This Fall Harvest Kale Salad has all the colors and flavors of fall! The Apple Cider Vinaigrette is made with real apple cider, lending a perfect touch of sweetness to round out your holiday menu.
I kinda dropped the ball on Thanksgiving recipes this year. It crept up on me out of nowhere, and I’m sure a lot of you feel the same way, too. So while everyone else has already released their recipes for all our favorite Thanksgiving sides, I’ve got a recipe for the procrastinator in all of us: a show-stopping seasonal salad that no one will know took only a few minutes to throw together.
It starts with a delicious and deceptively simple apple cider vinaigrette. Now, you could just use apple cider vinegar here, and the end result would still be delicious. But adding a generous glug of real apple cider really brings this dressing home. Shake up a couple ingredients in a jar and you’re good to go.
I’ve used kale as my salad base here, and before you start, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “Emily, kale is gross and I hate it and I won’t listen to you if you try to tell me otherwise.” But please, just listen. Massage it. Massage the kale.
Ya know when you come home from a long day at work and all you really want is a neck rub and a glass of wine? Yes? Well, kale feels the same way.
It’s just gotten off of a long, hot shift of sitting in a field for weeks on end. It needs a little rest and relaxation before it’s ready to hop into your salad. So show it a little love. Just drizzle on some lemon juice and squersh the leaves between yer fingers until they start to turn all dark green and tender. You’ll be amazed at the difference it makes in your kale. (And if you still really, really hate kale, well then, use spinach. I won’t mind.)
Then we move on to toppings. I’ve gotten into many a debate about appropriate greens-to-everything-else ratios, but my firm stance is this: If a salad isn’t at least 60% stuff, I don’t want it. As far as I’m concerned, the greens are just a vehicle for the stuff. And this stuff is gooooood.
The crispy-edged, creamy-centered roasted sweet potatoes are really the star of the show here. Toss ’em with some olive oil, cinnamon, salt and pepper, and pop ’em in a hot oven to get all caramelized and delicious. Just don’t be surprised if you end up popping half of them in your mouth straight off the baking sheet before you even mix them into the salad.
The rest of the toppings are really up to you. I threw in some sliced apples, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds. You could also add sliced pears, goat cheese, pecans, pomegranate seeds… Really, the opportunities are endless. Sub butternut squash for the sweet potatoes. Slice up some oranges and blood oranges, and use the juice in the dressing instead of apple cider. No matter how you go about it, it’s gonna be delicious.
And best of all, no one will know you waited until the last minute to make it. Promise.
Fall Harvest Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
This Fall Harvest Kale Salad has all the colors and flavors of fall! The Apple Cider Vinaigrette is made with real apple cider, lending a perfect touch of sweetness to round out your holiday menu.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 0 people 1x
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 large sweet potato, (cubed)
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- Salt and pepper, (to taste)
- 2 bunches kale, (chopped)
- 1/2 large lemon, (juiced)
- 1 large apple, (sliced)
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or pecans
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup apple cider
- 1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
- Salt and pepper, (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. While the oven is preheating, dice the sweet potato and de-stem the kale.
- Roast the sweet potatoes: Spread the diced sweet potatoes out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and toss together to coat completely. Roast the sweet potatoes in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway, until tender and lightly caramelized on the outside.
- Prep the kale: While the sweet potatoes are roasting, chop the kale into thin strips and drizzle with lemon juice. Massage kale for 3-5 minutes, or until dark green and tender. Transfer to a serving platter.
- Shake up the dressing: Measure olive oil, apple cider vinegar, apple cider, honey, salt, and pepper into a medium jar. Place a lid on it and shake for 30-60 seconds, or until emulsified.
- Assemble the salad: Arrange the roasted sweet potatoes, sliced apple, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds on top of the massaged kale. Divide between plates, drizzle with dressing, and eat up!
