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Harvest Brie and Cheddar Apple Kale Salad: Shredded kale, Honeycrisp apples, pomegranates, candied seeds/nuts, and crispy prosciutto are tossed with a brown butter sage and apple cider vinaigrette. Then, wedges of creamy Brie and sharp white cheddar cheese are added—the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and salty fall flavors. A staple salad for the season with lots of creamy cheeses and crunch!
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At this point, my harvest salad is an HBH tradition. About this time, every single season for the last six years, I’ve shared a new seasonal salad that ends up being my favorite salad of the year. And this year’s does not disappoint. It’s the best of the bunch, and I’ve been waiting for weeks to share it!
This year’s harvest salad was inspired by the original—honestly, vintage at this point—that I shared back in 2012. It was kale with warm, melty brie and croutons. Genius, right?
I swear, I had some of the best ideas back in the day!
Looking back at that salad made me think about how delicious Brie in a salad is. We tend to think of Brie only as an appetizer, but you all, it’s so versatile. Along with cheddar, it’s one of the best cheeses to pair with a sweet, crisp Honeycrisp apple.
So I did exactly that, and the salad grew even bigger and better from there. This is so good!
Let’s get into the details
Ingredients
- pecans
- pumpkin seeds
- salted butter
- maple syrup
- ground chipotle
- ground cinnamon
- flaky sea salt
- prosciutto
- kale
- Honeycrisp apples
- pomegranate arils
- brie
- sharp white cheddar
- shallots
- sage
- olive oil
- honey
- thyme
- chile flakes
Steps
Step 1: make the candied seeds and nuts
On a baking sheet, toss the raw pecans and pumpkin seeds with salted butter, spicy chipotle, sweet cinnamon, and maple syrup.
On the opposite side of the baking sheet, arrange the prosciutto.
Bake everything until the nuts and seeds are caramelized, and the prosciutto is crispy. Watch closely! Because of the sugars, the pecans and pumpkin seeds burn quickly.
Sprinkle with sea salt.
Step 2: prepare the salad
Find your favorite salad bowl and add the kale. I like to use Tuscan kale, but the curly variety works great too.
Add the Honeycrisp apples and the pomegranate arils.
Step 3: make the vinaigrette
Now, take a couple of tablespoons of salted butter and melt it with the shallots and sage. Cook until the butter browns around the shallots and the sage is crispy. It will smell so delicious.
Once the butter is browned, remove the skillet from the burner and chop the crispy sage. Then, add it back to the skillet with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, thyme, and chile flakes.
Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 4: toss the salad
At this point, you can pour the warm vinaigrette over the salad. Toss well to ensure the greens are coated in the yummy vinaigrette.
Then, finish the salad with the candied pecans and pumpkins, plus the crispy prosciutto from step 1.
Add wedges of brie and shredded sharp white cheddar cheese.
Step 5: serve
Serve the salad after you toss it. Once the vinaigrette is added, eat it up right away to ensure the prosciutto remains crunchy! It’s so delicious this way!
Final Thoughts!
This salad is the best marriage of warm, spicy, sweet, and salty autumn flavors. It’s going to surprise you.
And don’t skimp on anything here. It all has to be included. Promise it will be perfect.
You can enjoy this all season long, then carry it into the holidays for entertaining season. This salad never disappoints!
Looking for other fall salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Butternut Squash Orzo Salad with Candied Bacon
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 Harvest Brie and Cheddar Apple Kale 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!
Harvest Brie and Cheddar Apple Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- flaky sea salt
- 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, (omit if vegetarian)
- 6 cups shredded kale
- 2 Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- 6 ounces Brie, cubed or wedges
- 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Apple Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 8 leaves fresh sage
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- salt and black pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. On the baking sheet, toss together the pecans, pumpkin seeds, maple syrup, butter, chipotle, and cinnamon. Arrange in a single layer. Lay the prosciutto around the seeds/nuts. Bake for 10 minutes or until the seeds/nuts are toasted and the prosciutto is crisp. Watch closely. Sprinkle with sea salt.3. Meanwhile, in a salad bowl, combine the kale, apples, and pomegranate arils.4. To make the vinaigrette. In a skillet, cook the butter, shallot, and sage leaves over medium heat until the butter is browned and the sage is crisp, 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, thyme, cinnamon, salt, pepper, and chili flakes. Taste and adjust as needed.5. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with toasted nuts/seeds, prosciutto, grated cheddar, and brie. 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.
