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Overhead shot of a colorful fall salad with a pink and gold fork resting in the bowl

Fall Harvest Salad

This Fall Harvest Salad is filled with all of the very best flavors of autumn. It starts with a base of arugula and kale, and then gets topped with honeycrisp apple, red onion, roasted fennel and butternut squash, avocado, pomegranate, toasted pecans, and fried sage leaves! To finish, this dreamy fall salad gets tossed with a ridiculously flavorful maple dijon vinaigrette!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main, Salad, Side
Keyword arugula fall salad, crispy sage, dairy free fall salad, easy fall salad recipe, fall salad, fall salad dressing, hearty fall salad, honeycrisp salad, kale fall salad, maple dijon vinaigrette, roasted fennel, vegan fall salad, vegetarian fall salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
Author Molly | Spices in My DNA

Ingredients

For the roasted butternut and fennel

  • 3 cups cubed butternut squash
  • 1 medium-large bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
  • 3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • salt and pepper

For the salad

  • 5-6 cups baby arugula
  • 1 medium bunch lacinato/Tuscan kale, de-stemmed and shredded
  • 1 honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
  • 1 avocado, pitted and thinly sliced
  • 1/3 cup pomegranate arils
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 10-12 sage leaves

For the maple dijon vinaigrette

  • 1/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

  1. Begin by making the roasted butternut and fennel. Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Arrange butternut squash on half of the sheet pan, and the fennel on the other half. Toss the butternut squash with 2 teaspoons of the olive oil, the maple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Toss the fennel with the reamining teaspoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing once during baking, until butternut and fennel are tender and golden brown.

  2. Make the vinaigrette. In a medium bowl, whisk together the white balsamic vinegar, dijon, maple, shallot, garlic, salt, and pepper until combined. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until dressing is smooth and creamy. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if desired.

  3. Right before serving, make the crispy sage. In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it starts to sizzle, add the sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds - 1 minute until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Season with a pinch of salt.

  4. To assemble the salad, place arugula and kale in a large bowl. Add the honeycrisp apple, avocado, pomegranate arils, and toasted pecans. Season the salad with a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Add desired amount of dressing and toss to coat. Serve with fried sage leaves on top!