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This colorful Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad combines all the best produce that fall has to offer into the season’s best salad. Spicy baby arugula, Honeycrisp apples, juicy pomegranates, candied nuts, and crispy prosciutto. All tossed with an apple cider vinaigrette. It’s a fall staple around here…healthy, simple, and so delicious.
Today is the official start to autumn so this salad feels very appropriate. I’ve already been talking about fall for weeks. And though fall is only officially beginning, our leaves have just about reached their peak. We even had our first dusting of snow early on Monday which brought chilly temperatures and an aire of coziness.
I’m not ready for snow yet, but I’m definitely welcoming the cozy vibes. They excite me every year!
I know for most of you the weather is still fairly mild, if not warm, but I hope you’re all getting into the fall mood!
Anyway, I’ve been waiting to share this salad with you guys for a while, as it’s been on repeat around here. The second the crisp sweet Honeycrisp apples arrive at our local grocery, it’s time for fall salads.
This salad is simple, but I promise you, it’s everything delicious, and not one bit boring.
I wanted this salad to be three things, colorful, flavorful, and to have great texture…meaning some crunch to it.
This means candied nuts/seed and crispy prosciutto…two of my favorite ingredients!
Start by tossing the pecans and pumpkin seeds together with some maple syrup, cinnamon, and cayenne. I arrange them to one side of a baking sheet, then add prosciutto to the other.
Throw the pan into the oven and allow the nuts to toast and the prosciutto to get nice and crispy!
While the nuts/seeds are toasting, toss the salad together. Since we had a ton of fresh arugula left in the greenhouse, I used spicy arugula, which was perfect for this semi-sweet salad. If you don’t love arugula, use kale, but make sure to massage the kale with some olive oil and salt before tossing it up in the salad.
To the greens, add lots of thin slices of Honeycrisp apples, pomegranate arils, and avocado.
This is key to the salad. A mix of oil, apple vinegar, creamy dijon, sweet apple butter, thyme, and sage. It’s so warming, sweet, and even a little spicy.
It pairs wonderfully with the flavors in the salad and is so quick to mix up too!
When the seeds are all roasted, toss the salad with the vinaigrette. Then add the seeds and the prosciutto, plus lots of feta cheese – serve it up, and enjoy!
Not only is this so pretty on a dinner table, but it’s totally delicious too. Sweet, tangy, and spicy with so many autumn flavors, plus an awesome CRUNCH too.
Great for every occasion from family dinners to Thanksgiving!
Looking for other fall salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Shredded Brussels Sprout Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Lastly, if you make this Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I can’t get enough of this salad!! It is amazing. I don’t always add the meat and avacado (too lazy). I do have a question…do you need to refrigerate the dressing?
Hey Beth,
So glad you have been enjoying this recipe:) Yes, I would keep the dressing in the fridge! Thanks for making it! xT
My Niece made this at thanksgiving and I fell in love with it. I am having trouble getting the nuts crispy. They come out gooey. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Any suggestions?
HI there! Hmmm I would say maybe use a little less maple syrup if they’re coming out gooey! Hope this helps! xT
I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner and it was a smash it! I just came back tonight to give the salad another go and for some reason I had it in my head that there were cooked shallots in the dressing. Did i mix two of your recipes together?
Hi Ellen! You might be thinking of another recipe! So sorry! xT
I was so confused too–this is the recipe you’re thinking of: https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/apple-and-kale-salad/
Of course I was missing a few minor ingredients, and the store had no feta. I used goat cheese and it was really good anyway! It was a hit at Thanksgiving and was loved by all. Definitely on my repeat list.
Hi Vivian! Thank you for the feedback! Glad you enjoyed this! xT
Someone from my job brought this salad for our work Thanksgiving potluck. It was delish & a hit with everyone! I want to make it this weekend. I can’t find raw pumpkin seeds only find the pre-salted pumpkin seeds. Should I just season the pecans separately with the salt so that the pumpkin seeds do not taste overly salty? Should I omit the sage, don’t like sage.
Thanks so much! Yes I would season the pecans separately if you’re worried about over salting! And you can omit the sage if you’d like and just supplement it with some other herbs 🙂 xT
We all loved this salad! I agree with a previous comment, you should make extra nuts because it’s so hard not to snack on them, and there really aren’t enough to spare. It is the perfect amount for the salad, but very hard not to eat them before serving the salad! I didn’t have any apple butter for the dressing, I would like to try it with the Apple Butter, but it was great just the same. The spicy nuts are not too much. The dressing, avocado and apple are all nicely balanced. We all loved it. Thank you for your recipes!
Hey Nancy,
Thanks for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
Made this when all of the kids were home and they all are foodies and good cooks. It was a HUGE hit. Was also the star of the show when I took it to book club. Thank you!
Hi Stephanie,
Wonderful! Thanks for making this recipe and your comment, so glad it was enjoyed! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! xx
How can I store the toasted seeds and prosciutto if I’m making it ahead of time? Thanks!
Hi Viv,
You can store in an airtight container on the counter. I hope you love this recipe! xx
I’m making this recipe for Thanksgiving. I bought Trader Joe’s lightly roasted salted pumpkin seeds. Is this OK or was I supposed to get the raw ones in the shells???
Hi Kathy,
Yes, those are perfect! I hope you love this recipe! Happy Thanksgiving! xT
Having just prepared the nuts I would suggest making extra. You can’t help but snack on them!
Thanks Kathy!!
Would this be good with blue cheese crumbles instead of feta? Or is feta the star of the show? Looking forward to making this!
Hey Rah,
Totally, blue cheese would be great to use here! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
How long can I store the extra dressing? And where do I store it?
Thank you, love this recipe
Hi Alexandra,
This dressing is good for 2 weeks in the fridge. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
This is my favorite salad of all time, pretty simple to throw together and tastes delicious!
Hey Julia,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
This salad sounds amazing! If I don’t have the fresh thyme and sage leaves, can I substitute for dried? If so, how much of each?
Hi Susie,
You could use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of dried sage. I hope you love this recipe! xT
Good substitution for pecans? Almonds? Makes for thanksgiving but I’m allergic to pecans!
Hi Emily,
If you can use walnuts I would use those! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
As fate would have it, the 2 nuts I’m allergic to are pecans and walnuts. Just omit all together or replace with something? Thanks for your prompt response 🤍
Ahhh sorry about that! You could use almonds or skip the nuts:)
Could I leave out the Dijon mustard without it ruining the vinaigrette?
Hi Joanne,
That should be okay for you to do:) I hope you love this recipe! xx
This salad dressing has become my favorite! How long do you think it can last in the fridge? Is 2-3 weeks not realistic?
Hi Shanen,
Love to hear that you have been enjoying this recipe!! I think the dressing would be good in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. I hope this helps! xx