Fall Harvest Salad
This Fall Harvest Salad highlights the best of fall produce - dark leafy kale, roasted sweet potatoes, delicious crisp apples, and tart pomegranate seeds. Homemade candied pumpkin seeds add the perfect amount of crunch! And to finish it off, a delicious maple tahini dressing to drizzle over the top. So good!
Ingredients
- 1 small sweet potato peeled and cut into ½" cubes
- 5-7 oz shredded kale rinsed and dried (see notes)
- ½ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 stalks celery thinly sliced; about ½ cup
- 1 apple cut into ¼" cubes
- 2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds plus more for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Candied Pumpkin Seeds
- ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon melted coconut oil
Maple Tahini Dressing
- ¼ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Water to thin
Instructions
- Place pumpkin seeds in a small bowl and submerge in water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and let soak for at least 3 hours, up to overnight. Then drain and pat dry.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with foil or parchment paper.
- Place sweet potatoes onto one of the baking sheets. Spray with cooking oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Spread potatoes apart in a single layer and roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway. Let cool completely.
- Turn the oven temperature down to 300°F. In a bowl, combine the pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, and coconut oil together. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and stir well. Arrange in a single layer on the second baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Let cool.
- Add kale, olive oil, and ½ teaspoon salt to a large salad bowl. Massage with your hands for 3-4 minutes or until kale is dark green and moist. Stir in celery, apple, pomegranate seeds, and cooled sweet potatoes.
- Whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, a small pinch of salt, and 1 teaspoon water. Add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, as needed until dressing is pourable. As the dressing sits, you may need to add more water. Adjust seasoning as needed.
- Pour as much dressing as you'd like over the salad and toss. Top with candied pumpkin seeds and more pomegranate seeds, if desired.
Notes
- Kale: I like to buy the pre-shredded kale for convenience. You can use whatever kind of kale you like (I love curly or Lacinato). Remove the stems and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Make Ahead: Wash, dry, and chop the kale up to 5 days in advance. Wrap with a dry paper towel and store in a zip-top bag in the fridge. You can also roast the sweet potatoes, candy the pumpkin seeds, and whisk the dressing 2-3 days in advance. Store each in an air-tight container in the fridge until you're ready to assemble the salad.
- Storing Leftovers: Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can keep the dressing separate or completely mixed into the salad.
- Substitutions:
- For the pumpkin seeds, you can substitute coconut oil with vanilla or regular ghee.
- If you don't have tahini, substitute it with your favorite nut butter. Almond or cashew butter would work great!
- Instead of sweet potatoes, try butternut, kabocha, or delicata squash!
- For more toppings, try sliced pears, red onion, roasted beets, dried cranberries, or shaved Brussels sprouts to keep with the fall theme.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 181kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 412mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 6462IU | Vitamin C: 43mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 1mg