27 Fall Salad Recipes That Are Packed With Autumn Flavor

Dig into these comforting fall salad recipes this season.

kale salad with apples
Photo:

Con Poulos

When summer produce begins to fade from the markets, seasonal autumn ingredients like apples, carrots and other root vegetables, and leafy greens take center stage. When these fruits and vegetables are in season, they really shine their brightest. They are hearty, substantial, and perfect additions to fall salad recipes to enjoy as the weather turns cold. 

Some of our favorite fall vegetables are of the starchy variety. Winter squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets work wonders when roasted and tossed with fresh greens. Autumn is also the time to enjoy the abundance of hearty greens—kale, spinach, and Asian greens like mizuna and tatsoi are delicious when cooked, but are also perfect swaps for more traditional romaine or iceberg in autumn salad recipes.

Nutty grains like barley and quinoa can also help bulk up fall salads and make them meal-worthy—and seasonal fruits, like citrus, pomegranate, and persimmons, add color and a special flair to any salad bowl. The options are truly endless and delicious. You'll want to make these favorite fall salad recipes all through the autumn and beyond.

01 of 27

Warm Lentil Salad With Poached Eggs

humble beginnings warm lentil salad eggs
Christopher Testani

Warm salads are a welcome addition during the colder months of the year. Lentils, Swiss chard, and sautéed aromatics are tossed with a simple mustard-lemon vinaigrette. Top each serving with a poached egg and a generous crumble of soft goat cheese.

02 of 27

Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad With Squash, Carrots, Pears, and Figs

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Rob Tannenbaum

Fresh figs and pear wedges join roasted carrots and delicata squash until caramelized, which brings out the sweetness of each ingredient. Drizzle everything with some good-quality balsamic vinegar, a glug of olive oil, and dig in.

03 of 27

Fall Salad With Maple Vinaigrette

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Everything about this salad, from the seasonal vegetables to the maple-sweetened apple cider vinaigrette, screams fall. Endive, apple, and celery all add plenty of crunch when paired with creamy blue cheese.

04 of 27

Spinach Salad With Roasted Fall Vegetables

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Roast some of your favorite fall vegetables for this recipe—we like to use butternut squash, potatoes, red onions, carrots, and garlic. Pile them over big bowls of baby spinach while they're still warm and the greens will become nice and tender.

05 of 27

Kale and Lentil Bowl With Avocado Dressing

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Bryan Gardner

Pre-cooked lentils make this salad a cinch to put together. Simply rinse, drain, and mix them with tender slices of Tuscan kale, thick slices of aged cheddar, almonds, sprouts, and lemony avocado dressing.

06 of 27

Lacinato Kale Salad With Roasted Squash

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Marcus Nilsson

Lacinato (sometimes called Tuscan or Dino) kale is known for its tender leaves, making it perfect for tossing into salads—no massage needed! This kale salad is mixed with cubes of roasted butternut squash, aged goat cheese, and toasted hazelnuts.

07 of 27

Quinoa Salad With Kale and Napa Cabbage

Sesame Kale Salad
Bryan Gardner

This coleslaw-meets-grain salad is guaranteed to make its way into your regular salad rotation. Quinoa, kale, cabbage, and shredded carrots are seasoned lightly with fresh ginger, citrus juices, and sesame.

08 of 27

Kale and Frisée Salad With Sherry Vinaigrette

kale-and-frisee salad with sherry vinaigrette atop toile pattern tablecloth
Yuki Sugiura

Perfect for an everyday lunch or a holiday side dish, this kale and frisée salad combines all kinds of different flavors and textures. Celery adds crunch, frisée adds a slight bitterness, and hazelnuts add a buttery contrast to the zippy sherry vinaigrette.

09 of 27

Shredded Brussels-Sprout Salad With Hazelnut Crunch

brussels sprout salad
Louise Hagger

Brussels sprouts will never go out of style. Press the sprouts through the shredding attachment of your food processor (or slice by hand) and toss them with lemon juice, olive oil, and our sweet and salty rosemary-scented hazelnut crunch.

10 of 27

Kale-and-Avocado Salad With Dates

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Marcus Nilsson

Healthy fats are the name of the game with this seasonal salad, and can be found in the avocado, olive oil, and pine nuts. Shaved parmesan cheese adds a salty kick, which is balanced out by slivers of sweet dates.

11 of 27

Kale-and-Apple Salad

kale salad with apples

Con Poulos

You'll feel like the picture of health after eating this salad. It's packed with fiber-rich kale, celery, and apples. A lightly sweetened honey mustard vinaigrette makes it feel special.

