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Enjoy the autumn season with this delicious Fall Harvest Salad! This festive salad has honey crisp apples, pecans, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and an easy Apple Cider vinaigrette. A perfect side for Thanksgiving!

You will be obsessed with this fall harvest salad. It has the best flavor combinations that will remind you of the fall season. This salad is the perfect balance between savory and sweet. I love this easy Apple Cider vinaigrette dressing, and the vegan feta sprinkled on top takes it to the next level.

The best Vegan Fall Harvest Salad

When I tell you I’m obsessed with this salad, it’s an understatement. When I first developed this recipe, my mom and I could not get enough. I literally made it 4 times in one week😂 You get a crunch from the pecans and pumpkin seeds, with pops of sweetness from the apples and dried cranberries. The dressing is so simple to make, and massaging it into the kale softens it and creates a perfect salad.

I wanted to keep this recipe simple, but add as many things as you like. You can also toss in some chickpeas, quinoa, or cooked tofu to add in some protein. That makes this salad a really healthy, easy, and balanced meal. I love this as a side with dinner, or I could eat an entire bowl for lunch.

So bring this autumn salad to your Thanksgiving and your Friendsgiving too! It’s a lighter side for the fun occasion, and it’s delicious everyone will love it. My father was a real kale hater until I introduced him to this recipe.

Feel free to use whatever nuts, seeds, and dried fruits you have on hand. This recipe is really versatile and pairs well with lots of different flavors. Walnuts and some cooked sweet potato would be a fun addition to this salad. You can make it a protein-packed salad by adding quinoa, chickpeas, or baked tofu. Get creative, and use whatever you have on hand.

Salad Ingredients

3 cups Kale: Wash and chop the kale, then massage the dressing into the kale to soften it. This makes kale taste so much better! Massaging your kale helps you digest it better, makes the texture way better, and gets rid of some of the bitterness in the green.
3 cups Spinach
1 Honey Crisp Apple: Diced thinly, leave the skin on for more health benefits!
1/3 cup Vegan Feta Cheese: I like the Follow Your Heart Brand.
1/4 cup Pumpkin Seeds: Definitely use any nuts and seeds you have in your pantry already.
1/3 cup Pecans
1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients

1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
3 tablespoons Lemon juice: Basically the juice of a whole lemon.
1 minced clove (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon black Pepper

How to make Apple Cider Vinaigrette:

To a 16 oz wide-mouth glass jar, add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 2 tbsps dijon mustard, 3 tbsps of lemon juice, minced garlic, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper.

The vinaigrette will separate, so secure the lid on top of the jar and shake well before pouring it onto the salad. This recipe makes a lot of dressing, so use half of it for this salad and save the rest for another day in the fridge.

How to make a Fall Harvest Salad:

Wash your greens and add the kale to a large mixing bowl. Mix in 1/2 cup of apple cider vinaigrette and massage the kale for a couple of minutes with clean hands. Don’t skip this part — it will soften and break down the kale! The taste of raw kale is not for the weak. If it hasn’t been massaged or cooked down, I don’t want it lol.

Then to the bowl, add spinach, the diced apple, 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds, 1/3 cup of pecans, 1/4 cup of dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup of apple cider vinaigrette. Mix together until the salad is evenly coated in dressing.

Top off the salad with 1/4 cup of vegan feta cheese, plus more when serving. I love the vegan feta cheese from the brand Follow Your Heart.

Enjoy immediately after making it! The recipe can last for up to 1 day in the fridge.

More Fall recipes you’ll love:

Vanilla Chai Protein Shake: This vanilla chai protein shake tastes just like fall! Such an easy smoothie to make, and it has 27 grams of protein so it’s perfect after a workout.
Vegan Green B ean Casserole: You can’t have Thanksgiving without a green bean casserole as a side. It’s creamy, crunchy, and carnivore approved! Your family and friends will go back for seconds!
Sweet Potato Casserole: This sweet potato casserole is vegan, delicious, and covered in toasted marshmallows! It’s the perfect addition to the Thanksgiving table when you’re craving something sweet. This side dish is so easy to make and sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

If you give this Fall Harvest Salad a try, I’d love to see your recreations! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @Marias.Munchies + #MariasMunchies!

This is the ultimate autumn salad! It’s the perfect balance between savory and sweet. This salad has all the ingredients of the fall time: pecans, pumpkin seeds, honey crispy apples, kale, and dried cranberries.