This easy fall kale salad recipe is autumn in a bowl— chopped kale, toasted pecans and pumpkin seeds, seasonal apples, cranberries, and caramelized acorn squash all tossed in sweet and tangy maple dijon dressing. Enjoy it as a light lunch or dinner with your favorite protein or as a standout side dish on your holiday table.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This harvest-inspired fall kale salad is packed with seasonal ingredients that bring all the cozy autumn vibes. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
- Maple Dijon Dressing: Whip up a quick homemade dressing using a shallot, fresh garlic cloves, orange juice from one orange, pure maple syrup, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice), kosher salt, and coarse black pepper.
- Acorn Squash: Cut one small acorn squash into bite-sized pieces and toss them with extra-virgin olive oil, kosher salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, or your favorite spice blend. Prepare air fryer acorn squash or bake it in the oven for a cozy fall flavor.
How to Choose an Acorn Squash
Select a smaller squash with lighter green skin and a touch of orange, signaling it is ripe and ready to cook—too much orange can mean it is overripe. It should be firm to the touch and free of soft spots and blemishes.
- Kale: Curly kale serves as the base for fall kale salad, or substitute it with chopped Tuscan kale.
- Apples: Add a variety of texture and a perfect balance of flavor with tart Granny Smith apples and sweet Honeycrisp apples or Pink Lady apples.
- Nuts and Seeds: Toasted pecan halves and shelled pumpkin seeds are a warm addition to salad.
- Dried Cranberries: Dried cranberries add a beautiful pop of color, but you can use another dried fruit or fresh pomegranate seeds when they are in season.
Additions and Substitutions
- Add more veggies. Mix in shaved Brussels sprouts, red onion slices, peppery arugula, or fresh fennel. Swap the kale for your favorite store-bought salad mix, or use my arugula and spinach salad as a base. You can use roasted butternut squash, sweet potatoes, or kabocha squash instead of acorn squash.
- Go nuts. Replace the toasted pecans with walnuts, pistachios, or sliced almonds and use sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin.
- Top it off with cheese. Finish the fall kale salad with crumbly goat cheese, gorgonzola, feta cheese, or asiago cheese.
- Experiment with salad dressings. Use store-bought dressing or try blackberry vinaigrette, sherry shallot dressing, miso vinaigrette, or a tangy apple cider vinaigrette.
- Make it hearty. Add avocado slices, quinoa, or couscous to make the salad more filling.
Prepare the Vegetables for the Salad
Cube the Acorn Squash
1. Use a chef’s knife to cut the squash in half from the stem to the bottom.
2. Scoop out the insides and discard.
3. Cut the halves into 1-inch cubes.
Massage the Kale Leaves
Massaging the kale transforms its texture and flavor, softening the fibrous leaves and reducing their toughness and some of the bitterness. While it’s not essential, massage the leaves with a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil for even more flavor.
1. Wash the kale and strip the leaves from the stems using a sharp knife.
2. Roughly chop the kale leaves into bite-size smaller pieces.
3. Transfer the chopped kale to a large bowl and use clean hands to massage the kale for 2-3 minutes to soften the leaves.
How to Make Fall Kale Salad
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Add the maple dijon dressing ingredients to a blender cup or wide-mouth jar. Use an immersion blender to process the dressing until smooth. Set it aside.
Preparation Tip
You can also combine the salad dressing in a food processor or blender.
Step 2: Use a sharp knife to cut the acorn squash in half from stem to bottom, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into 1-inch cubes.
Step 3: Preheat an oven or air fryer to 400°F (176°C). Transfer the squash to a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar.
Step 4:
Air Fryer: Transfer the squash to the air fryer basket. Arrange the pieces in a single layer and cook for 18-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Oven: Transfer the squash to the air fryer basket. Arrange the pieces in a single layer and cook for 18-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.
Step 5: Meanwhile, massage the kale, slice the apples, and dry toast the pecans and pumpkin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
Step 6: Transfer the kale to a serving bowl and top it with the apples, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
Step 7: Remove the squash from the oven or air fryer. Let it cool for 5 minutes, and use the pieces to top the salad. Drizzle with maple dijon dressing, toss to combine, and enjoy!
Prepare the fall kale salad and pair it with one of these cozy dinner recipes!
Serving Suggestions
This flavorful fall kale salad is autumn in a bowl! Enjoy it with Instant Pot potato soup, carrot pumpkin soup, or creamy Instant Pot butternut squash soup alongside a slice of Dutch oven sourdough bread or buttery dinner rolls like pao de sal.
Make the festive autumn salad a main dish by topping it with thin cut chicken breast, fried salmon bites, rotisserie chicken, baked shrimp skewers, and crispy chickpeas or hearty quinoa balls for a flavorful vegetarian option.
And you are looking at the perfect Thanksgiving salad! Pair it with holiday meals like tandoori turkey, glazed ham, boneless leg of lamb, and za’atar turkey.
What To Do With Leftovers
- Storage: Store the fall kale salad and maple dijon dressing separately for the best results. Keep the salad in an airtight container for 2-3 days, while the dressing stays fresh in an airtight jar like a Mason jar for up to a week.
More Salad Recipes:
Fall Kale Salad
- Air Fryer or a Rimmed Baking Sheet with Parchment Paper or Silicone Mat
- ½ small shallot, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice, 1-1½ oranges
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small (3-4 pounds) acorn squash, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 bunch curly kale leaves, washed, stemmed, and roughly chopped
- 1 large Honey crisp apple, thinly sliced
- 1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
- ½ cup pecan halves
- ¼ cup shelled pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- Add the maple dijon dressing ingredients to a blender cup or wide-mouth jar. Use an immersion blender to process the dressing until smooth. Set it aside. Tip: You can also combine the salad dressing in a food processor or blender.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the acorn squash in half from stem to bottom, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into 1-inch cubes.
- Preheat an oven or air fryer to 400°F (176°C). Transfer the squash to a mixing bowl and toss with olive oil, kosher salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, and brown sugar.
- Air Fryer: Transfer the squash to the air fryer basket. Arrange the pieces in a single layer and cook for 18-20 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through.Oven: Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Arrange the pieces in a single layer and cook for 40 minutes, moving the pieces around with a silicone spatula halfway through until caramelized and golden brown.
- Meanwhile, massage the kale, slice the apples, and dry toast the pecans and pumpkin seeds in a small skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Transfer the kale to a serving bowl and top it with the apples, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries.
- Remove the squash from the oven or air fryer. Let it cool for 5 minutes, and use the pieces to top the salad. Drizzle with maple dijon dressing, toss to combine, and enjoy!
- How to choose an acorn squash. Select a smaller squash with lighter green skin and a touch of orange, signaling it is ripe and ready to cook—too much orange can mean it is overripe. It should be firm to the touch and free of soft spots and blemishes.
- How to prepare acorn squash. Cut the squash in half from stem to bottom, scoop out the seeds, and cut it into 1-inch cubes.
- Massage the kale. Wash the kale and strip the leaves from the stems and roughly chop the kale into bite-size pieces. Transfer the chopped kale to a large bowl and use clean hands to massage the kale for 2-3 minutes to soften the leaves.
Dane W.
Sunday 16th of October 2022
The salad with squash was an absolute treat. I am trying to eat healthier so this was a perfect find, especially with the in-season ingredients.
Tressa Jamil
Wednesday 19th of October 2022
You've got to love seasonal recipes!
Kira
Thursday 13th of October 2022
It's basically Fall on a plate! I had it with leftover roasted chicken and it was amazing.
Tressa Jamil
Thursday 13th of October 2022
I couldn't agree more!