Harvest Kale Apple Salad
Delight in the flavors of the season with our Harvest Kale Apple Salad. This vibrant and wholesome salad features crisp kale and apples, creamy goat cheese, sweet dried cherries, crunchy pecans, and savory bacon. Topped with shavings of Pecorino Romano and dressed in a fig and cider vinaigrette, this salad offers a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and tangy flavors.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 648kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Salad
- ½ cup pecans
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 slices thick cut bacon
- 3 cups kale shredded
- 3 cups baby kale & spinach mix
- 2 honey crisp apples thinly sliced
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 4 oz goat cheese crumbled
- 2 oz pecorino shaved
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
Fig Vinaigrette
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fig preserves
- 1½ teaspoon fresh thyme stemmed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅔ cup olive oil
Instructions
Candied Pecans
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a sheet tray with parchment paper
- Toss pecans, maple syrup, brown sugar, pumpkin spice seasoning, salt and cayenne pepper in a medium mixing bowl then place on prepared sheet tray and bake 5-8 minutes. Watch carefully as the pecans can burn. Remove and set aside to cool
Kale Salad
- Cook bacon in a large skillet to desired doneness, remove from pain and allow to drain and cool on a paper towel lined plate
- Toss remaining ingredients together in a large salad bowl, top with bacon and dress with vinaigrette before serving
Notes
Dressing can be made and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days ahead of time.
Submerge apple slices in lemon water for 5 seconds if slicing apples more than 20 minutes before serving. Mix 2 cups cold water with 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
Alternatively, you can dip the apple slices in straight lemon juice however this will cause a distinct lemon flavor on your apples.
Do not dress salad until ready to serve.
Pecans can be made and stored in an airtight container at room temp up to 2 days ahead of time.
Nutrition
Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 959mg | Potassium: 390mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 3144IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 211mg | Iron: 2mg
