3 Healthy Harvest Salads
Fall > any other season
The falling leaves and changing colors get everyone in the mood for another cozy fall season. Salads are one of my favorite meals to toss together, especially when I’m running low on other meal ideas or have zero time to make anything - aka all the time being a mom of four lol. Fall harvest produce is great to grab at your local farmer’s market when it’s in season (support local!!). Check out my 3 favorite feel-good salads using healthy fall options!
Roasted Squash & Arugula Quinoa Salad
The fun fall colors of this salad bring the warmth of the season into your home! Start by peeling, cutting, and roasting a squash of choice with some smoked paprika. Cook up 1 cup of quinoa and once that’s ready, the rest of the process is super simple! By the way - I get the freezer packs of quinoa that are already pre-cooked, so it’s just a heating up process. Toss in some washed arugula, craisins, the finished roasted squash, cooked quinoa, and your favorite vinaigrette to top it off. I personally like a citrus-based vinaigrette for this salad, but there are a ton of other options like maple-based or mustard-based. If you like crunch - add in nuts or seeds on top.
Walnut Apple Kale Fall Salad
Lunch just got SO much better! Grab kale and chop it finely for the base. You are also going to want to add a little bit of olive oil and massage this so it’s nice and soft when you go to eat it. I think the reason many people don’t enjoy kale is because it’s tough! This changes the composition of the kale, making it much easier to eat and digest. Slice up an apple, roast and chop walnuts, and crumble some feta cheese. To prepare the salad, place your kale on the bottom, then measure with your heart as you pile on your apple slices, walnuts, and feta. Mix together some olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey or maple syrup, and dijon mustard for a simple dressing to make this salad pop!
Sweet Potato Harvest Salad
If you have a few extra sweet potatoes lying around not going to good use, create a fall harvest salad with them! To create this salad, toss in cut and roasted sweet potatoes pieces, kale or spinach, fresh chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, drained and rinsed black beans, corn, and sliced avocado. A fun way I like to jazz up this salad is by using a little taco seasoning on the sweet potatoes. It really compliments the flavors of the black beans and avocado! If you don’t have time to roast potatoes, you can add slices of sweet potato to your toaster for a quicker turnaround.
What fall harvest salads will you be mixing up this season? I’m totally open to new recipes to try out this fall, so share your favorite recipe below!