Fall Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

This fall harvest salad features roasted acorn squash, crisp pears, walnuts, cranberries and feta cheese with an apple cider vinaigrette. A delicious, filling lunch or side for dinner!

Most of the time I eat a salad for lunch. It sounds boring, but not when you make a salad like this fall harvest salad! It is loaded with fall-inspired goodness like acorn squash, pears, walnuts and cranberries. Topped with some creamy feta cheese and a homemade apple cider vinaigrette.

This would also make a delicious side salad to serve at dinner or at your next gathering.

Ingredients for Fall Harvest Salad

• Salad Greens – I use a spinach and spring mix, but butter lettuce or romaine would also work here.
• Roasted Acorn Squash – slice and roast the squash for 20 minutes at 375°F.
• Pear – I used Anjou. Other types such as Bosc or Bartlett will also work.
• Dried Cranberries – look for unsweetened to avoid added sugars.
• Walnuts – Raw and broken into pieces if whole.
• Red Onion – This gives the salad a nice bite to it.
• Feta Cheese – creamy and sharp, it pairs so well with the pear and cranberries. Goat cheese or another soft cheese could also be used in its place.
• Apple Cider Vinaigrette – Tangy from the apple cider and sweetened slightly with honey. The perfect dressing for this salad!

What is Apple Cider Vinaigrette made of?

A vinaigrette is a mixture of oil, spices and an acid, such as vinegar or citrus juices. This versatile vinaigrette is delicious paired with the pears, walnuts, and squash on this salad.

To make this dressing, you will only need a few simple ingredients:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Shallot
• Garlic Clove
• Dijon Mustard
• Honey
• Salt and Pepper

This recipe makes a small batch of apple cider vinaigrette.

How to make Fall Harvest Salad

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Place the cut acorn squash slices on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with half the olive oil and then sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper and ground ginger.
3. Flip the squash over and repeat on the other side.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the squash over and then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Squash should be fork tender.
5. Remove and let cool.
6. In a small jar (such as a mason jar), whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients, set aside.
7. While the squash is roasting, prepare your salad
   1. In a large bowl, place the salad greens
   2. Top with red onion, pear, cranberries and walnuts
   3. Once slightly cooled, place the roasted acorn squash on top
   4. Drizzle with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Tips and Substitutions for Fall Harvest Salad

• The skin of the acorn squash can be eaten. Wash well before slicing and roasting. The skin will separate from the meat very easily after roasting if you do not want to eat it.
• To keep your salad from getting soggy, add the vinaigrette right before serving.
• Salad dressing can be stored in the fridge in a glass mason jar for up to 1 week
• Prepare the salad ingredients a head of time and store in separate containers for lunch time meal prep.
• Bacon or chicken are delicious on this salad if more protein is desired

Continue to Content

Fall Harvest Salad

Yield: 2 Large Salads

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

This fall harvest salad features roasted acorn squash, crisp pears, walnuts, cranberries and feta cheese with an apple cider vinaigrette.

Print

Ingredients

• 4 cups Salad greens
• 1 Roasted Acorn Squash
• 1 Pear, diced or sliced
• 1/2 cup Sliced Red Onion
• 1/2 cup Feta Cheese
• 1/4 cup Walnut pieces
• 2 Tablespoons Dried Cranberries, unsweetened
• Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Roasted Acorn Squash

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 Acorn Squash
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Pepper

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Toggle ingredient group

• 3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 Tablespoon Shallot, finely minced
• 1 Garlic clove, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Honey
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Pepper to taste

Instructions

Fall harvest salad

1. Add salad greens to large bowl(s)
2. Top with red onion, diced pear, walnuts, cranberries, feta cheese and acorn squash.
3. Drizzle with 1-2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Roasted acorn squash

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Cut the squash in half, remove seeds.
3. Cut the squash into 1 inch thick slices.
4. Place the squash slices on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper and ground ginger.
5. Flip the squash slices over and repeat on the other side.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the squash over and bake an additional 5 minutes. Squash should be fork tender.
7. Remove from oven and let cool.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

1. In a small jar with a lid, whisk together the shallots, garlic, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper(to taste).
2. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
   

Notes

• This recipe makes 2 large salads as a main course or can be made in one large bowl to serve as a side salad.
• Store leftover Apple Cider Vinaigrette in the fridge for up to 1 week. The salad dressing will seperate, shake well before serving.

• This salad can be prepared ahead of time. Add pear and vinaigrette when ready to assemble.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @maplelanekitchen and hashtag it #maplelanekitchen – I love seeing your creations!

Did you make this recipe? Have any questions? Leave a comment below, I would love to hear from you!

Check out these other fall-inspired recipes:

• Roasted Cinnamon Butternut Squash
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
• Whole Wheat Pumpkin Donuts
• Sparkling Apple Cider Cocktail