Fall Salad Recipe
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This Fall Salad has all the tastes and textures you crave as soon as the leaves start to turn. It’s crisp and refreshing, with tender, roasted sweet potato and tangy feta cheese to satisfy your hunger. Serve harvest fall salad as a side dish or main, for lunch or dinner!
Fall Salad
As soon as the summer wears off, I get started on all of the soups and stews that I’ve been missing.
But on those days when it’s still a bit warm out, I’ll crave something lighter and more refreshing.
This fall harvest salad has all the best flavors of the season — sweet and crisp apples, tender sweet potatoes, tart cranberries, tangy feta cheese, and plenty of crunch from walnuts and pumpkin seeds.
It’s great as a fancier side to the usual bagged mix, or enjoy it for a healthy lunch that won’t weigh you down!
And if you’re suddenly on a salad kick, be sure to try out my copycat recipes for Panera Green Goddess Salad and Chick-Fil-A’s Market Salad next!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Spring Mix – A mixture of tender baby greens, usually containing lettuce, spinach, and arugula.
A 50/50 mix is a good substitute for this fall harvest salad recipe, or you could use all baby spinach or butter lettuce for a sweeter option. - Dried Cranberries – It’s up to you whether you want to use sweetened or unsweetened. Dried cherries or golden raisins are great alternatives.
- Sweet Potato – Sometimes labeled sweet yams, these have a reddish peel and dark flesh on the inside.
You may be able to find this cubed and bagged in the produce section if you need a shortcut. Butternut squash is another great, fall-like option too! - Red Onion – The best choice for salads and raw dishes. If yours seems extra pungent, soak the slices in ice water for a few minutes, then drain and rinse before using.
- Feta Cheese – Salty and tangy, this crumbly cheese is soooo tasty in this salad. Goat cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola are great swaps.
- Apple – Fall is apple picking season, so you have plenty of varieties to choose from!
Honeycrisp is a delicious blend of tart and sweet, but feel free to use Fuji, Gala, Pink Lady, or Jonagold. - Walnuts & Pumpkin Seeds – Both add some crunch to your fall harvest salad. Swap walnuts with pecans if you’d like.
As far as pumpkin seeds, look for pepitas at the store or roast them yourself! - Vinaigrette – Start with avocado (or olive) oil as the base and add red wine vinegar for tang and acidity.
Honey and Dijon mustard pack a punch of flavor, while minced garlic, salt, and pepper season the whole mix.
Tips and Tricks to Make the Perfect Fall Harvest Salad
- Cook the sweet potato first.
Trust me, you do not want to try to eat it raw! All it needs is a little oil, salt, and pepper, then 10 minutes in the air fryer until tender.
If you don’t have an air fryer, you can roast sweet potato cubes in the oven at 400°F for 10-15 minutes instead. Be sure to let them cool while you prep the other fall salad ingredients.
- Skip the bowl and make your dressing in a jar.
It’s so easy to make a tasty salad dressing from scratch — just add everything to a jar and give it a good shake!
The mixture emulsifies faster with shaking than with a whisk, and if you make it ahead of time, just shake it again before serving.
- Toast the nuts and seeds for extra flavor.
You can even make candied walnuts for a little extra sweetness. Or, if you want some contrast, season them with smoked paprika or chipotle powder for heat.
Prep Ahead
- Chop sweet potato and walnuts
- Slice apple and red onion
- Make vinaigrette
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Air Fryer – Different brands and sizes may require different cooking times, so be familiar with your model and make adjustments as needed.
- Salad Bowl – Use the same one for mixing and serving!
- Quality Knives and a big solid Cutting Board make prepping a breeze and are well worth the investment.
- Salad Tongs – These bamboo hands help to toss everything gently and are attractive enough for serving as well.
Serving Suggestions
To make this harvest fall salad a little more filling, you could easily add some grilled chicken or a cup of cooked quinoa.
I’ll usually serve it alongside smoked pork tenderloin, turkey breast, or creamy autumn squash soup.
My honey mustard glazed salmon would make a delicious pairing as well. Don’t forget some pumpkin dinner rolls!
Storing Harvest Fall Salad Leftovers
It’s best to keep all the components of this fall harvest salad recipe in separate containers in the fridge. Once you add the dressing, things will start to turn mushy pretty quickly!
Honestly, this comes together quickly enough that I usually slice up an apple while I air fry the sweet potato fresh. The tastes and textures are just so much better that way.
But if you want to meal prep, you can reheat cooked sweet potato in the microwave or enjoy it cold.
Toss your apple slices in a little lemon juice or do a salt water soak so they don’t turn brown.
Everything for this fall salad should last 2-4 days in the refrigerator, and the dressing is good for up to a week. Just give it a good shake before using.
Fall Harvest Salad Recipe FAQ
While you can chop ingredients and make the dressing beforehand, this really is best served fresh.
The apple slices will start to brown the longer they sit out, and the sweet potato cubes will lose their crispy exterior.
Pomegranate seeds would be perfect, adding color, crunch, and tart flavor. Beets would also be good, and you can swap them in for the sweet potato if you don’t feel like cooking anything.
For protein, toss in some cooked and crumbled bacon. And for more healthy fats, cut up some fresh avocado just before serving!
You should be able to serve 6 if using this fall salad as a side dish. For a main, it will be closer to 3 or 4 servings.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Fall Salad Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 5.5 ounce bag spring mix lettuce
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1 large honey crisp apple, sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/2 red onion, sliced
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 large sweet potato, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Vinaigrette Ingredients
- 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup avocado oil, or olive
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Place the cubed sweet potatoes on the air fryer rack. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the salt and pepper on top.
- Cook at 400° F. for 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove from the air fryer and set aside.
- Add the spring mix lettuce to your large bowl and top with the salad ingredients including the sweet potatoes.
- Prepare your vinaigrette by putting all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking until fully mixed. Pour the dressing on top of the prepared salad and serve immediately.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published September 2024
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