Fall Salad Recipes: Three Recipes to Celebrate Autumn Harvest

In early autumn, the abundant harvest of fruits, nuts and vegetables gives us many flavors and textures from which to choose. As the countless varieties of seasonal produce are available, combining with other simple ingredients, flavorful fall salads can be created that are healthy, delicious and colorful.

As one fall day can bring warm breezes, followed the next day by a biting cold wind, so can a fall salad bring distinctive textures of crisp or creamy, and the tart or sweet flavors. By pulling them all together, it makes for salads that can stand alone as a healthy supper, a first course salad, or as a side dish to accompany roasted chicken, pork, or other meat dishes.

Cape Cod Chopped Salad
Adapted from House Beautiful

Ingredients:
8 slices (8 oz.) thick-cut bacon
8 oz. baby arugula leaves
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup toasted walnut halves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cranberries
6 oz. crumbled Roquefort cheese

Dressing:
3 Tbsp. good apple-cider vinegar
1 tsp. grated orange zest
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup good olive oil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the arugula, apple, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese.
4. For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
5. Chop the bacon into large pieces and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 5.

Fall Fruit Salad
Adapted from Gourmet Food

Ingredients:
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup walnuts
4 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 red onion, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Place walnuts on cookie sheet and toast in preheated 350 degree F oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Let cool and coarsely chop.
2. In large bowl, toss all ingredients together. Serve as is or on bed of mixed greens or romaine lettuce.

Watercress-Fennel-Pomegranate Autumn Salad
Adapted from The Veggie Table

Ingredients:
2 bunches watercress, de-stemmed and washed
2 navel oranges, peeled and segmented
1/2 medium bulb fennel, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
Dressing:
6 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:
1. Combine fennel, pomegranate, and oranges in bowl.
2. Whisk orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper in another bowl. Pour over fruit, toss to coat, and let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes.
3. Strain dressing through colander into original bowl used for dressing.
4. Add watercress to dressing and toss.
5. Arrange on platter; top with fruit/fennel and serve. Serves 6.

Sources

Gourmet Food
House Beautiful
The Veggie Table