One of my favorite salads on rotation. So good and perfect for fall
Hey Charna,
Awesome! Thanks so much for making this recipe so often and your feedback! So glad it is always enjoyed! Have a great autumn Friday! Xx
Oh.em.gee! This salad is an absolute show stopper! I tripled the recipe and made it for a wine paired dinner party for 15 guests. It was so delicious! Everyone raved how it was so flavorful and the perfect fall salad! It paired well with a unoaked chardonnay, a white blend and a sauv blanc. Can’t wait to make it again..it is on my Thanksgiving menu too!
Hey Melissa,
Yay! So glad to hear this salad turned out well for you, thanks for trying it! Have a great day! Xx
This salad was so good! I did use a spring mix instead of the kale, just personal preference, but it was fantastic! All of the flavors complimented each other so well. 🙂
Hey Lauren,
Happy Fall Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, so glad to hear it turned out well for you:) XxT
What would be a good sub for the kale? Can it be served cold?
Hey Jacqueline,
You could use any other green that you enjoy in place of the kale. Yes, you can serve cold. I hope you love this recipe! xT
This salad looks so delicious and I can’t wait to try it. But I don’t usually love kale. Do you think another green would be just as good (and if so, what would you recommend?) or should I just trust the kale in this recipe? Thanks!
Hey Julie,
No worries! You could use a spring mix, that would be yummy! I hope you love this recipe! xT
Best salad EVER! The flavors and textures and colors are absolutely perfect. The family asked to me to please make this one again asap, and I cannot wait myself.
Thank you Tieghen!
Thanks so much, Gina! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad it turned out well! Xx
Absolutely fabulous! Everything I want in a fall salad and more. I will be making this recipe again. Thank you for all the recipes that I have made over the years.
Hey Erika,
Awesome! Thanks so much for trying this recipe and your comment! Glad to hear it was enjoyed. Have a great week! x
i made this for friends and substituted the prosciutto with bacon and it was still great A+
Thanks so much, June! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xT
Loved this salad–and I totally forgot to add the brie! My husband, who typically looks away from kale salad loved it also. Was great to have all the components and then we could make more salads throughout the week for lunches at work. Thanks for this yummy recipe!
Hey Lynn,
Wonderful! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
This salad looks amazing.
Thanks so much!!
This salad is a delicious flavor bomb! Love the crunch from the nuts! It’s also a beautiful salad with the kale, pomegranate arils and white cheeses adding lots of color.
Thanks so much, Tammy! Love to hear this salad was enjoyed, I appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Omgosh…the flavors 🥳. This is absolutely delicious 😍. I poached some chicken in sage and thyme as I knew my husband would want it more hearty because I made it as a main course salad. He raved about it…so fun!! Thank you!!!
Hey Lisa,
Wonderful! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have a great Monday! x
Hi Tieghan! This salad looks AMAZING, I can’t wait to try it. Do I need to massage the kale, or is that not necessary? Thank you so much!
Hey Rachel,
Thanks so much!! No need to massage the kale for this recipe:) Please let me know if you give it a try! xT
One of the best salads I have had in a long time. The dressing was amazing. Perfect for our fall feast dinner!
Hey Ashley,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Have a great weekend! xT
What a flavor packed salad- absolutely delish! The Brie, candied nuts, sage and proscuito- wow! I made the full recipe but reserved half the vineagrete. For tonight. Will try air frying the proscuito to recrisp.
Hey Cindy,
Thank you so much for making this recipe and your comment:) So glad it was enjoyed! Happy Friday! xT