Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette (vegan, gluten-free)
This fall harvest salad with maple balsamic vinaigrette is so delicious and perfect for Thanksgiving! It’s a hearty, healthy fall salad with seasonal ingredients that makes your body feel good. Loaded with roasted squash, apples, beets, pomegranate seeds, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and vegan feta, this salad will be on repeat all season long!
I love roasted squash and adding it to salads because it gives it more substance. This fall harvest salad is filling, healthy, and so delicious. It might be my favorite harvest salads I’ve ever had! Not to mention, it’s just beautiful and colorful too!
The maple balsamic vinaigrette is slightly sweet, but has the punch and freshness that balsamic gives. It pairs so well with the kale and all the toppings. Don’t forget to massage the kale with the vinaigrette to help soften it and help with better digestion. The flavors also develop better when the dressing is massaged into the kale and has time to marinate it. This dressing is super easy to make and only takes a few ingredients too!
When the weather cools down, my body just craves cozy, heartier meals. This fall harvest salad is perfect for those cooler months and definitely hits the spot. It’s a filling salad that has the yummiest flavors and textures. You can even add more toppings if you’d like or different nuts/seeds too. It’s super customizable and so nourishing.
If you make this fall harvest salad with maple balsamic vinaigrette, tag me @nutsaboutgreens on Instagram so I can see your creations and leave a comment below!
Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette (vegan, gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 delicata squash
- 1-2 beets, steamed and sliced (I used Love Beets)
- 1 apple, sliced thinly
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 3-4 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- 10-12 oz shredded kale
- 1/3 cup crumbled vegan feta cheese
- 1/2 lemon
vinaigrette
- 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Wash delicate squash and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, then cut into 1/2 inch slices/half moons. Place on baking sheet and spray with avocado oil. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Bake for 25-35 minutes. OR air fry squash at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, shaking half way through.
- While squash is baking, prepare the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, add all the ingredients of the vinaigrette. Whisk until well combined.
- Place kale in a large salad bowl. Whisk vinaigrette again and drizzle half of it onto the kale and squeeze the half lemon onto the kale. Massage kale for 1 minute. Place bowl in the fridge until squash is done.
- Once squash is done, let it cool for a few minutes. Take the kale out of the fridge and add the squash, beets, apples, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, and feta. Drizzle more dressing on top and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve and enjoy!
