Fall Harvest Salad Recipe • Kath Eats

Q4 harvest salad recipe is made with massaged kale as the bottom and crowned with roasted butternut squash, crumbled blue cheese, sliced honeycrisp apple, and crunchy spiced pecans. A maple and apple cider dressing brings all of it in combination.

The primary day of fall for me is the primary day there’s a crisp within the air

I completely love autumn climate – the drop in humidity, the shadows that appear to stretch for miles off of crops nonetheless stuffed with leaves. Cold mornings and heat afternoons. And naturally the entire fall flavors that come round this time of yr! 

It is a fall harvest salad I’ve made again and again. The flavors are most sensible notch: warming spices, roasted greens, gourds, and hearty kale.

Q4 harvest salad is a little heartier than summery ones due to a lot of pleasing fiber from chopped kale and roasted butternut squash. This salad isn’t just healthy and nutritious however filling and pleasing as neatly. The distinction in flavors between cinnamon-dusted squash, tart blue cheese, and crunchy candy pecans is heaven on earth. 

The kale will get massaged in a easy maple syrup and apple cider vinegar salad dressing. Only a trace of garlic taste is going far. 

Q4 salad recipe makes a colourful addition to your vacation desk as neatly, whether or not its the principle path at a girls lunch (upload some grilled rooster on most sensible) or as a facet dish to a Thanksgiving desk. I love to stay it quite disassembled within the refrigerator so I will bring together it briefly at time for supper, whether or not that’s to revel in a little bit on a regular basis for lunch or as a served dish. 

Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

Salad Elements

Butternut Squash – both one huge complete squash or a bath of pre-cubed squash from the grocer

Kale – a big head, 2 mediums, or a bag of pre-chopped to save lots of time

Honeycrisp Apple – my favourite however use no matter you favor!

Spiced Pecans – you’ll be able to additionally use undeniable and toast them. Or some other more or less spiced nut. 

Blue Cheese – Bleu d’auvergne is my favourite selection. Purchase it in a block and crumbled it your self. In recent times I’ve been on an enormous gorgonzola kick, so that may be a nice possibility as neatly. 

Cinnamon – Only a dusting for the squash to roast in. 

Maple + Apple Cider French dressing

• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup further virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• Salt + pepper

Substitutions

• Butternut is my favourite squash to roast! Acorn squash would paintings too. You’ll be able to additionally use roasted candy potato and even roasted pumpkin (in conjunction with its pumpkin seeds, roasted and spiced) in case you don’t love butternut squash. 
• You’ll be able to use blended vegetables in case you’d favor and toss them with the dressing at serving time.
• Blue cheese now not your factor? Feta cheese or goat cheese would paintings too.
• Sub sliced pear for apple. 
• Upload pomegranate seeds for extra juicy texture. 
• As an alternative of pecans, you’ll be able to use toasted walnuts, slivered almonds, or marcona almonds. 

Directions

Step 1: Roast Squash

Preheat the oven to 400 levels. If the use of an entire butternut, wash the squash, peel off the surface, slice it in part, de-seed, and chop into cubes. 

Unfold cubes of butternut squash out on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on cinnamon. Therapeutic massage butternut till neatly lined and bake for 30-35 mins, till fork smooth and browning on the edges.

Step 2: Prep Elements

Whilst squash bakes, wash and dry kale and take away any stems. Chop the kale into small items. Slice the honeycrisp apple thinly. Fall apart blue cheese with a fork or blank hands.

Step 3: Make The Dressing

To make the dressing, grate or press garlic clove (use as little or up to you favor, relying to your palate) and mix all components in a jar and whisk or shake. I really like the use of a microplane zester to verify the garlic is nearly a paste. Have in mind: a little bit is going far! 

Step 4: Therapeutic massage Kale and Marinate

Therapeutic massage kale with dressing the use of blank fingers till kale is shiny inexperienced and softens – longer than you suppose! Permit to sit down and marinate a minimum of 20 mins, however as much as a couple of hours. You might wish to upload extra dressing at serving time for the reason that kale will take in one of the dressing because it sinks in. 

Step 5: Collect Salad

Upload massaged and dressed kale to a big bowl and toss with roasted butternut squash, apple, pecans, and blue cheese. Upload any last dressing. I cling any proteins to serve on most sensible fairly than blending in, however in case you’re the use of one thing like rooster cubes, pass forward and blend it in! 

Step 6: Serve

Recipe Notes

Shortcuts: Save your self a number of steps if you’ll be able to to find pre-cubed butternut squash for a just right value on the grocery retailer. 

Upload-ons: Upload a grain like wheatberries, quinoa, or bulgur for additonal protein and fiber. Pomegranate arils or dried cranberries would upload a little extra sweetness. 

Make-ahead: It is a nice make-ahead salad as a result of massaged kale will get higher with time! If you understand you’ll be making it neatly prematurely, reserve a little bit dressing so as to add at serving time since numerous it will get soaked into the kale within the refrigerator. Additionally, go away pecans out and upload on the ultimate minute to stay them from getting soggy. 

Serve: Function a facet, a mild lunch or as a base for a meal salad with protein of your selection on most sensible. Grilled rooster or leftover vacation turkey could be perfect. I additionally like it with salmon! 

Retailer: Retailer in an air-tight container within the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 

Extra Harvest Meal Concepts:

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