Autumn Salad Recipe

Nothing screams Fall quite like this vibrant Autumn Salad recipe! It celebrates the autumn season’s harvest with kale, spinach, apples, pomegranate, cranberries, the best apple cider and maple vinaigrette, and candid walnuts for that irresistible crunch!

The first step in making this flavorful salad is to gather the ingredients:

Ingredients to make Autumn Salad:

This autumn salad contains a selection of ingredients that bring together a symphony of colors and textures, which is not only visually appealing but also a delight to your taste buds!

• Kale: This leafy cruciferous vegetable is highly nutritious and serves as a lush base for this salad. There are many types of kale. I have used curly kale in this recipe, but you can choose any type you like.
• Baby spinach leaves: Just like kale, spinach is used for the lush base in this salad recipe. You can substitute it for arugula or use more kale leaves!
• Pomegranate: This superfruit, or what I like to call “nature’s caviar,” provides a hint of sweetness and tartness to the salad. It is also loaded with health benefits.
• Apples: Jazz apples were used in this recipe, but you can choose any red apple, like fuji or honey crisp apples, which also work great in this salad.
• Avocado: for added creaminess.
• Dry cranberries
• Lemon: used to prevent apples and avocado slices from turning brown.
• Vegan cheese spread: This is optional but highly recommended. If you are not vegan, you can substitute goat cheese, which compliments this salad very well. The cheese I have used is made from cashews; it’s creamy and resembles goat cheese. Feel free to use any creamy vegan cheese brand you prefer.
• Toasted walnuts: Either add the toasted walnuts directly to the salad or use them to prepare irresistible vegan Candied Walnuts, which add the perfect sweet crunch to this salad! They can be substituted with pecans or even cashews, like this easy and delicious candied cashews recipe by Stresslessbehealthy.

Candied Walnut Ingredients:

• Toasted walnuts
• Coconut sugar
• water

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Apple cider vinegar
• Dijon mustard
• Maple syrup
• Dry thyme
• Salt & pepper.

How to make Autumn Salad?

Make the Candied Walnut:

To make the candied walnut, first need to make a dense sugar syrup:

• Add coconut sugar and water to a pan and heat on the stovetop at medium-high heat.
• The sugar will begin to dissolve slowly; keep waiting without stirring the sugar.
• Let them come to a boil and all the sugar is dissolved. You will start to see bubbles forming, the first bubbles will pop quickly. This is a normal sugar syrup, the same we use to make Arabic sweets, to sweeten Basbousa or Atayif. However, for caramelized/candied nuts we want to wait for a few more seconds for the syrup to become more dense, and the bubbles forming are sustained and won’t pop as quickly as before.
• Add the toasted walnut, and keep stirring till all nuts are well coated with the syrup.
• Let the nuts crystalize; do not stop stirring until all the syrup has disappeared and the nuts are coated and caramelized.
• Turn the heat off and transfer them to a tray lined with parchment paper. Let them cool completely, and set aside.

Make the Vinaigrette:

• Add olive oil, ACV, dijon mustard, maple syrup, and dry thyme in a medium-sized bowl.
• Mix to combine all ingredients; add salt and pepper.
• Check for seasoning and adjust, set aside.

Make Autumn Salad:

• In a big salad bowl, add the kale leaves and olive oil. Massage the kale leaves and tear them into smaller bite-size pieces.
• Next, add the baby spinach leaves, pomegranate seeds, apples, avocado, and dried cranberries.
• Drizzle the dressing and mix the salad.
• Top with the candied walnuts and vegan cheese.

Tips for making Autumn Salad:

• When using kale in salads, especially the curly type, it is very important to massage the leaves. Massaging will soften the leaves and make them more enjoyable to eat. Therefore, do not skip this step when prepping your kale!
• Make sure to use toasted walnuts, not raw walnuts, to make the candied walnuts so the caramelization is crunchy and not soft or wet.
• When prepping the apples and avocado slices, squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent or slow down the browning.
• This salad is preferred to be served immediately after being prepped. Therefore, add the dressing just before you serve it and consume it while it is still fresh.

How to serve Autumn Salad?

This Autumn Salad is a feast for the eye before the palates! Therefore, presentation matters! Arrange the ingredients in an aesthetically pleasing manner. This makes the salad more visually appealing and ensures that every bite is a balanced combination of flavors and textures.

Autumn salad can be served as a light lunch or dinner by itself. It can be paired with baked sweet potatoes or pumpkin, which is also in season now.

Recommended Recipes:

If you are a salad enthusiast like me, then you might want to try this perfect beetroot salad or this freekeh salad bowl. For more Middle Eastern “classic salads”, try this tabbouleh, fattoush, or this super easy-to-prep Arabic salad recipe.

If you make this recipe, I’d love a comment and a rating. Please make sure to tag me in re-creation on Instagram @veganbilaraby. I love to see your take on my vegan recipes 💚