Festive Fall Salad

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My go-to recipe for a fall salad is festive, easy, and delicious. Salads can get really boring really fast but there are endless ways to spice them up (pun intended.. because it's fall) and keep your taste buds interested.

Bowl of healthy fall salad on top of a linen. A fork and cup of pumpkin hummus dressing are next to the bowl of fall salad.

How to Make a Festive Fall Salad

My fall salad is with classic autumn foods - butternut squash, walnuts (or pecans), and dried cranberries. I also tossed in some goat (or feta) cheese and pulled chicken. To top everything off, I used a pumpkin hummus dressing that has such a unique flavor and switches up your normal go-to salad dressing. The key to great salad is the toppings and dressing, and this festive fall salad recipe has all of the above.

Ingredients

Kale + lettuce - I love using a combination of a dark green lettuce (like kale, baby spinach, mixed greens, etc.) and crunchy lettuce (romaine, butter lettuce, even iceberg). This combo will provide a variety of textures as well as nutrients!
Roasted butternut squash - butternut squash is like THE fall squash but you could also use pumpkin or sweet potatoes! Adding a complex carb (like butternut squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato) will making this salad filling and give you steady energy.
Dried cranberries - any time I buy dried fruit, I always look for the "no sugar added" option. Dried fruit will always have sugar because it's fruit, but I like to limit the amount of sugar that's added to the naturally sweet fruit. You could use raisins, golden raisins, or fresh apples or pears!
Walnuts - adding nuts to salads provides a great crunch and nutty flavor, as well as those healthy unsaturated fats. You could use pecans or slivered almonds in lieu of walnuts!
Goat cheese - what's a salad without cheese?! Goat cheese is one of my fav cheeses to toss in a salad, especially this fall salad. Feta cheese would work great as well! I look for low-fat cheeses to cut back on saturated fat (fat-free cheese is just not tasty in my opinion so I go for low-fat).
Shredded chicken - since I love a good entrée salad, I always add a protein source like chicken, shrimp, salmon, turkey burger, or beans! Adding at least 3-4oz of protein will make this a filling meal. Since it's a festive fall salad, turkey would work great! Hellooo Thanksgiving leftovers idea - kinda like this salad here!
Pumpkin hummus vinaigrette - yep, it's a thing (at least I just made it a thing). This is the perfect fall salad dressing because #pumpkin but any flavor of hummus will work! I love using hummus in salads because it contains fiber and healthy fats. This is my favorite hummus recipe that we used to make this dressing!

Recipe FAQ

How do you make a salad more filling?

A common reason people say they don't like salads as a meal is because they get hungry an hour later. Adding lean proteins like chicken, seafood, and turkey in addition to healthy fats like nuts, hummus, and seeds will make a salad more filling, keeping you fuller longer!

What is a healthy salad dressing?

I am a huge fan of making my own salad dressing because I control what goes in it (and thus less preservatives). I recommend choosing vinaigrettes and oil-based dressings over creamy dressings. My hummus vinaigrette is great because it tastes like a creamy dressing without the dairy!

How do you make the perfect fall salad?

Use your favorite fall ingredients! I loaded our easy fall salad recipe with common fall foods like butternut squash, dried cranberries, and walnuts, but you can swap those out for your favorite add-ins (see what I recommend above)!

A bowl of healthy fall salad with a cup of pumpkin hummus dressing, olive oil bottle, and pita bread in the background and a fork to the left of the salad.

Other recipes you may like

If you love my easy festive fall salad recipe, you will love these too:

A bowl of healthy fall salad with a linen to the right and a fork to the left, and a small bowl of pumpkin hummus dressing in the bottom right corner.

Rate & Review

If you made my festive fall salad, please rate and review my recipe below! I would love to hear your feedback. Also snap a photo and tag me on insta @theperfectpearr so I can see your creation!