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Fall harvest chopped salad with apples, roasted sweet potatoes, kale, romaine, cranberries, feta and pumpkin seeds tossed with apple cider vinaigrette.

Easy Fall Harvest Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

A colorful fall chopped salad with crisp apples, roasted sweet potatoes, kale, romaine, cranberries, feta, pumpkin seeds, and an easy homemade apple cider vinaigrette.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Lunch, Salad
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Fall Harvest Salad
  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 2 cups finely chopped kale tough stems removed
  • 1 medium sweet potato peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and black pepper for roasting
  • 1 large crisp apple cored and chopped
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ⅓ cup roasted pumpkin seeds pepitas
  • ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • ¼ small red onion thinly sliced
  • Apple Cider Vinaigrette
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 small garlic clove finely grated or minced
  • ¼ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment.
  2. Toss sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
  3. Spread into a single layer and roast for 20–25 minutes, turning halfway through.
  4. Let the roasted sweet potato cool for 10–15 minutes.
  5. Finely chop the kale and massage briefly with a tiny drizzle of olive oil.
  6. Chop the romaine and add it to a large salad bowl with the kale.
  7. Core and chop the apple.
  8. Thinly slice the red onion.
  9. Whisk apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper together.
  10. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until lightly emulsified.
  11. Add apple, cooled sweet potato, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, feta, and red onion to the greens.
  12. Drizzle approximately half the vinaigrette over the salad.
  13. Toss gently.
  14. Add additional dressing as needed.
  15. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, and other crisp apples work particularly well.
  • Allow roasted sweet potatoes to cool before adding them to the greens.
  • Cut the apple shortly before serving to reduce browning.
  • Start with half of the dressing and add more as needed.
  • Keep salad components separate when preparing ahead.
  • Goat cheese can replace feta.
  • Roasted butternut squash can replace sweet potato.
  • Sunflower seeds, walnuts, or pecans can replace pumpkin seeds.
  • Store vinaigrette refrigerated for up to 1 week.
  • The assembled dressed salad is best served the same day.