Fall Kale Salad With Apple Cider Vinaigrette

With the weather cooling down, I crave hearty salads that feel just as comforting as they are nourishing. Every bite of this fall kale salad with apple cider vinaigrette has that perfect balance of sweet, savory, and crunchy, making it the best holiday side dish and even holds up well for meal prep!

This salad has it all – loaded with sweet potatoes, crisp apples, tart cranberries, roasted pecans, creamy goat cheese, and tender chicken, all tossed in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette. My husband’s words were, “this is one of the best salad you’ve ever made”, which is high praise from a man who never chooses the salad!

What You’ll Need

Equipment

• Sheet pan
• Parchment
• Cutting board
• Knife
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

• Sweet potato
• Kale: I like to buy a big bag that’s already washed/chopped.
• Honey crisp apple
• Crumbled goat cheese
• Cranberries: I use reduced sugar ones.
• Roasted pecans: See instructions below if you prefer to roast your own!
• Red onion
• Spices: Salt, pepper, cinnamon, and garlic powder.
• Cooked chicken: Rotisserie or other pre-cooked chicken works great to keep it easy.
• Apple cider vinegar
• Extra virgin olive oil: Try to use one specifically for salads/marinades – I love the Pompeian brand.
• Honey
• Dijon mustard

How To Make It

1. Roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat oven to 425F and line a half baking sheet with parchment. Wash/scrub potatoes clean (peel if desired), and chop into ~1/2″ cubes. Spread evenly onto the pan, spray with olive oil and season with a big pinch salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping and seasoning again halfway.
2. Make the dressing: Meanwhile, add apple cider vinegar, olive oil, honey, mustard, garlic powder, and a pinch salt and pepper to a jar or container and whisk or shake vigorously until emulsified (I often use a frother to easily blend).
3. Prep the rest: Finely chop the kale, red onion, roughly chop the chicken, roasted pecans, and thinly slice the apples. Measure out all other ingredients so they’re ready to go.
4. Mix!: In a large mixing bowl, gently massage kale with a few tablespoons of the dressing (I wear gloves to keep my hands clean). Then toss in the apple, goat cheese, cranberries, pecans, red onion, roasted sweet potato, and chicken, drizzling on the rest of the dressing. Toss to combine and enjoy immediately!

DIY Roasted Pecans

You can easily roast your own pecans at home if you prefer! Just add raw pecans to a parchment lined baking sheet, toss with a small drizzle of olive oil, big pinch of sea salt and bake at 350 F for 9-12 min (until toasted and smelling delicious). You could also roast on the stovetop for 3-5 minutes, until toasted and fragrant.

FAQs

• Can I swap the nuts if I’m allergic?: Yes, roasted walnuts or almonds are just as delicious in this!
• How long does this salad last and can I meal prep it?: For meal prep, store salad and vinaigrette separately, up to 4 days. If you mix the salad and dressing all at once, I’d recommend serving within 2 days.
• Can I use store-bought dressing?: Yes of course (but I highly recommend taking 5 minutes to make your own!). Look for a store-bought apple cider vinaigrette that’s tangy and not too sweet to keep the flavor balance.

You’ll Also Love

• Harvest chicken salad
• Apple pecan chicken salad
• Strawberry balsamic salad with chicken
• Sausage veggie & apple sheet pan

Lastly, be sure to leave a rating and review down below if you make this fall kale salad with apple cider vinaigrette! And don’t forget to tag me on all the socials – always love to hear from you guys and see what you’re making! Enjoy. ♡

Fall Kale Salad With Apple Cider Vinaigrette

5 from 3 votes

This salad is loaded with sweet potatoes, crisp apples, tart cranberries, roasted pecans, creamy goat cheese, and tender chicken, all tossed in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect for holiday side dishes and even holds up well for meal prep.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:30 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6

Calories: 436kcal

Equipment

• Sheet pan
• Parchment
• Large mixing bowl

Ingredients

• 4 cups sweet potato (532 g) about 2 medium potatoes
• salt, pepper, cinnamon to taste
• 6 cups kale (126 g) finely chopped
• 1 medium honey crisp apple (182 g) thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (84 g)
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries (53 g) I use 50% less sugar ones
• 1/2 cup roasted pecans (56 g) roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup red onion (50 g) finely chopped
• 1 lb cooked chicken breast (16 oz) chopped

Apple Cider Vinaigrette

• 2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (45 ml)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (60 ml)
• 1 tbsp honey (21 g)
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard (15 g)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• pinch salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F and line a half baking sheet with parchment. Wash/scrub potatoes clean, and chop into ~1/2" cubes.
• Spread potatoes evenly onto the pan, spray with olive oil and season with a big pinch salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping and seasoning again halfway.
• Meanwhile, add all apple cider vinaigrette ingredients to a jar or container and mix vigorously until emulsified (I often use a frother).
• In a large mixing bowl, gently massage kale with a few tablespoons of the dressing (I wear gloves to keep my hands clean). Toss in the apple, goat cheese, cranberries, pecans, red onion, roasted sweet potato, and chicken, drizzling on the rest of the dressing. Toss to combine and serve!

Notes

• If prepping ahead, I recommend storing the vinaigrette separately (salad is best within 4 days).
• To make your own roasted pecans, add raw pecans to a parchment lined baking sheet, toss with a small drizzle of olive oil, pinch of sea salt and bake at 350 F for 9-12 min until toasted and fragrant. You can also roast on the stovetop for about 3-5 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 245g | Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 35.6g | Protein: 28.7g | Fat: 22.1g | Fiber: 7.7g

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