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Easy Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette Recipe

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A quick and easy fall harvest salad with roasted sweet potatoes, crisp apples, crunchy pecans, and a tangy maple vinaigrette. Perfect for busy weeknights, this salad comes together in under 25 minutes and is hearty enough to be a main dish or a side.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5–6 cups mixed salad greens (about 150g)
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 400g total), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 large Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple, diced into ½-inch pieces
  • ⅓ cup dried cranberries (about 40g)
  • ½ cup pecans (about 60g), raw or lightly toasted
  • ⅓ cup crumbled feta cheese (about 50g), optional
  • ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup (45ml)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (30ml)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (60ml)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 small shallot, finely minced (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) or air fryer to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Toss sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet or in the air fryer basket.
  3. Roast sweet potatoes: in oven for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway; in air fryer for 12-15 minutes, shaking at 8 minutes. They should be fork-tender and golden brown.
  4. While sweet potatoes roast, toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and slightly darker. Set aside to cool.
  5. Make the maple vinaigrette: In a mason jar, combine maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced shallot (if using), ¼ teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Add olive oil, screw on lid, and shake vigorously for about 20 seconds until combined and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust.
  6. Dice the apple into ½-inch pieces (leave skin on). Thinly slice the red onion. If desired, soak onion slices in cold water for 5 minutes to mellow the bite.
  7. In a large salad bowl, add mixed greens. Top with warm roasted sweet potatoes, diced apple, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, sliced red onion, and crumbled feta.
  8. Give the vinaigrette one more shake, then drizzle about half over the salad. Toss gently to coat, adding more dressing as needed. Serve immediately while sweet potatoes are still warm.

Notes

For meal prep, store dressing, pecans, and feta separately. The dressing keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Warm sweet potatoes slightly wilt the greens, which helps the dressing coat everything better. Don’t skip toasting the pecans—it enhances their flavor significantly.

Nutrition

Keywords: fall harvest salad, maple vinaigrette, roasted sweet potatoes, quick salad, weeknight dinner, healthy salad, autumn salad

Find it online: https://sofiaspice.com/easy-fall-harvest-salad-with-maple-vinaigrette-recipe/