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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    By Kaleigh McMordie - October 5, 2017, Updated September 15, 2021

    Warm Fall Harvest Kale Salad

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    overhead view of fall harvest kale salad in a white bowl with text overlay.

    This fall harvest warm kale salad is filled with all of the flavors of fall, like roasted sweet potatoes, honeycrisp apples, figs and candied pecans in a warm, delicious salad that you'll enjoy all season long! (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan option)

    warm fall harvest kale salad with sweet potatoes, apples, candied pecans and figs in a white bowl.

    Holy yum, y'all. This fall harvest kale salad is giving me all the fall feels. A crisp, cold salad with tender greens is delicious and refreshing in the hot summer months, but it's not so appealing when the cold temperatures roll in. For fall and winter, I'm all about cozy, comforting salads. Yes, I said comforting and salad in the same sentence. Is that possible? Yes, let me show you.

    Why You'll Love This Fall Kale Salad

    This fall harvest kale salad is a huge hit in our house. I made it two nights in a row because we loved it so much! Warm wilted kale is much more inviting than crunchy, frigid greens. It makes the perfect vehicle for all of the delicious ingredients of fall: warm roasted sweet potatoes with hints of cinnamon, maple coated candied pecans, fresh honeycrisp apples, earthy figs, and creamy Bellavitano cheese. All topped off with a delicious sweet and savory maple dijon dressing, this salad is darn near irresistible. It's a delicious side dish to go with risotto or roasted chicken, but it's also hearty enough to be a meal on its own.

    overhead view of ingredients needed to make a warm fall harvest kale salad on a white marble background.

    The Ingredients

    • Kale - I love dinosaur (or lacinato) kale, but use any that you can find.
    • Sweet potatoes - with a hint of cinnamon and paprika, roasted sweet potatoes add the cozy, carby goodness that's required in a hearty cold weather salad.
    • Figs - Use all the fresh figs while you can find them! If there's not a fresh fig in sight, dried figs will also work.
    • Apples - I love sweet-tart, juicy and crisp honeycrisp apples, but feel free to use your favorite variety.
    • Candied pecans - My recipe for candied pecans is super simple and can be made in advance, but if you don't want to make them, the Costco brand candied pecans are delicious, too.
    • White cheese - My absolute favorite is Sartori's Merlot BellaVitano cheese (you can find it in the deli section of most stores with a good cheese assortment). If you can't find it, a good quality block of parmesan or aged white cheddar work well too.
    • Maple dijon vinaigrette - I add a pinch of cloves for even more fall vibes.

    How To Make It

    9 image collage showing steps for making roasted sweet potatoes, roasted kale, candied pecans and dressing for a warm kale salad.
    1. Make the sweet potatoes. Cut a medium sweet potato into half-inch cubes and toss with cinnamon, paprika, salt, pepper, and half of the oil. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400°F for 25-30 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
    2. Wilt the kale. Wash and chop the kale. Toss with the other half of the oil and spread onto another baking sheet. Roast until just wilted and bright green, but not yet crispy, about 5-10 minutes. Add the roasted kale to a large bowl.
    3. Make the candied pecans.
    4. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
    5. Slice the apples and cut figs into quarters vertically. Grate or crumble the cheese.
    6. Add the sweet potatoes, apples, figs, cheese and pecans to the bowl with the kale. Drizzle with dressing (I usually start with half) and toss to coat.
    overhead view of warm fall harvest kale salad in a white bowl surrounded by dressing in a jar, wooden spoons, and fresh figs.

    Can This Salad Be Made In Advance?

    The candied pecans, dressing, and sweet potatoes can be made in advance (in fact, this salad is a great use for leftover sweet potatoes!), but I wouldn't make the whole thing in advance because it's so good served warm. If you're using leftover sweet potatoes, warm them in the oven while you wilt the kale to freshen them up.

    closeup of warm fall harvest kale salad in a white bowl.

    More Delicious Fall Salads

    • Fall Kale Salad With Apples, Pears and Sorghum
    • Celery Apple Salad with Walnuts and Dates
    • Butternut Squash and Lentil Spinach Salad
    • Fresh Fig Arugula Salad with Blue Cheese
    • Mel's Granny Smith Salad With Blue Cheese and Pecans

    Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

    Print

    Fall Harvest Warm Kale Salad

    overhead view of warm fall harvest kale salad
    Print Recipe

    This fall harvest warm kale salad is filled with all of the flavors of fall, like roasted sweet potatoes, honeycrisp apples, figs and candied pecans in a warm, delicious salad that you'll enjoy all season long! (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan option)

    • Author: Kaleigh
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 30 minutes
    • Total Time: 45 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
    • Category: salad
    • Method: baked
    • Cuisine: American

    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 1 medium sweet potato, diced into ½-inch cubes
    • 4 tsp avocado or olive oil, divided
    • ¼ tsp cinnamon
    • ¼ tsp paprika
    • Pinch sea salt
    • Pinch freshly cracked pepper
    • 1 bunch lacinato/dinosaur kale, chopped
    • 1 honeycrisp apple, thinly sliced
    • 4 fresh figs, quartered
    • 1 oz Bellavitano cheese (I like the Merlot) or a good quality parmesan
    • ¼ cup candied pecans

    For the dressing:

    • maple dijon vinaigrette recipe
    • pinch ground cloves (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Heat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchement or silicone baking mats.
    2. Toss sweet potatoes with 2 teaspoon of the olive oil, cinnamon, paprika, salt, and pepper. Spread onto one baking sheet and roast 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
    3. Toss kale with other 2 teaspoon oil and spread onto the other baking sheet. Roast about 5-10 minutes, or until just wilted and bright green but not crispy.
    4. Meanwhile, prepare the candied pecans and whisk together dressing ingredients.
    5. Slice apple and cut each fig into fourths. Grate or crumble the cheese.
    6. Add kale, sweet potatoes, apple, figs, cheese and pecans to a large bowl. Toss with dressing to taste and serve.

    Notes

    • For vegan, omit the cheese.
    • Costco has really delicious candied pecans if you don't feel like making them.
    • This salad is a great use for leftover roasted sweet potatoes. Reheat them in the oven while you roast the kale to freshen them up.
    • The dressing and candied pecans can be made up to 2 days in advance.

    Keywords: fall kale salad, warm kale salad with sweet potatoes and figs, warm fall kale salad

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @livelytable on Instagram and hashtag it #livelytable

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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission off of your purchase with no extra cost to you. Please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.

    About Kaleigh McMordie

    Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

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