Fall Harvest Salad with Spiced Apple Cider Bourbon Vinaigrette

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This Fall Harvest Salad with Spiced Apple Cider Bourbon Vinaigrette is definitely not your average salad! Fresh kale, arugula, and shredded Brussel sprouts tossed with sautéed butternut squash, fresh Fall figs, juicy pomegranate seeds, sliced honeycrisp apples, and roasted pumpkin seeds. Though, the goodness doesn’t stop there! This Fall-inspired salad is tossed with the best-ever cinnamon spiced apple cider bourbon vinaigrette. Then, it’s topped with crumbled feta for a tangy and creamy finish. It’s light, flavorful, perfectly sweet, and the perfect compliment to your weeknight dinners, easy lunches, or even holiday entertaining. So simple, but so good.

About The Recipe

Fall produce is finally starting to arrive at our local farmer’s market and I am so excited! Fresh apples, figs, leafy greens, pumpkins, butternut squash…so many of my favorites are finally back. I think we might’ve cleaned out the market while we were this this past weekend.

Which is what leads us to this salad!

This might just be my favorite salad recipe to date.

Which, says a lot because I eat salad pretty much everyday. It’s almost always my Super Green Salad, but this one…I think this Fall salad might just become my new go-to all season long.

It’s light and bright, but sweet without being overly sweet. There’s just wonderful Fall flavors without any of them being too strong or too over the top. Simplicity!

Though, the vinaigrette might just be the icing on the cake. I will admit, when I make myself something, I always do red wine vinegar and a little bit of olive oil (I am lazy, sorry…). Though, I’ve been branching out a little bit more in the last year or so. I had a vanilla vinaigrette on a salad a little over a year ago and it has stuck with me since!

It really was the inspiration behind the vinaigrette on this.

That, and we had just opened a gallon of fresh apple cider and I needed to make something with it STAT!

So, I used bourbon instead of vanilla, sweetened it with agave, added plenty of cider, a splash of champagne vinegar, a dash of ground cinnamon, a sprig of thyme, and finally some olive oil. It sounds like a lot, but trust me when I say it is SO delicious!

I could probably drink the vinaigrette just with a straw, but when it’s tossed with all these fresh fruits and vegetables…ohmygosh. I could eat this everyday and be happy!

It’s the perfect salad to celebrate the Fall season!

Reasons You Will Love This Fall Harvest Salad

• Uses fresh Fall produce!
• Healthy and delicious.
• The perfect salad for Thanksgiving.
• Naturally gluten-free with a vegan option.
• Full of flavor.
• Sweet without being too sweet.
• Easy to make.
• Crowd pleasing!

Equipment Needed

• Mixing Bowls
• Small Whisk
• Large Salad Bowl
• Small Saucepan
• Sauté Pan

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Vinaigrette:

• Fresh Apple Cider
• Bourbon
• Champagne Vinegar
• Light Agave Nectar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Ground Cinnamon
• Fresh Thyme

For The Salad:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Butternut Squash
• Kale
• Brussel Sprouts
• Honeycrisp Apple
• Fresh Figs
• Pomegranate Seeds
• Roasted and Salted Pumpkin Seeds
• Crumbled Feta

How To Make Fall Harvest Salad

Step 1: Make the vinaigrette

Combine the apple cider and bourbon in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into small mixing bowl.

Add vinegar, agave, olive oil, cinnamon, and thyme. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Step 2: Sauté butternut squash

In a large skillet, combine 1 Tablespoon olive oil and butternut squash. Place over medium-low heat and sauté until squash is tender, about 10-15 minutes. Set aside.

Step 3: Mix

Mix kale and brussel sprouts in large salad bowl.

Pour vinaigrette over greens and gently toss to coat. Top with butternut squash, apple slices, figs, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, and feta.

What To Serve With This Fall Harvest Salad

My favorite thing is to eat this salad as a meal on it’s own! It makes for a great lunch, but if you need main courses or more sides to finish out your meal, we’ve got you covered! Here are a few of our favorite Fall recipes to serve alongside this salad.

• Four Cheese Mac and Cheese
• Ham and Cheese Croissant Casserole
• Southern Cornbread Dressing
• Buttery Mashed Potatoes
• Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls
• Crispy Oven Roasted Brussel Sprouts
• Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole
• Shoepeg Corn and Green Bean Casserole
• Southern Baked Mac and Cheese
• Rosemary Garlic Roasted Potatoes

How To Store

This salad doesn’t store very well, but if you have leftovers, it should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator overnight.

Substitutions

• Sweet potatoes can be used in place of butternut squash.
• Almost any mixed green that you like that is fresh can also be used.
• If there are any toppings you do not like, feel free to omit them or change them to something you do like! Just keep in mind the flavor palate to keep everything working together.
• Vanilla can be used in place of the bourbon in the vinaigrette. If vanilla is used, do not heat the apple cider.
• If you would like to make this recipe vegan, feel free to leave off the feta or use your favorite vegan cheese in it’s place!

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Apple Almond and Cranberry Super Green Salad, Mix Greens Steak Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, Caprese Pasta Salad, Southern Corn and Tomato Couscous Salad

Expert Tips

• The measurements in this recipe are done to taste. Feel free to adjust as needed!
• If you would like a more pronounced bourbon flavor and do not mind the alcohol, skip the steps for heating the cider and bourbon.
• I used a mix of curly kale and dinosaur kale for my salad. Feel free to use both or only one of them!
• Use a fork to test if the butternut squash is cooked-through. If the squash is tender and the fork glides through easily, it is done!

When you make this Fall Harvest Salad with Spiced Apple Cider Bourbon Vinaigrette, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable

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