I LOVE a good salad. The different flavors and textures, and a solid dressing to bring everything together. While summer salads are great with all the fresh produce in season, we can’t overlook fall salads. This harvest salad is light yet satisfying and screams fall.
It has roasted sweet potatoes, shredded chicken, crisp apples, chewy cranberries, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and creamy goat cheese, and is tossed in a warming cinnamon tahini orange vinaigrette.
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Besides being so delicious, this harvest chicken salad has a good balance of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and fiber to help fill you up and keep you full. Plus, it’s loaded with nutrients! It comes together in about 40 minutes, but with some meal prep, you can easily make it in 10 minutes.
Why you’ll love this fall harvest salad recipe
- fall flavors in a bowl – sweet potatoes, apples, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and a fall-inspired salad dressing with cinnamon and ginger. It’s the perfect match!
- loaded with protein – one serving has 38 grams of protein!
- customizable – swap out an ingredient or two for what you have on hand or what you enjoy.
- works well for meal prep – prep your ingredients in advance and toss them together when you are ready to enjoy.
Harvest salad ingredients
- olive oil
- sweet potato
- fresh greens – I used a mix of spinach and arugula, but any kind of greens will work.
- apple
- dried cranberries
- pumpkin seeds
- goat cheese
- salt and pepper
How to make a harvest salad
- Roast your potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add diced potatoes, oil, and some salt and pepper. Mix well to combine. Roast for 25-35 minutes until browned and fork-tender. Once done, let it cool for a couple of minutes.
- While the potatoes roast, make your dressing. Mix all ingredients into a jar. Adjust according to taste.
- Prep your salad ingredients. Roughly chop your greens and dice your apples.
- Assemble the salad. In a large bowl or salad bowl, add greens, chicken, roasted potatoes, diced apples, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the dressing and toss well to combine.
- Enjoy!
Harvest salad dressing
What is a good salad without a good dressing?! This orange vinaigrette is light yet full of flavor and pairs well with the salad ingredients.
- orange juice – freshly squeezed if you can!
- extra virgin olive oil
- apple cider vinegar
- tahini – a sesame seed paste that adds a nice nuttiness to the recipe.
- cinnamon
- ground ginger
- salt and pepper
Simply add all of your ingredients to a small to medium bowl or jar and whisk well to combine. If using a jar, you can also place the lid on the jar and shake until combined. Adjust it according to taste.
Meal prep
This autumn harvest salad is a great meal prep option. Some of the components can be made ahead of time and then stored separately in the fridge until you are ready to eat. You can either assemble them ahead of time or wait till the day of. If making a few days in advance, I would hold off on adding the seeds and the dressing so it doesn’t get too soggy.
Storage
- fridge – store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. As it sits, the seeds will lose some of their crunch.
Substitutions and additions
- olive oil – any kind of neutral oil will work.
- sweet potato – roasted butternut squash, delicata squash, or acorn squash would all be a great substitute!
- mixed greens – any kind of greens will work (spinach, kale, arugula, romaine lettuce…). If using kale, I would suggest chopping it into small pieces and massaging some oil on it to help make it tender.
- shredded chicken – shredded chicken breasts or thighs will work. Use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save some time. You can also substitute another protein if desired. Salmon or even leftover turkey from Thanksgiving would be delicious.
- apple – use your favorite kind of apple (green or red).
- dried cranberries – raisins will work instead.
- pumpkin seeds – nuts such as pecans, walnuts, and almonds would be a good sub. Sunflower seeds will also work.
- goat cheese – feta cheese or grated parmesan would work. Leave off the cheese to make it dairy-free.
- orange vinaigrette – the orange vinaigrette really helps to bring out the fall flavors, but you can use any vinaigrette you like.
Here are some additions you can add:
- veggies – add in more veggies if you like. Diced bell peppers, carrots, celery, or roasted brussel sprouts would be delicious.
- beans – add chickpeas, white beans, or black beans for an extra boost of fiber.
- avocado – for some creaminess.
- fruit – try pomegranate seeds or fresh figs.
More healthy salad recipes
- chicken caesar pasta salad
- chopped salad with turkey & chickpeas
- burger salad
- chicken cabbage salad
- chopped southwest chicken salad
If you love quick and easy meals and want to learn how to build a balanced plate, check out our FREE How to Build a Balanced Plate Guide!
Fall Harvest Salad
ingredients
- 2 cups diced sweet potatoes (8 ounces)
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 cups mixed greens, roughly chopped (180 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded chicken (6 ounces)
- 1 cup diced apple (100 grams)
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds/pepitas (I used roasted)
- 1/3 cup goat cheese (1.5 ounces)
- 1/4 cup orange vinaigrette
- salt and pepper, to taste
instructions
- Roast your potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add diced potatoes, oil, and some salt and pepper to the sheet. Mix well to combine. Roast for 25-35 minutes until browned and fork tender.
- While the potatoes roast, make your dressing. Mix all ingredients into a jar. Adjust according to taste.
- Prep your salad ingredients. Roughly chop your greens and dice your apples.
- Assemble the salad. Once the potatoes are done, let them cool for a couple of minutes. In a large salad bowl or mixing bowl, add greens, chicken, roasted potatoes, diced apples, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour over the dressing and toss well to combine.
- Enjoy!
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This salad is now my favorite! My husband had seconds. The dressing is amazing. I will be putting this on repeat. Can’t wait to try all of your other recipes!
So glad you both enjoyed it, Patti! Thanks for trying it.