This Autumn Harvest Salad is loaded with all of my favorite fall ingredients, but feel free to substitute and alter depending on what you like. Autumn is in full swing here in Boise and it has been glorious. Blue sunny skies, firey reds, oranges, and golds on all our trees and crisp cool air. This is my favorite time of year and I wanted a salad that encompassed all of it! Do you guys remember that Honey Cider Vinaigrette I shared a couple weeks back? Although it’s great on lots of things, I created it specifically to go with this incredible salad.
Ingredients Needed
- Spring greens – Spring mix, spinach mix, etc.
- Apples – Pears would also work, but I personally love the crunch of apples.
- Roasted Butternut Squash – One of my favorite things in here is roasted butternut squash. If that sounds odd to you, you’ve just got to try it! Roasted squash on salads adds a buttery richness and also some bulk that makes the meal really filling. If you don’t have time for the squash you could certainly leave it out, but if you can swing it I definitely recommend it. You can toss the squash in warm, or at room temp, or even cold. I usually prep it a little ahead and toss it in at room temp. Roasted sweet potato would be another option here.
- Candied pecans – Or other nuts of your choice. If you’d like to make your own, follow the instructions here for Quick Candied Nuts.
- Pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Feta cheese – Feta adds a tangy, salty, bite.
- Pomegranate arils – Can we talk pomegranates for a second? I love pomegranates in the fall and winter. If you’re not sure how to cut and prepare a fresh pomegranate, click here to learn How to Cut, De-seed, and Eat a Pomegranate! They look SO gorgeous and festive. Can I tell you a little secret thought? I actually don’t love them in salads! While I enjoy snacking on them plain- I don’t love the texture in a salad, haha. So use those if you wish, or just do what I do and put a few on the very top because it looks so pretty but not enough to take over.
- Red onion
- Shredded or diced chicken – Optional.
- Honey Cider Vinaigrette
- Apple cider
- Honey
- Apple cider vinegar
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
How to Make an Autumn Harvest Salad
- Prepare your dressing: Place apple cider, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until honey is incorporated into mixture (you may need to scrape the bottom of the blender). With lid on and blender speed running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil in a small steady stream until fully incorporated.
- Assemble your salad: Place greens in large serving bowl and top with everything else! Toss with dressing and enjoy.
Storing and Other Tips
- This salad is best enjoyed freshly assembled. If you’d like to plan ahead, you can prep your ingredients ahead of time and assemble the salad right before you’re ready to serve. See this Instagram post to learn how to prevent your apples from browning.
- While in all of these photos the ingredients are arranged to be picture perfect, if you’re serving this to a large group (it would be perfect and festive for fall baby and wedding showers and any other luncheon type events!) you can just chop everything into uniformly diced pieces and toss.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the dressing last in the fridge?
This dressing should be good for 5-7 days if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. A quick sniff/taste test will tell you if anything is off before using if you are on the later end of that timeline and unsure.
Do I have to roast my squash?
I definitely recommend it! If desired, however, butternut squash can be eaten raw. You can grate it and add it to a salad like you would shredded carrots.
Autumn Harvest Salad
A hearty autumnal salad with seasonal ingredients and a Honey Cider Dressing. Note: ingredient amounts are approximate. Like any salad, feel free to customize according to your personal tastes.
Servings servings
Ingredients
Honey Cider Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup apple cider not apple juice
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil (or a vegetable oil, like canola)
Salad
- 1 large bag greens spring mix, spinach mix, etc.
- 1-2 apples, medium sliced or diced
- 1 butternut squash diced and roasted (see note)
- 1 handful candied pecans or other nut of your choice
- 1 handful pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 1 handful feta cheese crumbled
- 1 handful pomegranate arils
- 1 small red onion sliced thin
- shredded or diced roasted chicken optional
Instructions
Honey Cider Vinaigrette
- Place apple cider, honey, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until honey is incorporated into mixture (you may need to scrape the bottom of the blender). With lid on and blender speed running on low, slowly drizzle in the oil in a small steady stream until fully incorporated.
- If desired, add additional salt and pepper to taste. You can also add a little more vinegar if you'd like it tangier…it's flexible!
Salad
- Place greens in large serving bowl and top with everything else! Toss with dressing and enjoy.
Notes
- How to prepare Roasted Butternut Squash: Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the long top off the squash to separate it from the bottom round part. Cut each of these two parts in half length wise and use a spoon to scoop out seeds. Peel and dice squash into bite-size pieces and lay them on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean up. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast at 400°F until soft and slightly golden, about 20 minutes. - This salad is best enjoyed freshly assembled. If you’d like to plan ahead, you can prep your ingredients ahead of time and assemble the salad right before you’re ready to serve. See this Instagram post to learn how to prevent your apples from browning.
- While in all of these photos the ingredients are arranged to be picture perfect, if you’re serving this to a large group (it would be perfect and festive for fall baby and wedding showers and any other luncheon type events!) you can just chop everything into uniformly diced pieces and toss.
Nutrition
Calories: 213kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 108mg, Potassium: 546mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 13543IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 94mg, Iron: 1mg
Calories: 213kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
This is totally a show stopper salad that is so incredibly delicious. It’s one of my favorites. I subbed roasted sweet potatoes for the butternut squash and it worked great!
This salad take some prep work, but HOLY MOLY is it WORTH it!!! I made it without chicken and brought it to bunco. It was SO GOOD it was all I ate (and there was tons of other food options there). I’m making it again tonight for a big party tomorrow. THE BEST. Thank you for this one!!
So glad you loved it!
I was looking for a salad to make for a dinner we were invited to. I made this one, and it was perfect! I couldn’t find pomegranate, so I used strawberries. I also couldn’t find apple cider for the dressing, so I used a powdered apple cider drink mix. It worked great! I will definitely make this salad on repeat! Delicious!! Thank you for the recipe!!
thank you SO MUCH for this recipe…..served it to friends at a dinner party & it was a BIG hit. NUMMY!
This was a WINNER. I made it the day after Thanksgiving and we all loved it.
This was just fantastic. So unique with the Cider vinaigrette. Like a really amazing restaurant salad that you think you’ll never be able to make at home!! 🙂 Thanks for sharing such a terrific recipe.
Made this yesterday and it was delicious! Perfect fall salad.
Just made this last night and it was divine! I had uncooked chicken tenders so added them and the onions to the butternut squash for the last 20 min (had to cook the squash longer, for 40 min or so), and everything came out perfectly. I didn’t have pepitas or candied nuts so used pistachios, and the salt mixed with the sweetness of the squash hit the spot. We also used honeycrisp apples, craisins, and a balsamic vinaigrette that we had leftover. Highly recommend! Thanks for a great recipe!
This salad looks delicious and healthful….we already love roasted squash and apples! Thank you.
Perfect for my office lunch ! Thank you for the idea !
I am so into making salads in a Mason Jars & this would be perfect… Looks so good & ready to go…BonitaBonita
Looks delish! This is super similar to an old favorite Southern Living salad, which used a poppyseed dressing and goat cheese and bacon crumbles. The squash is the star in both salads, though.
This looks amazing! Do you know if you can roast frozen butternut squash? I just got a bag from Costco — works great in soups, but maybe not roasted…
that’s a good question- generally speaking I don’t usually have great luck roasting after frozen because of extra moisture, but you could try!