There’s something about fall and harvest season that always has me craving a big colorful salad to add to my table. From apples to kale to butternut squash, in-season fall produce tastes so delicious when roasted, paired, and dressed just right. These salads make a great complementary side dish to any fall dinner or soup-and-salad night on my menu.
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Fall Harvest Salad with Quinoa
This quinoa fall salad with butternut squash is a favorite salad recipe of mine. It features roasted butternut squash, kale, crisp apples, pomegranate seeds, red onion, feta cheese, pumpkin seeds, pecans, and is tossed together in a simple vinaigrette made from apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil. This salad makes a delicious side dish or is hearty enough for a main-dish salad.
Dairy Free Option | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free Option | Vegetarian | Vegan
Fall Lentil Salad
This is an epic salad that’s restaurant worthy yet so easy to make at home. My inspiration for it was a wheat berry salad I used to make in college. This fall salad features flavorful layers of roasted sweet potatoes, pumpkin seeds, pecan, lentils (or wheat berries), brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, feta cheese or blue cheese, and a cider dressing that makes every bite satisfying. I love to meal prep this salad on the weekends for easy lunches I enjoy throughout the week.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Vegetarian
Apple Slaw
This apple slaw recipe is sweet, tangy, and has a quick prep time. I recommend using honeycrisp apples in this salad but any sweet apple variety will work. The homemade apple cider vinaigrette is made with just a few ingredients and adds so much flavor. I add this apple slaw to sandwiches, wraps, tacos, and apple cider pork bowls, and it makes the perfect easy side dish for fall potlucks.
Egg Free | Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
Harvest Chicken Salad
I love this satisfying lunch or dinner salad served either warm or chilled. It features some of my all-time favorite fall salad ingredients, including roasted sweet potatoes, dried cranberries, crisp apples, and a quick maple-dijon dressing. This salad really captures the food essence of the season and I can easily change up the ingredients, based on what I have on hand, such as roasted beets or roasted carrots instead of the sweet potatoes.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo
Sweet and Smoky Shredded Brussels Sprouts Slaw
This shredded Brussels sprouts salad is always a hit when I serve it at holiday meals. The smoked almonds (or sometimes I use pistachios) and salty bacon together with the sweet dates and shallots is just perfect. It’s tossed together in a simple citrus dressing made from lemon juice, orange juice, extra virgin olive oil, dijon, and fresh thyme.
Egg Free | Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Paleo
Arugula Salad With Lemon And Basil
This quick and easy arugula salad recipe is light, peppery, and citrusy. It’s ready to eat in 15 minutes and I especially love that there’s no cook time required. It’s a simple and fabulous side dish that also makes a great main course salad when topped with protein. Jessie served this salad with her Miso Glazed Salmon and said the combo was divine.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Vegetarian
Kale Caesar Salad
I love caesar salad, so this elevated version has become a common addition to our fall meals. It’s a simple, delicious, and more nutritious version of a store-bought caesar salad kit. It’s so handy that it comes together fast with chopped kale or romaine, homemade croutons (or crispy chickpeas), and the most delicious homemade caesar dressing. It truly is the perfect complement to many main dishes.
Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
Apple Broccoli Cauliflower Salad with Lemon
This recipe went viral two years ago on Instagram and ever since it’s been one of the most popular recipes on this website. The salad ingredients are unique but so perfect together: apples, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, scallions, toasted almonds, feta cheese, dried cranberries. Everything comes together and every bite is delicious when it’s tossed in an amazing creamy lemon vinaigrette.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Vegetarian
Sweet Kale Salad
This recipe was inspired by the popular store-bought sweet kale salad kit that I love so much. It’s made with kale, shredded Brussels sprouts, broccoli slaw, dried cranberries, pepitas, goat cheese. But the best part for me is the delicious poppy seed yogurt dressing, which brings all the flavors together.
Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian
Warm Chipotle Lime Sweet Potato Salad
I love serving this warm sweet potato salad during the colder months when I’m craving some veggies but also want a warm meal. It’s a delicious side dish that goes so well with just about any protein I serve, and it comes together fast, making it perfect for weeknights.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Nut Free | Paleo | Vegetarian | Vegan
Roasted Brussels Sprouts Quinoa Salad with Cranberries and Pecans
This is such a delightful salad for fall and winter. To make it, I combine tender cooked quinoa, perfectly roasted Brussels sprouts, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, and shaved Parmesan cheese, and a delicious lemon vinaigrette. It can be served warm right away or chilled and served later cold. I like to make this salad on the weekend and add rotisserie chicken to it for an easy lunch that I look forward to during the week.his is such a delightful salad for fall and winter.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian | Vegan
Brussels Sprouts Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
This is one of the first recipes Jess and I blogged for this site and it’s still one of my all-time favorites. Thinly shredded Brussels stand in for lettuce and get adorned with toasted almonds, dried cherries, crisp bacon, and an easy citrus vinaigrette. I like to elevate this salad by adding crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese. It’s a must-try for fall and oh so good!
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo
Cranberry Chicken Salad with Apples
It takes less than 10 ingredients a total time of about 15 minutes for me to make this healthy fall chicken salad. And that’s always time well spent since I can enjoy it all week long. If I don’t have precooked shredded chicken on hand, I use rotisserie chicken instead, and combine it with dried cranberries, toasted pecans, crisp bacon, diced apple, fresh rosemary, and creamy mayo. It’s a truly simple recipe and tastes great served as is, over greens, with crackers, or inside a wrap.
Dairy Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo
Massaged Kale Salad
This is an OG recipe that is truly underrated, but once my friends and family make it, it becomes a regular on menus everywhere. It comes together with massaged kale, diced apples, celery, carrots, shredded brussels sprouts, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and a simple dressing I make from extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, fine salt, and cracked black pepper.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Grain Free | Paleo | Vegetarian | Vegan
Balsamic Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Salad
The blend of roast veggies are the star of this warm salad that also includes nutritious and tender quinoa and toasted almonds. I toss the fresh and roasted ingredients in a balsamic vinaigrette and top it with crumbled goat cheese. I think it pairs really nicely with air fryer salmon for an easy weeknight meal, and the leftovers taste great, too.
Dairy Free | Egg Free | Gluten Free | Nut Free | Vegetarian | Vegan
What To Serve With These Best Fall Salads
I can easily turn each one of these salad recipes into a main dish salad by adding a cooked protein, such as shredded chicken, crispy chicken tenders, cooked salmon, or air fryer fish.
To round out the meal even more, I often add a loaf of my favorite sourdough bread, or a quick made-from-scratch option, such as olive bread or Jess’ famous biscuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most vinaigrette recipes call for a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. From there, common flavor additions are mustard, citrus juice, maple syrup or honey, and fresh or dried herbs. For a tangier vinaigrette, I prefer a ratio of 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.
I don’t recommend it, as the frozen squash will leech too much water when roasting, and the squash won’t get as crispy. To use frozen squash, instead let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then drain it in a colander and pat it dry with paper towels before roasting it on a sheet pan.
For fall salads, I start with a base of sturdier greens, such as kale, spinach, or a fennel salad. Then I like to add winter squash, such as roasted butternut squash, acorn squash, or even roasted pumpkin. White beans, apples, sweet potatoes, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and carrots are common ingredients in fall salads. Other frequent additions are dried fruits (dried cranberries, raisins, or dried apricots), nuts (such as toasted almonds or candied pecans) and toppings such as crumbled feta cheese, sliced figs, or crumbled bacon.
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