Fall Harvest Salad

Make your favorite Sweet Green salad at home with this Fall Harvest Salad recipe. This fall kale salad is loaded with lots of fall fruits and veggies, cubes of chicken breast and a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

Roasted brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes are my favorite salad topping

During the fall I make sure to make a big sheet pan of roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts every Sunday. Then, I use those roasted veggies throughout the week to make big chopped fall salads.

I always make my fall harvest salads the same way so I thought it was time I write out my recipe and share it! Start with a base of fresh greens – I usually use kale.

Then, add your seasonal toppings like roasted veggies, crisp apples, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese. Finally, finish it all off with a simple balsamic vinaigrette.

Make this big fall salad for a group or add it to your weekly meal prep. I like to prep this on Sunday and place it in meal prep containers to take to lunch at work. I usually make a big batch of my Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette to go along with it.

Gotta have chopped honey crisp apples to make a proper Fall salad

I’m going to throw my hat into the ring of the yearly apple debate and say that I think honey crisp apples are hands down the best apples. They are crisp and sweet, yet slightly tart.

In my opinion, they are the perfect apple to use on this fall harvest salad. I especially love the way they taste with the creamy, tart goat cheese.

Why is it called a harvest salad?

It is called a harvest salad because it combines all of the fruits and vegetables harvested during the fall. This harvest salad has kale, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, apples and pumpkin seeds.

I also add some chopped cooked chicken and goat cheese to balance out all the fruits and veggies of the bountiful harvest.

What kitchen tools will I need to make this healthy fall salad?

• Sheet pan
• Parchment paper
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Liquid measuring cup
• Mixing bowls
• Frying pan
• Sharp knife
• Cutting board

What ingredients will I need to make this big chopped fall salad?

These are the specific ingredients that I use to make my fall salads, but you can customize this any way you see fit!! If you don’t like chicken you can simply omit that or replace it with chickpeas or tempeh.

If you prefer to use a different lettuce, spring mix or romaine would be great for this salad. Finally, you can replace the roasted veggies with other fall vegetables like butternut squash and broccoli.

• Sweet potato
• Brussels sprouts
• Avocaod oil
• Boneless skinless chicken breast
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped kale
• Roasted pumpkin seeds
• Apple
• Goat cheese
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil
• Dijon mustard

Ingredient substitutions and additons

If you like a sweeter salad you can add some sweet fresh or dried fruit on top. I like to add dried cranberries or fresh pomegranate.

You can completely omit the chicken to make this salad vegetarian. If you want to add some extra protein you can add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas or crispy air fryer tofu.

Let’s make a healthy Fall Harvest Salad!

Step 1: Roast the veggies

To begin, preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, cube sweet potato and quarter the brussels sprouts and toss in 2 tbsp avocado oil.

Next, lay the veggies on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Then, bake in the oven at 425F for 25 minutes.

Step 2: Saute the chicken

While the veggies bake, cube the chicken breast into bite size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Then, heat 2 tbsp of avocado oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.

When the oil is warm add the chicken to the pan. Then, cook the chicken over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes tossing frequently.

Ensure that the chicken is cooked by checking for an internal temperature of at least 165F. Remove the chicken from the pan to cool.

Step 3: Prepare other fall salad ingredients

Then, prepare the balsamic vinaigrette by whisking together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard.

Chop the apple into bite sized pieces (If you are serving this salad later you can squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple to prevent it from browning.)

When the veggies are done roasting, remove them from the oven to cool.

Step 4: Assemble the fall kale salad

Assemble the salad starting with the chopped kale on the bottom. Then, top the kale salad with the roasted veggies, chopped apple, sautéed chicken, goat cheese and roasted pumpkin seeds.

When you are ready to serve the  kale salad, drizzle the balsamic dressing on top!

How long will this fall kale salad with apples keep in the fridge?

If you are not going to eat this fall salad recipe immediately, store the salad and the balsamic dressing in separate containers. Store the salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Yes! You can make this simple harvest salad ahead of time. Store each component of this salad in containers in the fridge and assemble it just before serving.

Check out these other salad recipes!

• Easy Italian Chopped Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Peach Burrata Salad
• Easy Greek Salad Recipe

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

Recipe

Fall Harvest Salad

Sweet green copycat fall harvest salad with kale, apples, and roasted veggies.

Recipe By: Madeline

Prep: 15 minutesCook: 35 minutesTotal: 50 minutes

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Servings: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 8oz brussels sprouts
• 4 tbsp avocado oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp salt (for chicken)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (for chicken)
• 6 cups chopped kale
• 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (I used the pumpkin spice roasted ones from Trader Joes)
• 1 med-large apple
• 2oz goat cheese

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Cube sweet potato and quarter the brussels sprouts and toss in 2 tbsp avocado oil
3. Lay the veggies on the baking sheet and season with salt and pepper
4. Bake in the oven at 425F for 25 minutes
5. While the veggies bake, cube the chicken breast into bite size pieces and season with salt and pepper
6. Heat 2 tbsp of avocado oil in  a frying pan over medium-high heat
7. When the oil is warm add the chicken to the pan
8. Cook the chicken over medium-high heat for 6-7 minutes tossing frequently – ensure that the chicken is cooked by checking for an internal temperature of at least 165F
9. Remove the chicken from the pan to cool
10. Prepare the balsamic vinaigrette by whisking together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and dijon mustard
11. Chop the apple into bite sized pieces (If you are serving this salad later you can squeeze some lemon juice onto the apple to prevent it from browning.)
12. When the veggies are done roasting, remove them from the oven to cool
13. Assemble the salad starting with the chopped kale on the bottom and top with the roasted veggies, chopped apple, sauteed chicken, goat cheese and roasted pumpkin seeds
14. When you are ready to serve the  kale salad, drizzle the balsamic dressing on top!

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.