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Never underestimate the magic of a good salad. This Fall Harvest Salad celebrates the season with crisp, colorful ingredients all tossed in a sweet and tangy apple cider vinaigrette. It’s vibrant, full of texture, and bursting with flavor—sure to impress whether you serve it at a family dinner or bring it to a holiday table.
Why You Should Make This Salad
- Beautiful presentation: With its vibrant fall ingredients, this salad is as eye-catching as it is delicious—an instant way to dress up any table.
- Incredible flavor and texture: From the caramelized roasted sweet potatoes and juicy blackberries to the crunchy toasted pecans and creamy blue cheese, every bite is a perfect balance of taste and texture.
- Delicious dressing: The apple cider vinaigrette is light, sweet, and tangy, enhancing the salad without overpowering the fresh ingredients.
- Make-ahead friendly: Both the salad components and the vinaigrette can be prepared in advance and quickly assembled before serving. It’s just as perfect as a holiday side dish as it is a hearty main course.
Fall Harvest Salad Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients
Place all of the ingredients into a small mason jar, cover, and shake until fully mixed,
Let’s Make The Fall Harvest Salad
- Peel and dice the sweet potato into small pieces. Toss them in 1 TBS of olive oil or canola oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them for 15 minutes at 425°. After 15 minutes, stir them, and roast them for another 10 minutes. When they are done, set them aside and let them cool to room temperature.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooling, assemble the salad by placing the mixed greens on a large platter and topping the greens with shredded red cabbage.
- Dice the pear into small pieces that are the same size as the sweet potato and add them to the top of the salad.
- Add the diced sweet potato.
- Crumble the blue cheese with your fingers and sprinkle it around the salad. Cut the blackberries in half and place them around the salad.
- If the dates have pits, remove the pits and cut the dates into small pieces. Sprinkle the date pieces and the golden raisins around the salad.
- Break apart the pecans halves with your finger and top the salad with pecan pieces.
- Drizzle the Apple Cider Vinaigrette over the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
I used a mix of baby spinach and baby arugula for this salad, but it also works beautifully with the pre-packaged mixed greens. Romaine lettuce is another great option if you want a bit more crunch. I don’t recommend iceberg lettuce, though—the texture is too firm, and this salad really benefits from softer, more tender greens.
Absolutely! That’s the beauty of this salad—it’s super flexible. You can swap in squash for the sweet potatoes, or even use apples in place of pears. If golden raisins aren’t available, regular raisins work just as well, and figs can stand in for dates. Prefer walnuts over pecans? Go for it. This salad invites creativity, so feel free to make it your own with whatever ingredients you love or have on hand.
This salad pairs wonderfully with roasted chicken or pork, and it makes a gorgeous addition to any Thanksgiving table. You can also turn it into a hearty main course by topping it with grilled chicken or steak. grilled chicken or steak.
Krazy Kitchen Mom Tips
- Roast for best flavor: When roasting sweet potatoes or squash, avoid crowding the pan. After tossing them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread the pieces out on a baking sheet so they don’t touch. This helps them roast evenly and develop a nice golden brown on all sides.
- Even cuts matter: For any salad, aim to cut the ingredients into similar-sized pieces. That way, every forkful has a perfect mix of flavors.
- Prep ahead: Save time by prepping all the ingredients in advance and simply assembling the salad right before serving.
- Keep pears fresh: If preparing ahead, toss the diced pear pieces with a little fresh lemon juice. This keeps them from oxidizing and turning brown.
More Colorful Delicious Recipes
- Spinach Feta Savory Galette
- Fresh Mango Salsa
- Easy Weeknight Pepper Steak
- Grilled Chicken Caprese
- Homemade Bruschetta
Fall Harvest Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Place all of the ingredients into a mason jar or a container with a lid and shake until fully mixed. If you do not have a container with a lid or a jar, you can whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Preheat oven to 425°
- Peel and dice the sweet potato into small pieces. Toss them in 1 TBS of olive oil or canola oil, salt, and pepper, and roast them for 15 minutes at 425°.
- After 15 minutes, stir them, and roast them for another 10 minutes. When they are done, set them aside and let them cool at room temperature.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooling, assemble the salad by placing the mixed greens on a large platter and topping the greens with shredded red cabbage.
- Dice the pear into small pieces that are the same size as the sweet potato and add them to the top of the salad.
- Add the diced roasted sweet potato.
- Crumble the blue cheese with your fingers and sprinkle it around the salad.
- Cut the blackberries in half and place them around the salad.
- If the dates have pits, remove the pits and cut the dates into small pieces. Sprinkle the date pieces and the golden raisins around the salad.
- Break apart the pecans halves with your finger and top the salad with pecan pieces.
- Drizzle the salad with the Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
Notes
- Roast for best flavor: When roasting sweet potatoes or squash, avoid crowding the pan. After tossing them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, spread the pieces out on a baking sheet so they don’t touch. This helps them roast evenly and develop a nice golden brown on all sides.
- Even cuts matter: For any salad, aim to cut the ingredients into similar-sized pieces. That way, every forkful has a perfect mix of flavors.
- Prep ahead: Save time by prepping all the ingredients in advance and simply assembling the salad right before serving.
- Keep pears fresh: If preparing ahead, toss the diced pear pieces with a little fresh lemon juice. This keeps them from oxidizing and turning brown.
If you make this recipe, show me a pic! You can upload your photo to your Instagram account and tag me @krazykitchenmom
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