This autumn harvest salad uses plenty of in-season produce, and is great as a side or even a light dinner! The light apple cider orange vinaigrette perfectly elevates the flavors of sharp blue cheese, crisp apples, sweet figs, pickled red onion, candied pecans and more.
This is one of my Salad recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
I really love Fall; it’s absolutely my favorite season. Usually, I’m all about the game day foods and comforting soups and chilis.
But since our weather here in the Midwest has been a bit warmer lately, it’s had me in the mood for some salad!
And not just any salad, this autumn harvest salad!
I absolutely can’t get enough of the amazing Fall produce, those spiced candied pecans, the funky blue cheese, and that incredible apple cider vinaigrette.
How to make autumn harvest salad:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Make candied pecans. This can absolutely be done ahead of time. Keep in mind that the pecans will crisp up after they cool.
- Make pickled onions. This also can be done ahead, to save time. Don’t let the “pickled” part scare you, it’s super easy to do.
- Make the dressing. Again, please feel free to make this ahead of time. I typically just whisk all the dressing ingredients together, but you can also add the ingredients to a mason jar, seal, and shake well to combine.
- Assemble salad.
- Dress and serve. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving.
Helpful Tip!
This salad has several components to make (pickled red onions, candied pecans, and the vinaigrette), but don’t worry, these can all be made ahead of time.
Variations of this recipe
- Nuts – if you’d prefer to skip the candied pecans, you can use plain (toasted) pecans, walnuts, or almonds instead.
- Cheese – we’re huge fans of blue cheese, but if it’s just not your thing, you can use feta or goat cheese.
- Onion – if you’d rather not make the pickled onion, you can just use plain red onion slices.
- Fruit – feel free to play around with the types of fruit used, until you have a combination you love! We really love the combo of crisp apples, sweet/tart mandarin oranges, sweet figs, and pomegranate seeds.
- Lettuce – rather than using just one type of lettuce, we love to use a mix of some of our favorites, so please feel free to do the same!
- Dressing – if you’d like to save a little time, you can use your favorite bottled vinaigrette, rather than making your own.
- Extra crunch – in addition to the pecans, you could try adding some seeds. Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are my favorites in this salad.
FAQ’s
We love to use a mix of different types of lettuce. Butter lettuce, arugula, and baby spinach are our favorites, but you can absolutely use your favorites!
Making harvest salad ahead of time
For a salad like this one, I don’t recommend making it ahead of time. However you can certainly prep ahead, which significantly cuts down on the time to make this salad.
- Pecans – the candied pecans can be made, cooled, and stored at room temperature (in an airtight container).
- Onions – pickled red onions can be made and stored in the refrigerator (in an airtight container).
- Dressing – the vinaigrette can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator (in an airtight container). Keep in mind that it may solidify (due to the olive oil), just just leave it at room temp for a bit and it’ll turn back into a liquid. Just give it a whisk and you’re good to go.
Storage
As mentioned above, this salad is definitely one that tastes best fresh, but any leftovers should be refrigerated (in an airtight container), and enjoyed within 1-2 days.
My Favorite Thermometer!
You can use anything you’d like to serve this salad, but I love to use wood salad servers, just like these.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Candied pecans
- 1 cup pecan halves
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 2 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher or sea salt
Quick pickled onions
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp kosher or sea salt
Apple cider vinaigrette
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tbsp orange juice freshly squeezed is best
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp honey or maple syrup
- pinch of salt and black pepper
- 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Harvest salad
- 6 cups mixed lettuce I like to use a mix of butter lettuce, arugula, and baby spinach
- 1 large honeycrisp apple thinly sliced
- 1 cup mandarin orange slices
- 2 figs quartered
- 1/2 cup quick pickled onions
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup candied pecans
- 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
Make candied pecans
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- To a mixing bowl, add the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, cayenne, and salt. Stir together until the sugar dissolves into the mixture.
- Add pecan halves and stir to combine well. Spread coated pecans onto prepared baking sheet.
- Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through, until nuts are toasted and fragrant. ** all ovens cook differently, so keep an eye on your pecans to ensure they don't burn **
- Remove from oven and let the pecans cool completely. They will become crunchy as they cool.
Make pickled onions
- Add sliced red onion to a mixing bowl.
- In a saucepan, add water, apple cider vinegar, honey, and salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Pour mixture over the sliced onions, then let sit for about 10 minutes. Drain liquid, then set sliced onions aside for now.
Make the vinaigrette
- Add all apple cider vinaigrette ingredients to a small mixing bowl, then whisk well to combine. Alternatively, you can add all ingredients to a mason jar, seal it, and shake well.
Assemble salad
- To a large salad bowl (or large platter), add the lettuce. Then over the top, scatter the sliced apples, mandarin oranges, quartered figs, pickled onions, pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries and candied pecans.
- Sprinkle the top with the crumbled blue cheese.
Dress and serve
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top of the salad and serve immediately.
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Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated that this recipe serves 6 as a side salad, but please feel free to divide it up into as many servings as you’d like.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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