Here’s a nice autumn salad that features some of the fruits of the fall season along with our beloved kale. It’s pretty and festive and it could be a nice side to balance out a heavy meal, plus it requires very little work to bring it together!
You can put your own twist on it by changing up the type of fruit and nuts that you and your family like. For mine and for presentation, I added chopped apple and thinly sliced pear, I liked the contrast between the two cuts, I also added dried cherries, toasted walnuts and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds.
The dressing really pulls this salad all together, it’s a mixture of apple cider vinegar and white balsamic blended together, which is a must. The oil you can change up to your liking, but I highly recommend roasted walnut oil for a little treat. Also, If you want to sweeten your dressing up a bit you can, but I never ended up doing it, it was perfect without.
Whatever nuts you use be sure to lightly toast them beforehand, it intensifies their flavor and also gives them more crunch.
It’s colorful, healthy, fresh and good for you, so dig in!
Speaking of colorful, every tree and bush I see is worthy of a snapshot. Chicagoland is exceptionally vibrant and beautiful this season!
- 1 bunch of curly kale
- 1 apple, chopped
- 1 pear, thinly sliced
- dried cherries or cranberries
- toasted walnuts
- pomegranate seeds, optional
- DRESSING INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup toasted walnut oil, (or oil of your choice)
- ¼ cup of vinegar total, using half apple cider vinegar and half white balsamic
- 1 teaspoon, Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove grated on a microplane
- salt and pepper to taste
- Remove the stems from the kale, chop,wash and spin dry, place into a large bowl or platter. Curly kale holds on to water so spinning it dry is an important step.
- Chop 1 apple and slice 1 pear then squeeze a tiny bit of fresh lemon on top and set aside.
- Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing then pour onto the kale and toss until well coated,a little goes a long way, but feel free to make more if you have a huge amount of kale.
- Arrange the apples and pear on top and sprinkle with dried fruit and toasted nuts, any amount you desire.
- Serve immediately!
I’m Marie, a wife, mother, mother-in-law, and gramma of two beautiful girls. My passion is food, clear and simple but especially Italian food, hence the name of my blog, Proud Italian Cook. I want you to feel right at home here so grab a cup of coffee, I’ll get the pastries, take a look around and enjoy your visit! {
This salad is a complete knockout! It looks like it has so much flavor and lots of crunch and varied texture. Yum!
Hi Marie – Your brussel sprout and kale salad has become one of our favorites. I know we will love this one too. I try to include healthy meals in our diets during the season where there is so much rich food on the menu. Looking forward to trying this. Happy weekend.
Great salad!
Loved your photography as well 🙂
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Thanks! buon appetito
socialcookers
We always have salad with our night time meal — some people call it dinner, some call it supper so I used the term night time. Now they have baby kale which is perfect and oh so tender. I love shopping at Trader Joes because they have the organic packages of wonderful fall greens. Your recipe looks scrumptious.
I love green salads with crunchy, sweet, and savory all mixed in, like this one! Autumn has also been very colorful here this year– your tree is beautiful!
Love your salad. I think I like kale more than a spinach salad. And, you have added such good stuff.
Your tree/bush is glorious.
M.
Wonderful salad, Marie…Great minds must think somewhat alike. I just posted an apple slaw with walnuts. Here’s to Fall!!