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When it comes to putting together all of the best Fall produce, this Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing has all of the charm that you need for the entire family! Enjoy the beautiful green color of this salad as well as the flavor, bold colors, and nutrients with a variety of ingredients like red or green kale, roasted apples, broccolini, BBQ chickpeas, baby potatoes, candied bacon, parmesan, etc. Entirely dairy-free. Vegan, Gluten-Free, + Make ahead options.
This Fall Harvest salad has to be my favorite salad that I've created so far! Salads have truly become one of my favorite things to eat lately and I love that they are so versatile and can work for any season, depending on the ingredients you use. This Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing will surely be your favorite go-to Fall salad and your family will thank you for it!
A few years ago, I made this Fall Harvest Apple Kale Salad which is the inspiration where I birthed the idea of this delicious salad minus the nuts. However, if you're a lover of salads, then you're sure to love this Roasted Cauliflower Green Goddess Salad, Spicy Chipotle Sweet Potato Chopped Salad, Chicken Caesar Salad with Cornbread Croutons, and Baked Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad.
The most amazing part of this Fall kale salad is that it's hearty and dairy-free which makes it perfect for the entire family. Of course, you can mix and match ingredients to meet the need for all of the eaters in your family and you don't have to use just kale as your base and instead add your favorite greens like lettuce, arugula, collard greens, spinach, you name it.
You'll enjoy all of the Autumn vibes with this Fall Harvest Salad that is so easy to whip together. This salad includes an array of Fall produce like apples, broccolini, potatoes (which can be subbed with sweet potatoes), and of course kale. Of course, you can totally added additional Fall heartiness with your favorite nuts, cranberries, etc. It'll leave you full and satisfied for a good amount of time! Plus, you can make this a chopped salad if you'd like.
OK, so if this is your first time hearing about chopped salad, then I've got you covered. Basically, the difference between chopped salad and regular salad is that all of the ingredients are chopped and incorporated versus it being layered. It definitely creates the perfect bite that makes a real difference when eating it.
When it comes to massaging kale, it's usually recommended because kale is known for being tough and fibrous, which makes it sometimes hard to chew and digest. However, massaging the kale softens it a great deal and helps the flavors to be more pronounced which works hand in hand with the other ingredients.
My easy method to massage kale is to add the de-stemmed and chopped kale to a large bowl and then drizzling it with 1-2 tsps of lemon juice or Extra virgin olive oil and using your clean hands, rubbing the leaves together gently for about 2-3 minutes. They should look glossy and slightly reduced in volume when massaging is achieved.
Definitely! This is a great recipe to mix and match the ingredients/toppings. For added nutrients, fiber, and color, add your favorite veggies.
You can add roasted Brussels sprouts, bell peppers, asparagus, green peas, roasted herb tomatoes, mushrooms, or leafy greens (kale, spinach, collard greens). All will be delicious! See further down for more great options, including meatless ones.
The incredible thing about this Fall Harvest kale salad recipe is that most of the ingredients are household staples. Plus, it's easy to mix and match ingredients with whatever you have on hand, so there's no need to make an extra trip to the store. To start, you'll want to roast your veggies (broccolini, apples, and potatoes) until charred, wilted, and tender. In the meantime, you can chop and massage your kale using a bit of olive oil or lemon juice and chop the remaining ingredients.
Then you'll prepare your honey mustard dressing and store it in the fridge until ready to be used. Once the veggies are charred, assemble the salad, drizzle or toss in dressing and enjoy!
The ingredients for this Fall seasonal salad are simple and easy to customize based on what’s in your kitchen:
Although, kale is the most common veggie that I love to use as my salad base, you can definitely use other greens such as romaine lettuce, spinach, collard greens, bokchoy, etc. for a nice twist! When it comes to vegetables, there are so many benefits as we all know. While some veggies pack a greater punch when it comes to nutrients, we’ve curated a special list of our Our Top 12 Favorite Healthy Green Leafy Vegetables! Most of these are super popular while others are under utilized in many dishes. Lettuce Eat, Shall We?
