This Easy Fall Salad is not only beautiful but is bursting with fall flavors. Kale is massaged and topped with dried cranberries, pomegranate, apples, pears, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds. This would be a great addition to a weeknight meal or your holiday table. 

EASY FALL SALAD

You guys will love this fall kale salad as a side dish to your meals or as a salad with your holiday festivities. Heinen’s and I are teaming up to make sure you have a festive, yet healthy salad to serve your guests. 

It is bursting with fall flavors. Hearty kale is the base for this salad paired with fall fruit like apples, pears and pomegranate seeds.

This Easy Fall Salad is topped with creamy goat cheese and crunchy pumpkin seeds. You can add your favorite salad dressing to finish off the salad and add a protein like falafel or lemon chicken.

When cool, crisp weather rolls in these are the kind of salads that make the rotation weekly in my house. I also love this Kale Salad with Cranberries, Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad and this Brussels Sprout Apple Goat Cheese Salad during the cooler months. 

WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS FALL SALAD?

GREENS: I used kale in today’s salad but you can easily use any greens you like. I especially love arugula and spinach when I make Autumn salad recipes. When I use kale in salads I like to massage the kale to create a softer kale for the salad.

FRUIT: I love adding fall fruit to my salads. I add in apples, pears and pomegranate seeds. 

CHEESE: When creating salads I also like to add cheese. I especially love soft cheeses with today’s salad because I think it pairs nicely with the fruit. I used goat cheese but you could also use feta cheese along with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. 

NUTS: Nuts not only add crunch but health benefits. I added pumpkin seeds but you could try sesame seeds, almonds, pistachios or cashews. 

DRESSING: I used olive oil and lemon juice to massage the kale which adds a nice flavor. If you want additional dressing on this salad I suggest a homemade Poppyseed dressing or a Honey Balsamic dressing. 

HOW DO I MASSAGE KALE?

You might remember my simple Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing that I shared a few years ago. It has always been a favorite of mine. I love using it as a base for other salads like today’s Easy Fall Salad. By massaging kale you are creating a softer texture which is nice in salads. 

I start by washing and chopping the kale and placing it in a large mixing bowl.

Next drizzle extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper over the kale. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale for about 3-4 minutes or until the kale is soft. 

WHAT SHOULD I SERVE WITH THIS SALAD?

I like to top this salad with falafel. Try making a homemade version here. 

This salad would pair very nicely with a big bowl of this Moroccan Carrot Red Lentil Soup. 

Try this Tandoori Grilled Chicken served on top of this salad. 

Seafood always goes nicely with this salad. I especially love this Baked Cod with Lemon or this Black Sea Bass Recipe. 

IS KALE HEALTHY FOR YOU?

Kale is very healthy for you and one of the most nutrient dense foods out there. It offers antioxidants, fiber, calcium, vitamin C and K, iron and a variety of other things. 

As we approach winter vitamin C is important and eating kale helps you get that in your body. Kale is also one of the best ways to get vitamin K which is an important nutrient. 

Today’s post is sponsored by Heinen’s. As always opinions are 100% my own.