Fall Salad with Pumpkin Maple Vinaigrette

This fall-themed salad has it all going on! With a hint of spice and sweetness, you will love this delicious salad. It’s hearty and easy to make. The best part is the Pumpkin Maple Vinaigrette that you can throw together in a mason jar. This Fall Salad is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free and is made from real ingredients. You’ll absolutely dig this recipe and I am sure you’ll crave it all season long.

It’s the Best

I started making this salad about three years ago. I would bring it to fall gatherings and I would serve it at dinners that I hosted. After the non-stop compliments and recipe asks, this quickly became everyone’s favorite salad that I made. It wasn’t long before I realized that this was a life-changing salad and there was good reason why it was everyone’s favorite salad.

This salad was on repeat so much over the years that I learned to meal prep a bunch of cubed butternut squash on Sundays so that I could throw together this salad at any point during the week.

Even if you are a picky eater, you are going to love the combination of autumn flavors and how hearty this salad is.

The dressing is sweet and savory and so good that it’s tempting to have it by the spoonful. And, the salad is so filling it could be your main lunch or dinner dish. My favorite way to serve it is as an appetizer before the main meal. Did I mention it’s gorgeous, too?

Hearty Fall Salad Ingredients

Mixed greens: You can simply use a 5-ounce bag of prewashed mixed greens or a bag of baby spinach. Whichever you have on hand will work.

Butternut squash: You can use a whole butternut squash, which is the cheapest and freshest way to go or you can use a bag of precut and peeled butternut squash chunks. I usually purchase mine from Trader Joe’s.

Green apple: Make sure to purchase a large green apple with no apparent brown spots.

Golden raisins: These raisins have a sweeter flavor than regular brown raisins. I recommend using this variety.

Shallots: I love how subtle shallots are compared to red or white onions which is why they are perfect for this salad.

Pecans: You can use candied pecans, my favorite, or raw pecans if you are following a low-sugar diet. Both taste great.

Pumpkin Maple Vinaigrette: Use my recipe that you can find here. It’s absolutely delish!

Now Let’s Make the Salad

Step One-Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare the butternut squash into cubes and add them to a lined cookie sheet. Mix together the maple syrup, oil, and seasonings in a small bowl and then pour over the cubes. Toss everything up. Roast the butternut squash cubes for 20 minutes or until they are golden brown. Set them aside.

Step Two-While the butternut squash is roasting, chop up the rest of your salad ingredients. Once they are ready, add all of the ingredients to a large salad bowl. Start with the salad greens, then add the butternut squash and apple chunks, and then the remaining ingredients.

Step Three-Now it is time to make the dressing. Throw all of the ingredients in a mason jar, secure it with a lid, and give it a good shake. You can store the dressing in the fridge until ready to serve or leave it out for up to an hour.

Step Four-Toss the dressing into the salad and serve immediately or before putting the dressing onto the salad, place the salad in the fridge for an hour to chill before serving.

How to Store Leftovers

If you are going to prepare this salad one single serving at a time, like for meal prepping, keep all of the ingredients in separate air-tight containers and store them in the fridge. The raisins can be stored in the pantry and not the fridge. A little note about the apple chunks. They are the only ingredient that will turn brown if you cut them ahead of time. You could chop these when you are ready to make a salad.

How to Serve This Salad

Serve it alongside a hearty casserole like this Plant-Based Zucchini Lasagna Casserole or make a fall-inspired casserole.

This Fall Salad with Maple Pumpkin Vinaigrette is hearty enough to eat as a main meal.

Serve it as an appetizer at a dinner gathering. You will really impress your guests with a bowl of this autumn-themed salad.

Serve it along with a fall-styled pasta dish or pumpkin soup! Yum!

Tips + Modifications

If you are a cheese lover, feel free to add your favorite crumbly cheese to this recipe.

The thinly sliced red onion could replace the shallots in this recipe. Though, I really enjoy the light flavor that the shallots have to offer.

In a time crunch? Grab a bag of already peeled and cubed butternut squash at your local supermarket to avoid having to cut up whole butternut squash from scratch.

If you are trying to reduce sugar intake, use raw pecans instead of glazed or candied varieties.

Enjoy!

XOXO

Michelle