Autumn Harvest Salad
This autumn harvest salad uses plenty of in-season produce, and is great as a side or even a light dinner!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 481kcal
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.
Notes
- 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
Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 686mg | Potassium: 404mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 921IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 1mg
