Fall Harvest Apple Kale Salad

5 from 4 votes

Experience the bountiful flavors of the season with our Fall Harvest Apple Kale Salad recipe-- A vibrant medley of fresh produce. Loaded with crisp pecans, earthy walnuts, hearty kale, tart cranberries, and roasted crisp apples, it's elevated to perfection by a creamy, dairy-free lemon-garlic dressing.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Keyword: apple, easy, fall recipe, fall spices, family-friendly, healthy, healthy bowl, kale, salad, thanksgiving

Servings: servings

Calories: 623kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

SALAD:

1 medium Gala apple
1 medium Honeycrisp apple
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 large bunches curly kale (about 1 lb. each)
½ medium red onion
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds, toasted if desired

DAIRY-FREE LEMON-GARLIC DRESSING:

3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup vegan mayonnaise
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried parsley
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO ROAST APPLES + NUTS:

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Halve, core, and thinly slice 1 medium Gala and 1 medium Honeycrisp apple (no need to peel). Place in a medium bowl. Add ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice. Stir and toss until the apples are fully coated.
Transfer to one half of the baking sheet and arrange into an even layer. Place 1 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup walnuts on the other half of the baking sheet and arrange into an even layer.
Bake until the nuts are browned and fragrant, and the apples are golden and tender but still a bit crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the dressing.

TO MAKE DRESSING:

Mince 3 garlic cloves and place in a large jar or medium bowl. Add 1 cup vegan mayonnaise, ½ cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Seal the jar and shake or whisk together until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

TO MAKE SALAD:

Strip the leaves from 2 large bunches kale and discard the stems. Coarsely chop the leaves. Thinly slice ½ medium red onion (scant 1 cup). Place the kale and onion in a large bowl. Add the roasted apples, pecans, walnuts, ½ cup dried cranberries, and ¼ cup pumpkin seeds.
Drizzle with the dressing when ready to serve and toss to combine.
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
MAKE AHEAD: The nuts can be toasted and the dressing made up to 2 days ahead. Store the nuts at room temperature and refrigerate the dressing in separate airtight containers. The salad can be tossed up to 30 minutes before serving.
GREENS: If preferred, you can always add greens like Romaine lettuce, Arugula, Mustard Greens, Microgreens, Spinach or Collard Greens to this salad for added flavor + texture.

Nutrition