Print

Fresh Fall Harvest Chopped Salad with Easy Maple Vinaigrette

fall harvest chopped salad - featured image
Print Recipe

A crisp and sweet fall chopped salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, pecans, and goat cheese, all tossed in a simple maple vinaigrette. Perfect for gatherings or a cozy meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups butternut squash, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, for roasting squash
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 4 cups kale, stems removed and finely chopped
  • 1 Honeycrisp apple, diced into ¼-inch cubes
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup pecans, roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon shallot, finely minced
  • ¼ cup olive oil, for vinaigrette

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and tender. Let cool completely.
  3. While squash roasts, make the vinaigrette: In a small jar, combine maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, salt, and pepper. Shake well. Add ¼ cup olive oil and shake until emulsified. Adjust to taste.
  4. Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
  5. Wash and dry kale. Remove stems, stack leaves, roll into a cigar shape, and slice crosswise into thin ribbons. Place in a large bowl.
  6. Massage kale with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette for 2 minutes until tender and darker green.
  7. Dice apple into ¼-inch cubes (leave skin on). If not serving immediately, toss with lemon juice to prevent browning.
  8. Assemble salad: Add cooled squash, diced apple, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and pumpkin seeds to the massaged kale. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and toss gently. Top with crumbled goat cheese.
  9. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld.

Notes

Massage the kale with dressing to tenderize it. For leftovers, store components separately and dress only what you’ll eat. The vinaigrette keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition

Keywords: fall salad, chopped salad, maple vinaigrette, butternut squash, kale salad, harvest salad, Thanksgiving salad

Find it online: https://cravemila.com/fresh-fall-harvest-chopped-salad-with-easy-maple-vinaigrette/