Looking for a cozy, hearty meal for fall that is still healthy? This post will cover how to create the perfect fall salad to keep you full all day long.
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A lot of fall salads I’ve seen use kale, squashes, and some other foods that aren’t always my favorite. If you’re like me, no worries! There are still tons of options to make scrumptious autumn salads.
Tip 1. Use seasonal produce
The easiest way to make the most delicious fall salad is to use seasonal produce! For example, during the summer, I like to make a lot of salads with strawberries, peaches, and tomatoes (all spring/summer produce usually).
Some ideas for fall produce:
- Squashes
- Brussel sprouts
- Apples
- Cranberries
- Cauliflower
- Pears
- Leafy greens (Kale, spinach)
- Sweet Potatoes
Tip 2. Roast Your Veggies
While salads can be crisp, bright, light, and cold for a refreshing summer day, they can also be warm, hearty and cozy. Roast your veggies, squashes, and/or protein with olive oil and lots of spices an autumn salad to warm you up from the inside out.
To retain a yummy texture and crunch, I like to mix roasted veggies with fresh too!
Tip 3. Don’t skimp on the toppings!
So many of my friends claim they don’t like salads for their main meal because it doesn’t keep them full. However, after I make them a hearty salad loaded with veggies, protein, and toppings, they are always quick to change their minds. I always have at least 5 different veggies or toppings depending on what I have in the fridge!
Some toppings are also nutrient dense and/or will help you stay full longer. Suggestions include:
- Avocado
- Roasted sweet potato or squashes
- Protein (Chicken, beef, tofu, chickpeas)
- Nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts)
- Grains (brown rice, quinoa)
- Kale or spinach instead of romaine (Personally, I always use green leaf or romaine lettuce, but switching it up can add more nutrients)
Tip 4. Prepare ahead
Salads can require lots of prep time to chop your produce or even roast your veggies. I like to prepare my salads ahead of time when possible, so that way I can have a quick, healthy, hearty lunch during busy work from home days.
Make sure to separate your warm from cold ingredients, so that you can easily heat up roasted veggies or protein in the microwave. You can also use frozen pre-cooked protein to help save time!
Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato and Veggie Fall Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
To end the post, I’ve included a recipe for my favorite fall salad this year. It features my signature roasted sweet potato (that my friends used to gobble up in minutes), as well as a tangy honey mustard dressing from Half Baked Harvest.
Roasted Sweet Potato Tips
These roasted sweet potatoes are always a hit. Some tips to make them extra tasty and delicious:
- Cut small – I cut them into roughly 1-cm cubes
- Pre-steaming helps kickstart the cooking process and allow the roasting to give a better texture.
- While most recipes will have you stir or flip halfway through roasting, I like to leave it alone. This makes one side crispy, and the other side chewy. The texture is addicting, and I could eat a whole tray in one sitting!
- Roast until the smallest pieces look almost burnt. You’ll see the bottoms have a dark golden color, and the smallest pieces might even look burnt. This is optimal! If you take out too early, it isn’t as crispy or yummy.
Kitchen Equipment
While not needed, I use these items for this recipe which make my life super easy! They are kitchen staples, and I included links below
Roasted Sweet Potato and Veggie Fall Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
Equipment
- Microwave steamer
- Baking sheets
- Salad Dressing mixer/bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/4 head lettuce
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 cob of corn split in half or quarters – or 1/2 canned sweet corn
- 1 bell pepper largely diced – red, orange, or yellow
- 1/2 onion sliced – red, yellow, or white
- 1/2 head of cauliflowe broken into florets
- paprika
- garlic salt
- pepper
- olive oil
- turmeric powder
- 2 mini Persian cucumbers or 1/2 normal cucumber, sliced
- 1/2 avocado cubed or sliced
Dressing (inspired by Half Baked Harvest) – made enough for 4+ servings
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 lemon juiced
- 3 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Roasted sweet potato
- Dice your sweet potato into roughly 1-cm cubes
- Steam in the microwave with a splash of water for 5 minutes or until a fork can pierce through easily. (I use my Pampered chef microwave steamer, but use what you have – even if it is just a bowl with a lid, just make sure to leave a gap for steam to escape!)
- Once finished, drain the water and dump onto a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the sweet potato out with a spoon and let steam dry for at least 2 minutes. (You can use a paper towel to dry, but I've found this steam dry method works great without needing to waste paper towels!)
- Then, drizzle with olive oil and garlic salt. Don't skimp on the garlic salt! Try to make sure none of the pieces are touching each other.
Other Roasted Veggies
- While your sweet potato is cooking and cooling, prepare your other vegetables (cauliflower, onion, bell pepper, and corn).
- Arrange on a baking sheet with parchment paper. (I like to reserve 1/2 of the bell pepper to add directly to the salad for more freshness and crunch!)
- Add olive oil, garlic salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric, and other spices to your liking. Rub in with your hands to make sure everything is evenly coated.
- Place both baking sheets in the oven. Remove the veggies once golden brown, around 30-35 minutes. Half way through, you can mix the vegetables.
- Remove the sweet potato after 35 – 40 minutes, once you can see the bottom side getting dark brown. (I don't like to stir or flip for texture reasons, but you can if you'd like!)
- While everything roasts, wash and prep your lettuce, cut the avocado and cucumber, and make the dressing.
Dressing
- Combine all ingredients and whisk well until emulsified.
Assemble
- Once everything is done, assemble your bowl! My order: lettuce, fresh bell peppers and cucumbers, roasted veggie + sweet potato, avocado, and dressing. Enjoy!
Enjoy the recipe! Also, be sure to check out my other Fall blog posts, including my Fall Baking Bucket List!
