Fall Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

This Fall Kale Salad is bursting with flavor and packed with nutritious ingredients like apples + sweet potato. Balancing the sweetness with a little saltiness thanks to crispy prosciutto and gorgonzola cheese and topped with maple pumpkin spice pepitas, you’ll be enjoying this crunchy kale salad all season long. Don’t forget to whip up the homemade apple cider vinaigrette dressing for the most delicious finishing touch!

It’s been a personal mission of mine to create salads that are not only incredibly delicious, but filling & satisfying as well. This fall kale salad is exactly that! It’s incredibly simple to whip up and topped with cravable maple pumpkin spice pepitas + homemade apple cider vinaigrette dressing that will keep you coming back for more. Easily customizable, you can swap in veggies like butternut squash, fruits like pomegranate seeds and even add your favorite proteins like chicken, steak or tofu.

For more simple yet delicious salad inspiration, try this Grilled Panzanella Salad, a year round favorite.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It’s healthy & filling. There’s nothing worse than eating a salad and feeling hungry afterwards. This fall kale salad is packed with so many nutritious, filling goodies you’ll be fully satisfied every time!
• It’s highly customizable. You can easily customize this crunchy kale salad. Not a fan of sweet potato? Swap in butternut or kabocha squash instead! Don’t tolerate dried cranberries? Use fresh pomegranate seeds in their place.
• Perfect for meal prep. This fall kale salad is perfect for meal prep. Make ahead and store in an airtight container up to 5 days, just be sure to store the apple cider vinaigrette dressing in a separate container to avoid the salad getting soggy.

Ingredient Notes & Tested Substitutions

• Kale: This is the base of this fall salad. I prefer using lacinato or “dinosaur” kale, but you may use curly leaf kale if you prefer.
• Apples: Apples add a delicious fall crunch and a touch of sweetness. You can use fuji, gala or even granny smith apples.
• Sweet Potato: A filling root veggie, sweet potato adds an extra element of satisfaction to this fall kale salad. You can also swap them for butternut squash or kabocha squash.
• Prosciutto: Add a bit of saltiness to this otherwise sweet dish with crispy prosciutto. You can make this even more filling by adding grilled chicken or steak. Want to keep this vegetarian? Skip the prosciutto and add your favorite plant based protein.
• Gorgonzola: Compliments the prosciutto and apple especially well. You can also use blue cheese or feta.
• Pecans: I love adding nuts like pecans to salad for healthy fat and crunch. Walnuts would also be a delicious option.
• Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, tossed in real maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice add a true touch of autumn flavor to this delicious fall kale salad.
• Shallot Infused Olive Oil: Shallot Oil is an absolute pantry staple for me and makes for the most delicious dressings.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: ACV is the base of the apple cider vinaigrette dressing. You could also use red wine vinegar if you have it, but it won’t give the same fall flavor to the salad.
• Stone Ground Mustard: Dijon mustard will also work in place of stone ground mustard.
• Spices: Sea salt, black pepper & dried thyme round out the apple cider vinaigrette dressing.
• Dried Cranberries: Add a touch of sweetness with dried cranberries. You can also use pomegranate seeds.

Fall Kale Salad Step By Step Instructions

1. Prepare the Maple Pumpkin Spice Pepitas + Crispy Prosciutto. In a small mixing bowl, add the pumpkin seeds, maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice. Mix well to fully coat the pumpkin seeds and spread in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment. On the same baking sheet, add prosciutto slices. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 8-10 minutes or until prosciutto is crisp.

2. Roast Sweet Potatoes & Build The Salad. Dice sweet potatoes and roast in a pan over medium high heat until tender. In a large salad bowl, add chopped kale, sliced apples, sweet potato, gorgonzola, dried cranberries and pecans. Once the prosciutto is crisp, crumble and add to the salad. The pepitas will be more like a brittle once they’re baked so feel free to break into as large or small of pieces as you like and top the salad.

3. Mix The Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing. In a small mixing bowl, add shallot oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt, pepper and thyme. Mix well until combined, pour over salad and toss.

Fall Kale Salad FAQs

Is kale low FODMAP?

Kale is low FODMAP in 1/2 cup servings according to Monash University. Spinach is low FODMAP in 2 cup servings, so if you want to enjoy a larger salad you can mix the two super greens together.

Are apples low fodmap?

Apples are low fodmap in very small servings; 2 teaspoons to be exact. If you’re on a low fodmap diet and are either in the elimination phase or know you do not tolerate apples, skip adding them to the salad. You can replace with carrot ribbons so you don’t miss out on that crunch.

Are sweet potatoes low fodmap?

Sweet potatoes are low fodmap friendly in 1/2 cup servings. One whole sweet potato is about 1.5-2 cups, so each serving of this fall kale salad contains a low fodmap friendly serving size of sweet potato. You can substitute it with butternut or kabocha squash instead.

Is butternut squash low fodmap?

Butternut squash is low fodmap in 1/3 cup servings according to Monash University. Kabocha squash has a slightly larger serving size of 2/3 cup.

What kind of kale should I use?

I prefer to use flat leaf lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale because it is much less bitter, however you may use curly leaf kale if that’s your preference or what’s readily available to you.

Can I make this fall kale salad ahead?

You can make this salad up to 5 days ahead of time. To avoid the apples browning, spritz with some fresh lemon juice and toss in a small bowl before adding to the greens. It’s also advantageous to dress the salad when you’re going to eat it so the ingredients don’t get soggy in the fridge.

How do I store this salad?

Store this fall kale salad in an airtight container and the apple cider vinaigrette in an airtight mason jar or salad dressing container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

If you enjoyed this recipe you might also like:

• Gluten Free Cornbread
• Comforting Autumn Chili
• Pumpkin Gin Mule
• Grilled Panzanella Salad

Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!