Fall in love with this autumn-flavored kale salad. This Tasty Fall Harvest Salad is made with roasted butternut squash, cranberries, apple, pecans, and chicken breast, a perfectly delicious salad that will satisfy every salad lover! Serve it for lunch or dinner. It’s easy to make, and who doesn’t feel so good after a big green kale salad?!
Fall is one of my favorite seasons! I love warming foods and hot lattes. A big hearty salad full of autumn flavors is going to hit the spot! Fall can be full of heavy foods but not this salad; this will be cozy and leave you feeling great. I always use my Instapot and crockpot for delicious soups in the fall too.
Salads with rich autumn flavors are so delicious and nourishing. This Fall Harvest Salad is one of my favorite ways to enjoy kale.
The weather is finally cooling off! We recently went to Arizona for my son’s water polo tournament, and it was so dang hot!! But we made the best of it. Ate at some great spots and toured a little in between games when it wasn’t too hot. After eating out 4 days in a row, my body was craving something healthy. This salad was not only healthy, but it was also so delicious.
I love the combination of roasted butternut squash and crisp apple. Then toss in a green salad with the best mustard vinaigrette… Oh My Gosh.. so delicious! This kale salad seriously has so much flavor, and you get a little bit of everything in every bite!
Ingredients
This recipe is full of hearty ingredients! Each portion of this recipe is so easy to prepare. Stars with the salad base, roast the butternut squash, and a sweet mustard vinaigrette.
Salad Base:
- kale
- dried cranberries
- apple
- goat cheese
- candy pecans
Butternut Squash:
- cubed butternut squash
- avocado oil
- salt & pepper
Chicken Breast:
- boneless skinless chicken breast
- avocado oil
- smoked paprika
- onion salt
- garlic powder
- oregano
- salt
Dressing:
- avocado oil
- lemon juice
- apple cider vinegar
- yellow mustard
- agave
- small garlic clove
- salt
How To Make Fall Harvest Salad
I break this recipe up into four easy steps. Prep and roast your squash; I buy precut to save time. Season and cook the chicken. Combine our dressing ingredients, and then we compile the best fall salad and enjoy! This salad is as easy to make as any other salad.
Start by roasting your butternut squash, this is the most time-consuming part of this salad, so this is done first. Next, we move on to seasoning and cooking the chicken. Lastly, we make the delicious dressing and compile our fall salad!
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the butternut squash on your baking sheet ad drizzle with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Next, combine the oil and seasoning and rub them on the chicken breast. Preheat the grill pan to medium-high heat. Cook chicken 4 minutes a side, or till done
- In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients.
- In a large salad bowl, add the kale, and top with cranberries, pecans, sliced apples, and butternut squash. Pour in the dressing and toss the salad. Top salad with goat cheese, and enjoy.
Leftover Kale Salad, No Problem!
If you find you have leftovers store them in a Tupperware dish with a lid and enjoy the next day! Kale does not wilt like romaine lettuce. The salad will only last 1-2 days in the fridge.
More Delicious Salad To Try
- Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad
- Fresh Fig and Arugula Salad
- Soba Noodle Salad With Peanut Sauce
- Strawberry Fields Salad
- Classic Cesar Salad
- Harvest Salad with Apple and Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette
Fall Harvest Salad
Fall in love with this autumn-flavored kale salad. This Tasty Fall Harvest Salad is made with roasted butternut squash, cranberries, apple, pecans, and chicken breast, a perfectly delicious salad that will satisfy every salad lover! Serve it for lunch or dinner. It's easy to make, and who doesn't feel so good after a big green kale salad?!
Ingredients
Salad
- 4-6 cups curly kale chopped ( use precut 16-ounce bag)
- 1 large gala apple, core removed & sliced
- 1/2 cup candy pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces of goat cheese
Butternut Squash
- 3 cups butternut squash, cubed ( 16 ounces)
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast,
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp onion salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
Dressing
- 3 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 and 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
- 1 and 1/2 tbs agave
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
Butternut Squash
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss butternut squash with avocado oil, salt, and pepper. Arrange coated squash on a baking sheet. Roast until squash is tender and lightly browned, 30 minutes.
Chicken
- In a small bowl, combine avocado oil and seasonings.
- Slice your chicken breasts in half horizontally. Slice large chicken breasts in half horizontally. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Using a pastry brush or hands, rub both sides of the chicken breast pieces with the seasoning and oil blend.
- Preheat a cast-iron grill pan or cast-iron skillet to medium-high heat and lightly oil it. Cook each side for 4-5 minutes, flipping once; the chicken is done at 160 degrees. You can further season the chicken with salt and pepper if desired. Remove the chicken from the heat and cover it with foil; let it rests for 4 minutes. Slice chicken for serving.
Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients and season with salt to taste.
Kale Salad
- In a large salad bowl, combine kale, cranberries, apple slices, candy pecans, and butternut squash. Toss with vinaigrette until well coated. Top with goat cheese, serve immediately, enjoy.
For the step-by-step version of this recipe, check out the How to Make a Fall Harvest Salad Story.