Even though this Fall Harvest Salad is based on using Gala or Honeycrisp apples, you can also switch things up and add a slightly new flare in their flavor profile by adding any of the following apples for a bit more sweetness or tart:
To make your own BBQ sauce for the chickpeas is rather simple and doesn't require a lot. Here's what you'll need:
DIRECTIONS: Place all ingredients in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat and whisk together until it begins to boil. Reduce heat to low-medium and let everything simmer for about 15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Once thickened enough to desired consistency, remove from heat and let cool. Set aside until ready to use or store remainder in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
This Fall Harvest Kale Salad is easy to throw together, but if you'd love additional texture + crunch croutons are a great addition! While you might think that it's so hard to make----I'm here to show you just how easy it is, using the following ingredients:
For greater ease, you can easily make this Fall Harvest salad a chopped salad by chopping your ingredients in a food processor for the perfect bite. I suggest first starting with solely the kale leaves once they are de-stemmed. Add them to your food processor and pulse for a few seconds before they are too minced. Then remove those chopped greens and place them into a bowl and work your way through the other ingredients (all processed separately).
Once all ingredients are chopped, add them together in a bowl and continue recipe.
In case you're thinking of making this Fall Harvest salad and would love to add a bit of a crunch or extra texture, then I recommend roasting your roasted chickpeas instead of just tossing them in BBQ sauce. It's super easy to do and only requires one (15 oz.) can of chickpeas, a bit of olive oil, BBQ sauce, and herbs + seasonings and you let the oven work it's magic.
If you want to take this already delicious Fall Harvest salad to the next level, have fun tossing in your favorite salad toppers. I especially love the following ingredients with the kale and tangy honey mustard flavors in this recipe:
If you'd like to switch things up a bit by roasting your tomatoes-----the key to this recipe is to start with great-quality tomatoes. Choose a mix of large and cherries, and several different colors if you can find them.
You can enjoy this Fall Harvest BBQ Chickpea Kale Salad on its own as a nice lunch or dinner. Of course, a side of bread or simple side dish of wings, roasted veggies, etc. works! Or, if you'd like to add additional protein that's meatless to round out your meal, add crispy tofu or nuts to keep things plant-based instead of bacon. If you're not vegetarian or vegan, you can add seared salmon, chicken, or another meat as well.
If you're offering this salad as a side dish, I personally love it paired with a hearty and warming entree like Creamy Garlic Chicken Gnocchi Soup, Creamy Lemon Broccoli Tortellini Soup, Roasted Carrot Soup + Cheesy Croutons, Creamy Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup or Easy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup.
For a hearty bite, I enjoy this kale salad with the following meals also: Hubby’s Date Night Vodka Ravioli [without the Vodka], Southern Hot Honey Fried Chicken, Creamy Jamaican Rasta Pasta, Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower Wings/Bites, The Best Vegan Meat Sauce + Gnocchi , or Creamy Tuscan 'Marry Me' Chicken.
Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days, depending on the ingredients. Always determine the ingredients in your salad and keep it no longer than the shelf life of your fastest-spoiling ingredient.
Absolutely! The roasted chickpeas, broccolini, apples, candied bacon, and potatoes can be made up to 2 days beforehand and stored in an airtight container and refrigerated. The dressing can be made and refrigerated in a separate airtight container. The kale can be chopped up to 30 minutes before serving.
According to research, iceberg lettuce has a high water content, which causes it to not be as rich in nutrients as other types of lettuce.
Of course! To make this Fall Harvest salad GF-friendly, just ensure that the BBQ sauce (or it's ingredients) is GF-friendly as well as any ingredients in the dressing that may be needed. Also, ensure that you use a brand of bacon that is GF-friendly.
VEGAN OPTION: See post above for 'Meatless options' for the topping of this salad instead of bacon.
Not at all! Basically, yellow or brown seeds in honey mustard create a milder and slightly sweet flavor, while brown or black seeds in Dijon mustard result in a spicier and more robust taste.
Now that you've fallen in love with this Fall Harvest Salad in this recipe, put to good use your remaining Fall produce with these great family-friendly dinner recipes:
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