green. Instead of kale, you could use another green like spinach, mixed greens, or romaine.
- Try a balsamic vinegar vinaigrette. If you don’t like tahini dressing, swap it for a classic, homemade balsamic vinegar vinaigrette.
- Swap the sweet potatoes for squash. For a slightly different taste and texture, switch out sweet potatoes with roasted butternut squash chunks. It’s still savory but less sweet. You could use acorn squash too!
- Add beets. Toss in some roasted beets for an added texture and earthy flavor.
How to Make a Fall Harvest Salad
There’s not much to do to put together this fall harvest salad. But I would recommend massaging the kale with half the dressing to make it more tender and easier to chew. I always do this when I make my massaged kale salad. Leave the other half of the dressing for serving!
Tips for Making the Best Harvest Salad with Sweet Potato
- Massage the kale separately with the dressing. This works with any type of dressing you’re using. The oil from the dressing helps to soften the tough kale leaves, making them much easier to eat!
- Make all the ingredients ahead and toss before serving. This fall harvest salad is a great make-ahead dish for the holidays. I like to prep everything separately and toss the salad together together when it’s time serve!
- Add protein to make this a full meal. This salad lends itself very well to be served with roasted or grilled chicken. If you wanted to keep it vegetarian, you could add quinoa or tofu.
- Reserve the apples for topping the salad only. This is the case for any fruits you’re using (like pears or pomegranate, which would also be great in this salad!). Reserve them for topping, not tossing, and it will preserve their color and make for an overall better presentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep the dressing separate and add it before eating to keep the greens from getting soggy!
When they’re fork-tender and have a slight golden edge, they’re good to go. But don’t over-roast them, or they might become too soft for the salad.
To massage kale, start by removing the tough stems and tearing the leaves into bite-sized pieces. Place the kale in a large bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt—these help to break down the fibrous texture. Then, use your hands to gently but firmly rub the leaves together for about 2-3 minutes. You’ll notice the kale turning a deeper green and feeling softer.
I think this Fall Harvest Salad has the perfect blend of autumn flavors and hearty ingredients. And the creamy, tangy tahini dressing? It’s the cherry on top. This salad’s creamy, crunchy, salty, sweet, and perfect. I’ve made it for weeknight meals and fancy dinners and received rave reviews every time.
More Fall Inspired Salads:
- Dijon Kale Salad
- Autumn Pear Salad
- Brussel Sprout Salad Recipe
- Asian Noodle Salad
- Brussels Sprout Salad
- Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad
If you try this feel good Fall Harvest Salad recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Thiss Fall Harvest Salad was originally published on October 29, 2019. I have recently updated the recipe to remove the quinoa and bulk up on more seasonal and swapped the beets for apples. This post has also been updated with new photography and step-by-step images to help make the recipe.
Fall Harvest Salad
Video
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 bunch kale de-stemmed and chopped, about 6 cups
- 1 pound Brussel sprouts trimmed, halves and thinly sliced
- 2 apples chopped
- ½ cup candied pecans
- ½ cup feta cheese
Tahini Dressing
- ⅓ cup tahini paste
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the sweet potatoes on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well to combine. Roast for 30-35 minutes, stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooling, whisk together the ingredients for the tahini dressing in a large serving bowl.
- Add the kale to the salad bowl on top of the tahini dressing and toss or massage well until the kale is evenly coated. Add the brussel sprouts, and give it another toss.
- Right before serving, top off the salad with the cooled sweet potatoes, apples, candied pecans, and feta cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Comments
So tasteful! Light salad, easy to make.
Thanks so much, Katie!! Glad you liked it!
Amazing salad! Soooo good!
Yay, so happy you liked it! Thank you!!
Can I make this all head and combine right before serving?
Yes, absolutely! I would definitely recommend that.