Fall Harvest Salad
Updated Sep 26, 2026
Fall harvest salad with roasted sweet potatoes, kale, brussels sprouts, apples, and candied pecans in a maple-tahini dressing.
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If someone asks me to bring a salad to a fall dinner, this fall harvest salad is usually what I make. I roast sweet potatoes, shave Brussels sprouts, add kale, apples, candied pecans, and feta, then make a maple-tahini dressing to serve on the side. I’ve made this fall harvest salad enough times that I usually make extra dressing too, because I always end up wanting it for something else later in the week.
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.
The current version of this fall harvest salad actually looks pretty different from the first version I made. It used to have quinoa and beets, and over time I just stopped wanting either one in there. I swapped the beets for apples first, and that stuck. I like the crunch better with the pecans, and the apples make more sense to me with the maple-tahini dressing.
The dressing has changed a little over the years too. Tahini gets thick fast, and I’ve definitely made versions that were way too heavy on the kale. The lemon and maple help a lot, but the water is what really gets it where I want it. I add a little at a time until I can actually drizzle it instead of spooning it on in blobs.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Fall Harvest Salad Ingredients
- Kale: Remove the stems before chopping so you can really massage the leaves until tender. You can also use spinach, mixed greens, or romaine.
- Sweet potatoes: Cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces so they finish cooking together. Toss with the olive oil, salt, and pepper, and use a baking sheet large enough to spread them in a single layer. Read more of my tips on how to cut sweet potatoes. You can also use butternut squash or acorn squash.
- Brussel sprouts: I thinly slice the Brussel sprouts, but you can shave them or buy them pre-shaved at the grocery store.
- Apples: Use a crisp apple, like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, and leave the peel on for flavor and texture. Here’s a quick tutorial on how to cut an apple. You can also use pears!
- Feta cheese: I crumble my own from a block of feta in brine, but pre-crumbled works, too. Crumbled goat cheese is a good substitute.
- Candied pecans: Try my candied pecans recipe or buy them at the grocery store. For a less sweet salad, replace the ½ cup candied pecans with ½ cup toasted pecans.
- Fall harvest salad tahini dressing: Whisk together Tahini paste, lemon juice, minced garlic, maple syrup, water, and salt.
How to Make a Fall Harvest Salad
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make this Fall Harvest Salad. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Autumn Harvest Salad recipe below
1. Season the sweet potatoes
Place the sweet potatoes on a small baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss until coated.
2. Roast until tender
Bake, stirring halfway through, until the sweet potatoes are softened and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
3. Start the tahini dressing
Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, salt, and water to a large serving bowl.
4. Whisk until smooth
Whisk until no streaks of tahini remain. The fall harvest salad dressing should be loose enough to coat the greens; if it’s too thick, whisk in more water a teaspoon at a time.
5. Toss the greens
Add the kale and toss or massage until evenly coated with dressing. Add the thinly sliced Brussel sprouts and toss again.
6. Make the Fall Harvest Salad
Right before serving, top with the cooled sweet potatoes, chopped apples, candied pecans, and crumbled feta.
Full Fall Harvest Salad Recipe
Fall Harvest Salad Recipe
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 cool, whisk together the ingredients for the fall harvest salad dressing in a large serving bowl.
- Add the kale on top of the dressing and toss or massage well until the kale is evenly coated. Add the Brussel sprouts and toss again.
- Right before serving, top 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.
Recipe Variations
- Spice up the sweet potatoes. Toss the chopped sweet potatoes with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, or ½ teaspoon chili powder along with the olive oil, salt, and pepper before roasting.
- Add dried fruit. Toss in ¼ cup dried cranberries, dried cherries, or chopped dried figs.
- Pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle ¼ cup over the finished autumn harvest salad for a tart addition alongside the apples.
- Try a vinaigrette dressing. If you don’t like tahini, swap it out for a classic balsamic vinaigrette dressing.
Recipe Tips
- Dry the greens well. Water caught in the kale leaves or sliced sprouts can thin the dressing. A salad spinner helps, especially after washing chopped kale.
- Give the sweet potatoes room to roast. If the pieces are piled together, they’ll steam instead of brown. Use a larger baking sheet if needed.
- Massage the kale before adding the toppings. Gently but firmly rub the dressing into the kale until the leaves soften and turn a deeper green, about 2–3 minutes. Then add the other ingredients so the potatoes don’t get mashed.
Serving Ideas
- Add protein to make it a meal: The salad tastes great with grilled chicken, baked tofu, or roasted chickpeas.
- Mains: I like serving this autumn harvest salad alongside pomegranate roasted chicken thighs, spaghetti squash lasagna, or creamy pumpkin pasta.
- Sides: If I’m putting together a few vegetable dishes to share, I’ll serve it with broccoli fritters, air fryer green beans, and roasted cabbage.
- Soup: For a soup-and-salad lunch, I like pairing the salad with roasted butternut squash soup, broccoli soup, or carrot ginger soup.
Troubleshooting
Thick stems or large pieces can make kale hard to chew even after dressing it. Remove the stems, chop the leaves into smaller pieces, and massage the dressing into them until they soften. Do this before adding the toppings.
The pieces may be larger than those pictured, or your oven may need a little more time. Test a few pieces with a fork before taking the tray out; they should be tender all the way through. Keep roasting if the centers are still firm.
Tahini can thicken when you first mix it with lemon juice. Keep whisking as you add the measured water. If it still looks more like a paste than a dressing, add extra water a teaspoon at a time until it loosens up.
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.