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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 pomegranate seeds, candied nuts, and crispy prosciutto. All tossed with an apple cider vinaigrette. It’s a fall staple around here…healthy, simple, and so delicious.
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Today is the official start to autumn so this fall harvest 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.
Here are the details
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 roast 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. You could also just use romaine lettuce.
To the greens, add lots of thin slices of Honeycrisp apples, pomegranate arils, and avocado.
Finally, the vinaigrette
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, goat cheese would be great too – 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. I love that this salad is so versatile, you could add your favorite protein, like chicken to make it a main.
A great dish 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!
Check out the how-to video here:
Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw pecans
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- flaky sea salt
- 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 6 cups arugula or shredded kale
- 2 honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Apple Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple butter, (optional)
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. On the prepared baking sheet, toss together the pecans, pumpkin seeds, maple, cayenne, and cinnamon. Arrange in a single layer. Lay the prosciutto flat around the nuts. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the nuts are toasted and the prosciutto is crisp. Watch both closely. Sprinkle the nuts with sea salt.3. Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, apples, avocado, and pomegranate arils.4. To make the vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake. Taste and adjust as needed.5. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with toasted nuts, prosciutto, and feta. Eat and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan, I made the nuts for the salad and doubled the recipe, but I ended up with a really sticky mass, not crispy. Did I not cook them long enough or are they not supposed to be crispy? I love the flavor!
Hey Missy,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you adjusted? They should be sticky! xTieghan
Making for 18 people as a thanksgiving side…would you triple or just double the recipe?
Following! I’m making this for thanksgiving too but thinking about doubling it.
Hi Ellie,
I think you should be fine to just double the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Be sure to use a SIL pat or silicone mat under the nuts. Mine stuck to the cookie sheet. Still delicious but a pain to scrape off!
Hey Jen,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Sorry about the nuts! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Tieghan I went straight to your site to search for a fall harvest salad because your meals never disappoint!! I tripled this recipe for our Friendsgiving last night and it was a hit. People loved it and requested the recipe! The mixture of sweet and spicy and all the textures was the perfect blend of all the yummy goodness. My store didn’t have pomegranate so I replaced it with dried cranberries. Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world!
Hi Alanna,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious! Everyone at my office loved this salad for our Thanksgiving Potluck. Thanks Tieghan!
An FYI for anyone making this ahead of time:
Due to time constraints, I had to massage the kale with EVOO + salt six hours prior to our meal. I was a little nervous about premature wilting, but it ended up preserving very well! The kale looked absolutely perfect for our lunch, and even still looks great now (36 hours later). I’m making this again later this week for Thanksgiving, and feel comfortable assembling everything but the apple, avocado, and nuts ahead of time. Hopefully that helps someone out!
Hi Nina,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hello – I’m planning to take this to an out of town Thanksgiving and was going to make the nuts/prosciutto and dressing before. I see you thought this was fine – does the prosciutto need to be refrigerated after it is baked/crisped? Would you keep the nuts and prosciutto separate until it is time to assemble?
Thanks – I am excited to try it!
Mara
Hi Mara,
No, you do not need to keep the prosciutto in the fridge after it is baked. I would keep everything separate until assembling to avoid things getting soggy. I hope you love the recipe. Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Since we had extra nut / honey / prosciutto mix left over, once it cooled I ended up storing in the fridge and it did not get soggy. In fact it was perfect for topping salads over the next several days.
Awesome!!
Absolutely delicious! Tieghan I went straight to your site to search for a fall harvest salad because your meals never disappoint!! I tripled this recipe for our Friendsgiving last night and it was a hit. People loved it and requested the recipe! The mixture of sweet and spicy and all the textures was the perfect blend of all the yummy goodness. My store didn’t have pomegranate so I replaced it with dried cranberries. Thank you for sharing your recipes with the world!
Hey Alanna,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
This salad was easy to assemble and the perfect compliment to a Thanksgiving, and it would also be great on its own or with any meal.
Hey Dannielle,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hi! I LOVE this salad and am so excited to make it for thanksgiving. How far in advance do you think I could make the dressing?
Hey Olivia,
You could make the dressing now, it will be fine in the fridge for a few days:) xTieghan
I am so excited to make this for Thanksgiving! I think it will add a light and fresh element to our dinner—which includes your herb and butter roasted turkey and hassleback squash! I’ll be daydreaming about these three recipes until Thursday!
Hey Lyvia,
I hope you love the recipe, let me know how it turns out! xTieghan
What can I replace the pumpkin seeds with?
Hey there,
You can use any nut that you enjoy in place of the pumpkin seeds. I hope you enjoy this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This looks incredible! Do you think it’s okay to omit the fresh sage and thyme?
Hey Becky,
Yes, that would be fine to do. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Every time I’ve made this for someone, they’ve asked for the link to your recipe-Amazing dish!
Hey Tasha,
Happy Sunday! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xTieghan
It was the office’s potluck favorite dish! Absolutely delicious salad! Will make again for sure.
Hey Rebeca,
Wonderful!! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great Saturday! xTieghan
Do you think I would be able to swap out the feta for a honey goat cheese?
Or just regular goat cheese?
Hey Bri,
Totally, any cheese you like will work here. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Making for Thanksgiving, can I make the vinaigrette ahead and how many days? Thanks!
Hey Courtney,
You could make the dressing 3-4 days in advance. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan