This fall kale salad pairs crisp apples, tangy feta, and sweet golden raisins with crunchy maple-roasted pepitas. This seasonal salad is nourishing and delicious!
Autumn Kale Salad
It's safe to say I'm obsessed with kale. It's my go-to green for salads lately.
A tiny bit of olive oil is all it takes to soften those textured leaves just enough, without turning them limp or lifeless like other greens.
This fall kale salad puts the emphasis on fall flavors like crisp apples, maple syrup, and golden raisins. It's sweet, crunchy, tangy - all the things.
You can add chicken or quinoa to make this salad into a main meal.
(Psst... try my pomegranate salad with candied pepitas too!!)
Key Ingredients
- Kale - I used curly kale which has thick textured leaves. It holds up well in salads and doesn't go limp like softer greens. Make sure to remove the stems/ribs. They're tough and don't taste pleasant.
- Apple - I highly recommend Honey crisp apples (my fave!). They're sweet-tart with a crunch, much better than the softer gala apples.
- Feta - Goat cheese also works!
- Golden raisins - If you haven't tried these, you need to! They're sweeter than traditional raisins with a softer texture. They're a staple in my pantry.
- Homemade vinaigrette - You could go with a store-bought dressing, but what elevates a salad from decent to delicious is a homemade vinaigrette. And they're very easy to make!
- Maple pepitas - Adds sweet crunch! These are so easy to make!
How to Make Maple Pepitas
After I purchased a delicious kale harvest salad from a local coffee shop with chili maple pepitas on top, I knew I had to make my own!
They were even easier to make than I imagined.
- Combine spices, pepitas, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Stir them with a small spoon.
- Dump them onto a parchment lined sheet pan.
- Spread the pepitas around a bit so they're touching but not in a pile.
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Let them cool completely. They harden as they cool. Once they've hardened, you can break them up.
How to Make the Kale Salad
Once you make the pepitas, all you need to do is make the vinaigrette and assemble the salad!
Make the viniagrette:
It's SO easy to make a homemade vinaigrette!
I prefer to make mine in a mini food processor or with an immersion blender because it emulsifies the mixture and gives it a creamier consistency.
Or you can pour the ingredients into a jar, seal it with a lid, and give it a shake, shake, shake!
- Combine olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and salt.
- Whisk, blend, or shake until the mixture is emulsified.
Assemble the salad:
This is a personal preference. I toss the salad in a large bowl then serve. If you want, you can assemble small individual salads and serve the dressing on the side.
- Massage the kale: This may sound silly, but it's important. Doing this makes the kale a little softer and pleasant to eat. Add ¼ teaspoon of olive oil to the kale and gently rub it into the leaves. This doesn't seem like much, but you only need a tiny bit! Too much and it will be too oily.
- Add your toppings/mix-ins, i.e. the fruit, cheese, pepitas, etc. The measurements are just a guideline. If you prefer more toppings, have at it!
- Drizzle the maple vinaigrette onto the salad and use salad spoons to toss until evenly coated. I used all the dressing for this recipe. If you like leftover dressing or prefer to be heavy handed, you can double the recipe.
Expert Tips
- You don't have to use an immersion blender for the dressing, but I highly recommend it! It won't get as thick, creamy, or emulsified if you whisk it.
- If the vinaigrette is too acidic for you, add an extra tablespoon of olive oil.
- For the best flavor contrast, use a crisp, tart apple like honey crisp, pink lady, or granny smith.
Variations
If desired, you can swap some of the toppings! Here's a few tasty swaps:
- Dried fruit: Swap the golden raisins with dried cranberries, dried cherries, or dried apricots.
- Feta: Swap it with goat cheese crumbles, regular or honey sweetened goat cheese both work great.
- Apple: Swap the sliced apples with sliced pears. You could also add pomegranate seeds for some color and juicy crunch.
Salad Recipes
- Kale Crunch Salad (Chick-Fil-A)
- Cherry & Arugula Salad
- Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Basil Honey Vinaigrette
- Fig Vinaigrette
- Easy Balsamic Jam Dressing
Fall Kale Salad
Equipment
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
Maple Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
Maple Chili Pepitas:
- ¼ cup pepitas
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
For the kale salad:
- 6 cups loosely packed torn kale ribs removed
- ¼ teaspoon olive oil
- ¾ cup feta cheese
- 1 honey crisp apple thinly sliced
- ½ cup golden raisins
- 1 cup shredded, chopped cabbage
- Maple pepitas (recipe above)
Instructions
Make the pepitas:
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a small bowl, combine the pepitas, 2 teaspoon of maple syrup, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of chili powder. Stir to combine.
- Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper then dump the pepita mixture onto it. Spread it so it’s not in a pile, but all the pepitas are touching each other. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Break the pepitas into pieces.
Make the vinaigrette:
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and salt. Use an immersion blender to blend until thick and emulsified.
Assemble the salad:
- In a large bowl, add the kale leaves. Add the olive oil and use clean hands to gently massage the oil into the kale.
- Add the feta cheese, sliced apples, golden raisins, shredded cabbage, and maple chili pepitas. Drizzle the maple dressing onto the salad and toss until evenly dispersed.
- Serve immediately.
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