12 of 27

Spinach Salad With Turkey Bacon and Blue Cheese

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If you like cobb salad, this one is for you. Big bowls of baby spinach are topped with cooked turkey bacon, hard-boiled eggs, red onion, and crumbled blue cheese. Serve with these herb toasts to take it up a notch.

13 of 27

Raw-Beet and Celery-Root Salad

raw beet celery root salad
Justin Walker

Earthy root vegetables like beets and celery root are actually quite sweet when they're in season. When sliced into thin matchsticks, they make for a delightfully crunchy salad. We like to add toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese, and fresh parsley to the mix.

14 of 27

Moroccan Barley Salad

Moroccan Barley Salad
Petrina Tinslay

This make-ahead barley salad packs a lot of flavor thanks to ingredients like preserved lemon, cured olives, and coriander. Serve it cold or at room temperature.

15 of 27

Radicchio Salad With Chopped-Lemon Dressing

Radicchio Salad With Chopped-Lemon Dressing with spoons
Justin Walker

The flesh of a whole lemon and a pinch of sugar are used to make the bright dressing for this colorful salad. It's perfect for drizzling over bitter greens like radicchio.

16 of 27

Shredded Cabbage Slaw With Ginger Vinaigrette

shredded cabbage with ginger vinaigrette topped with sesame seeds
Marcus Nilsson

This lighter take on coleslaw is a perfect fall salad, relying on hearty cabbage and carrots. Sesame, ginger, and yuzu vinegar are used to flavor the mixture.

17 of 27

Watercress, Radicchio, and Radish Salad

watercress radicchio and radish salad
John Dolan

Watercress and radicchio are both a bit peppery and bitter. When paired with spicy radishes, this knockout salad is just the thing for when you need something a little different on your plate.

18 of 27

Persimmon and Escarole Salad

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Raymond Hom

This simple fall salad pairs slightly bitter and crisp escarole with sweet-tart persimmons. There are no ratios listed in this recipe, so use as much persimmon, greens, and pistachios as you like.

19 of 27

Chili-Lime Roasted Butternut Salad

Chili-Lime Roasted Butternut Salad
Johnny Miller

Mild cotija cheese helps tame the spiciness of the chili-roasted butternut squash. Zippy lime juice and honey soak into the lettuce leaves, and toasted pepitas add some crunch.

20 of 27

Bitter Greens, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad

Bitter Greens, Grapefruit, and Avocado Salad
Marcus Nilsson

Peak-season pink grapefruit adds a sweet-tart complexity to this salad when mixed with three kinds of bitter greens–escarole, endive, and frisee. Sliced avocado and a creamy yogurt dressing create a smooth finish.

21 of 27

Wild-Rice and Lima-Bean Salad With Cranberry Relish

wild rice salad
Martyn Thompson

The heartiness of wild rice makes this a super satisfying salad or side dish, and lima beans are packed with protein. Make a quick cranberry relish in the food processor to serve over the top.

22 of 27

Warm Mushroom and Chicories Salad

warm mushroom and chicories salad
David Malosh

Bitter greens start to melt under the warmth of meaty sautéed oyster and shiitake mushrooms. Anchovies add umami flavor to the dressing and play well against the sweetness of the pomegranate seeds.

23 of 27

Quick 5-Grain Salad

fall grain salad

This hearty salad will keep you full all afternoon. Farro and two types of both quinoa and barley are combined to make this warm autumn salad that's studded with chunks of feta cheese and crisp apple.

24 of 27

Endive and Grainy Mustard Salad

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It's not every day that you see a salad garnished with hard-cooked eggs, but it adds just enough protein to keep you satisfied. Fresh parsley and a light dressing coat each crunchy endive leaf.

25 of 27

Roasted Sweet-Potato and Farro Salad

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Ryan Liebe

Perfect warm, cold, or at room temperature, this farro and roasted squash salad is dressed with a tangy lemon dressing. All it needs is a handful of sprouts (or baby greens) and fresh dill to finish it off.

26 of 27

Broccoli, Herb, and Pistachio "Grain" Salad

broccoli herb and pistachio grain salad with pomegranate
Frank Frances

This salad has all the heartiness of a grain salad, minus the grains. Broccoli crowns are steamed and finely chopped like rice, then tossed with fresh herbs, apples, pistachios, and a sprinkle of sumac.

27 of 27

Farro Salad With Oven-Roasted Grapes and Autumn Greens

farro grape salad
Marcus Nilsson

Chewy rosemary-scented farro is the perfect base for a combination of slow-roasted red and Concord grapes. Add a combination of your favorite mixed greens–we love kale, chard, mustard, and mizuna greens.

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