Dessert

Fall Harvest Salad Recipe

ByClara Bennett November 14, 2026November 14, 2026

Introduction

Fall Harvest Salad brings together crisp greens, roasted textures, and a bright citrus vinaigrette for a balance of sweet, savory, and tangy. This recipe is welcoming to home cooks and comes together with simple prep and thoughtful layering of flavors.

White plates hold a kale salad as the main dish, with a base of dark green kale leaves, a middle layer of neat thinly sliced apple rounds fanned across the greens, and a top layer of bright orange persimmon slices. There are light shavings of pale cheese scattered over the apples and small clusters of nuts adding texture around the edges, all arranged in a balanced, layered look on a white plate set against a white marbled texture surface. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

¼ cup orange juice
⅓ cup olive oil
1½ tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and finely sliced
1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup pecans, chopped
¼ cup dried cranberries
1 persimmon, halved and thinly sliced
1 apple, thinly sliced
½ cup manchego, shaved
Flaky sea salt, to taste

Instructions

Step 1: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, stone ground mustard, honey, and kosher salt to create the Mustard Orange Vinaigrette. Set aside.
Step 2: Trim and clean the shallot, cut in half, then thinly slice. Rinse the slices in warm water to mellow the bite and set aside.
Step 3: Trim the fennel bulb and finely slice it.
Step 4: In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped kale, sliced fennel, and rinsed shallot.
Step 5: Add half of the vinaigrette to the kale mixture and massage it in to soften the greens and bloom the flavors.
Step 6: Stir in the pumpkin seeds, pecans, and dried cranberries to the salad.
Step 7: Trim and thinly slice the persimmon and apple. Shave the Manchego cheese and set aside.
Step 8: Drizzle in the remaining vinaigrette and gently toss the salad to combine everything evenly.
Step 9: Transfer the salad to a serving platter, then arrange the apple and persimmon slices on top and dot with the Manchego cheese.
Step 10: Finish with a light sprinkle of flaky sea salt and serve.

Tips & Variations

For extra crunch, toast the pumpkin seeds and pecans lightly before adding to the salad.
Swap kale for butter lettuce or arugula if you prefer a softer base.
Add a splash more orange juice or a drizzle of honey if you like a sweeter vinaigrette.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If storing separately, keep the dressing and salad greens separate and combine just before serving to maintain crunch.