Fall Harvest Chopped Salad

by Meghan Rodgers

October 20, 2020

There is something spectacular about a big, freshly-prepped fall salad. Who doesn’t love an over-sized serving bowl bursting with healthy greens, just-harvested veggies, colorful fall fruits, and crunchy nuts and seeds. Salads this time of year are edible works of art!

For as fancy as this Fall Harvest Chopped Salad may look, it’s as simple as slicing some apples and roasting a sweet potato. I love adding beans or sweet potato to a salad: it brings an unexpected twist and makes the meal more filling. Sweet potato helps this salad become a one-and-done, main and side dish. Seriously? What else could you want, except maybe a glass of cold, refreshing water and your favorite fall wine. 

Of course, if chicken or salmon are part of your diet, you can add that to your salad bowl too, but personally, I like to keep this salad vegetarian and enjoy all of those beautiful fall flavors. You can make it vegan simply by omitting the goat cheese and honey. 

It’s all up to you!

Part of what makes chopped salads so great is that you can veer from the recipe and you’re still guaranteed to have something pretty delicious. Sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin? Go for it! Avocado instead of sweet potato? Yum! Love beets? Add them in! The key to making a delicious chopped salad is to choose 5-6 seasonal ingredients with varying taste and textures. Chop them in different ways to add excitement, and drizzle the whole bowl with homemade salad dressing just before serving.

This Fall Harvest Chopped Salad has a great combo of flavors and colors. It’s a feast for the eyes as much as it is, well, a feast! It’s sweet, savory, tart and crunchy, filling and delicious. All salads should be this satisfying!

Pro-tip: Cut and roast the sweet potato the night before so all you have to do is assemble salad the next day.

Fall Harvest Chopped Salad

Ingredients

For the salad

1 large sweet potato, cubed

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

8 ounces mixed greens with spinach

1 pear, sliced thin

1 apple, sliced thin

1/2 apple cube

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup candied pecans (or roasted pecans)

1/3 cup goat cheese (omit for vegan salads)

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

For the dressing

1 cup apple cider

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp raw honey (substitute with 1 tbsp almond butter for vegan)

2 tsp olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

For the vinaigrette

1. Add apple cider vinegar and cider to a small pan and bring to a boil on high heat. Cook for 8 or 9 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Let cool. 

2. Add remaining dressing ingredients and whisk until combined and smooth. 

For the salad

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. 

2. In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato with olive oil, salt and cinnamon. Then spread sweet potato in a single, even layer on a baking pan. Roast for 20 minutes or just until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

3. In a large serving bowl, add mixed greens, then layer with apple slices, pear slices, and sweet potatoes. Top with pumpkin seeds, pecans, cranberries, and crumbled goat cheese. 

4. Drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving and enjoy this hearty, healthy taste of fall.

Meghan Rodgers is a media professional and writer covering travel, food and the environment. Find her writing on the food blog EverybodyCraves and her adventures on Instagram.