Fall Harvest Salad

It’s officially the first day of fall! I cannot wait to post all the fall content on here. As I mentioned in my fall wellness post, I feel that autumn brings such a positive change in energy and I love getting creative at this time of year! I’m kicking off fall content with a fall harvest salad. This is honestly one of the most delicious salads I’ve ever had. It has several seasonal foods which means it’s extremely healthy for you, and it also looks very aesthetically pleasing for the season. This is such an easy salad to throw together, it would be perfect as a standalone meal or a complementary side dish to any of your fall dinners! Let me break it down for you.

The leafy base of this salad is arugula and spinach. I think a lighter mix is better because of all the toppings that will be added. I also added quinoa for both flavor and some more sturdiness to support all the add-ins.

Now comes the fun fall toppings! This salad has roasted sweet potatoes, walnuts, apples, and dried cranberries! It is like a fresh fall party in your mouth to be honest. For the sweet potatoes, I just diced them and roasted them in olive oil, salt & pepper. I used dried cranberries because that is what I had on hand, but to make the salad even healthier, fresh, cooked cranberries would be great too. It’s a little difficult to find dried cranberries without a ton of added sugar, hence the suggestion. Raisins would be a great replacement as well!

I think you can imagine how easy this is. Add your greens to a bowl and mix in the quinoa. Next add all the toppings and mix thoroughly until everything is evenly dispersed. Top with dressing of choice, I used apple cider vinaigrette which I believe is the perfect complement to the salad. It helps cut the sweetness of the toppings, but it also has that distinct apple cider vinegar taste, which is perfect for all the fall flavors going on here.

To make the vinaigrette, just add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, dijon mustard, honey, and salt & pepper to a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk until combined. I’ve tried this recipe without the mustard and it still works, it’s just a little thinner. I know not everyone is a mustard fan, so that’s a great option if you’re not crazy about the taste of mustard. Another really simple and delicious dressing would just be olive oil and some lemon juice, something for everyone!

So this fall harvest salad is delicious, beautiful, and easy to make. Let’s talk about health benefits now!

Spinach adds vitamin A, K, and C as well as manganese, magnesium and iron. It’s antioxidant rich and amazing for a healthy digestive tract, strong bones, and nourished skin among other things.

Arugula has several nutrients like vitamin A, K, and C, as well as folate, potassium and calcium. It’s great for lowering inflammation and reducing skin damage, which is important after a long summer! It’s also great for all you out there with dark circles.

Quinoa supports healthy digestion, has a good amount of protein, important amino acids and is rich in many minerals. It’ll keep you full and give you energy without you feeling or looking overstuffed.

Sweet potatoes are extremely rich in vitamin A, perfect for keeping skin smooth and is also a good carb, so you don’t crash and burn!

Apples help your body detox, something we need at the beginning of fall. They also lower cholesterol and balance the bacteria in your gut! A definite fall staple.

Walnuts are antioxidant rich, a good source of omega-3s, and promote a healthy gut.

Cranberries promote good digestion and are extremely antioxidant rich.

Apple cider vinegar is extremely alkaline and therefore great for pH balance.

In short, you can feel good about indulging in this salad.

Let me know if you try this salad out! I feel like it has all the fresh fall vibes and I am loving it. I hope you all enjoy it, I am looking forward to all the fall baking and cooking this year and I cannot wait to share more with you all. Happy fall y’all!

With Love,

Jenna