13 Cozy Fall Salad Recipes
Embrace the flavors of fall with these beautiful yet hearty fall salad recipes! All of these salads feature seasonal ingredients like pomegranate, sweet potato, kale, pears, and apples.
Seasonal Ingredients:
I can’t be the only one who looks forward to the changing seasons based on what produce is available!
There’s SO much to look forward to in the fall. Here’s a few of my favorite ingredients to use in salads:
- Apples – Honeycrisp and Pink Ladies are my favorite varieties. They’re sweet-tart and crisp.
- Beets – Beets aren’t for everyone, but I adore them! I roast them with olive oil and salt before I add them to salads.
- Brussels Sprouts – Roasted or raw! Raw brussels taste great when they’re shredded and coated in a homemade dressing.
- Cauliflower – Roasted cauliflower adds great texture!
- Figs – Fresh figs add a pop of color and sweetness.
- Arugula – The peppery bite of arugula adds a nice contrast to sweet or citrusy ingredients.
- Kale – Hearty and nutritious, kale adds texture and won’t wilt quickly.
- Pears – You can slice or dice them. I always look for pears that are ripe but easy to slice and NOT mushy.
- Persimmons – They taste similar to an apricot.
- Pomegranates – One of my favorite ingredients for fall salads! They aren’t available year round. Each pomegranate contains hundreds of juicy seeds that pop in your mouth!
- Winter squash – Think pumpkin, acorn squash, or butternut squash. Cut it into chunks and roast it first.
- Sweet potatoes – Roasted as well!
Autumn Inspired Salads:
A well constructed salad is a thing of beauty – and delicious too! When you combine the right flavors and textures it’s pure magic.
All of these fall salad recipes are delicious!
1. Quinoa & Spinach Salad with Pomegranate
I LOVE to add quinoa to salads! It adds a hearty texture plus plant-based protein. Make a big batch at the beginning of the week so it’s ready to go.
This spinach salad features juicy mandarin oranges and pomegranate seeds with a homemade vinaigrette. It’s super light and fresh.
2. Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
This savory salad is hearty and crunchy with kale and romaine as the base. It’s topped with feta cheese, shredded cabbage, and chickpeas in a tahini dressing.
It’s easy to customize which is a huge bonus. You can add roasted sweet potato and pomegranate seeds during the fall!
3. Shaved Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
Homemade croutons and pan-fried bacon? Yes please! This spin on the classic Caesar is worth the extra effort.
It’s ultra-creamy from the homemade Caesar with some hearty texture from the shredded brussels sprouts. A definite keeper!
4. Spinach, Pear, and Feta Salad
There’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple!
And this beautiful salad pairs earthy spinach with crunchy walnuts and sweet pears in your favorite store-bought vinaigrette.
My personal favorite is Panera’s Balsamic. You can find it near the produce in the refrigerated dressing section.
5. Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Those sweet little pumpkins aren’t just for pie! Roasted pumpkin is delicious on it’s own, but makes a great addition to salads.
Spicy arugula, roasted pumpkin, and feta cheese are tossed in a homemade orange vinaigrette. It calls for almonds, but pecans or walnuts taste great too!
6. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Shallot Vinaigrette
This salad screams fall.
It features roasted brussels, thinly sliced apple, dried cranberries, blue cheese, crunchy pecans, and spicy arugula!
And it’s all tossed in a homemade shallot vinaigrette. Yum!
7. Roasted Pear Salad with Goat Cheese
This gorgeous salad is as good as it looks! Roasting the pears first intensifies their nectarously sweet flavor.
The pears complement the spicy arugula, creamy goat cheese, and a punchy lemon vinaigrette. A must try this holiday season!
8. Broccoli Apple Salad
An autumn spin on a classic side dish! This broccoli salad is full of crunchy apples, sweet dried cherries, nutty almonds, and tangy blue cheese.
It all comes together with a homemade creamy honey mustard. If you’re feeling ambitious, add some crumbled bacon as well!
9. Fall Harvest Salad with Pecan Chicken
The pecan crusted chicken tenders are delicious on their own! Panko makes them crispy and pecans give them nuttiness.
Quickly transform them into a healthy meal with mixed greens, sweet potato, sweet-tart apple, and creamy goat cheese. So filling and good!
10. Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with Avocado
Another unique spin on a pear salad. This version caramelizes the pecans in maple syrup and chipotle powder first!
It also includes creamy avocado for a filling boost of heart-healthy fats. It’s fresh, crunchy, creamy – the whole package.
11. Roasted Cauliflower Kale Salad
I’m a huge fan of roasted veggies, and this salad incorporates roasted cauliflower AND butternut squash!
It’s mixed with kale and arugula, avocado, and pumpkin seeds, then finished with a lemon tahini dressing.
It packs in the flavor AND it’s super healthy. Win, win!
12. Wild Rice Fall Salad
I love that this salad incorporates cooked wild rice! It adds a nutty flavor and some chewy texture, plus it’s more filling.
It’s a unique combination of green olives, walnuts, dried cranberries, apples, and kale in a minty vinaigrette.
13. Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad with Parmesan
This brussels sprouts salad is light, fresh, and crunchy! It’s a super simple salad you’ll make over and over.
Brussels sprouts are paired with silvered almonds, toasted pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese, then tossed in a light olive oil and lemon dressing.