The Ultimate Fall Salad
The Ultimate Fall Salad- a combination of fall’s best produce tossed in a dijon apple cider vinaigrette! (gluten-free with vegan option)
Is everyone ready for a little post-Halloween detox?
I sure am! Not because I ate a lot of candy; just because I prefer Mother Nature’s candy.
It’s okay, I hate me too.
Really the truth is that the husband was in charge of the Halloween candy this year and he didn’t buy any of my favorites. No Snickers, Three Musketeers, Almond Joys or M&M’s. Just Hershey Kisses and Reeses….snore.
But we did find out that Coco’s favorite is Reeses! Brandon thought it would be a good idea to rest the candy bowl on the floor directly behind the front door then about ten minutes later a certain black puppy was nowhere to be found…I’m sure you can guess the rest.
By the looks of the bowl we estimated that she ate around 5 or 6 pieces but thankfully most of them were peanut butter cups. I won’t go into too much detail as to how exactly we figured that out but let’s just say that she ate the foil too.
So anyways, it made for a scary Halloween in our house! And I also made a mental note to never leave my husband alone with our future children.
No I’m just kidding. It was an honest mistake. However, if anyone is need of a detox, it’s Coco.
So this salad, it really is a collection of nature’s finest.
Shredded kale, brussel sprouts, and red cabbage are tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette and then topped with sweet Honeycrisp apples and tart pomegranate seeds.
Side note: Did you know you can spank pomegranates do get the seeds out? Check out Julia’s tutorial for the details. It’s so easy! And kind of fun too.
To make it even better, candied maple pecans and fresh grated parmesan cheese are sprinkled on top. Yes, it’s an explosion of fall flavors!
This colorful salad is beautiful enough to be served at a holiday gathering but if you want to make it just because, then that’s fine too. The brussel sprouts, kale and cabbage are robust enough that they don’t get soggy after sitting in the dressing so it still tastes great for leftovers the next day which makes it perfect for a healthy lunch!
The Ultimate Fall Salad
Yield: 4 large or 6 small salads
Prep Time: 20
Cook Time: 10
Total Time: 30

Ingredients:
For the Salad
- 10 ounces brussel sprouts, thinly sliced (3 cups)
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, thinly sliced (3 cups)
- 1/2 small red cabbage, thinly sliced (2 cups)
- 2 apples, sliced into matchsticks (2 cups)
- 3/4 cup pomegranate arils (1 small pomegranate)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- juice of 2 small lemons (1/4 cup)
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey (or agave for vegan version)
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan*
Maple Pecans
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Start by preheating the oven to 400°F and lined a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon mustard, juice of 1 lemon (2 tablespoons) and 1/4 teaspoon salt, then mix together. Add the shredded brussel sprouts, shredded kale, and shredded red cabbage to the bowl then toss until evenly coated with dressing and set aside.
Next grab a small bowl and add juice from one lemon (2 tablespoons) along with 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar. Add the sliced apples to the bowl and stir until evenly coated then set aside. This step will help to keep the apples from oxidizing (or turning brown).
In a separate small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add the pecans to the bowl and stir until evenly coated. Spread the pecans onto the cookie sheet and then bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. If your oven is on the hotter side, you might want to check them around 7 or 8 minutes to assure that they don’t burn.
Add the apples and the pomegranate arils to the large bowl with the shredded kale. Once the pecans are done cooking, add them to the bowl along with 1/2 cup shredded parmesan. Stir everything together and serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
*vegan option: pecan parmesan
Leftovers can be eaten the next day but the apples and brussel sprouts will turn purple from the cabbage. If you’re serving it for guests I suggest preparing it the same day.
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by rating the recipe, leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
all those colors! especially luuuurve the poms.
I love shaving Brussels to use as the base of a salad. This sounds tasty! My friend’s dog is the same way around Wurthers (spelling?) caramels. Eats a bowlful, wrapper and all, if left unattended. Glad I have cats! They just bat candy around like toys.
I, on the other hand, was in charge of the candy and bought ALLLLL my faves. Detox is definitely needed! This salad sounds delicious and the perfect way to get back on track this week! Love it!
Oh no! Poor Coco! Hopefully he’s feeling ok. We don’t buy Halloween candy because we live in an apartment building and don’t get any kids, boo. This is the perfect candy detox salad, love the addition of pomegranate arils!
Yum! I’ve never thought to slice Brussels sprouts in a salad. Riley was in charge of our candy selection, too. I’m not a big candy person in general, but I do love my Reese’s cups.
Beautiful salad! I love the rich colors. One of my goals for November is to up my daily veggie intake so I need to have more of these lovely salads in my life.
I’ve never shaved brussel sprouts before but it makes perfect sense! They’re mini cabbages why not? I could totally see you blowing your guests away with this salad. Between the colors and simplicity, it screams seasonal.
Gorgeous as usual!!
Oh poor Coco! Hope she is feeling better now that she has this beautiful salad to munch on instead ;) Love this and pinning for a day when I need lots of shaved veggies in my life.
I love the idea of shredding brussels sprouts! And this salad is just beautiful. I’ve been pretty basic with my salads lately, but I think I need to start sprucing them up now that the weather is cooling down. And poor Coco. I didn’t buy any candy this year since I don’t get trick or treaters, so I stuck to nature’s candy (i.e.: dates) instead :)
Cheers to nature’s candy! UGH this salad looks amazing!! I didn’t go to crazy over Halloween candy this year – I get zero trick or treaters, but I did enjoy approximately 7 m&ms. This salad is everything I want in a salad! And I have most of the ingredients in my fridge, so I can make this thang happen for all the lunches! Bravo, sista!
Love love love this salad! And poor Coco hhaha I can totally see that happening though!
I never thought of shredding brussel sprouts! It works really well, and I love them so much. I’ll be sure to try out this lovely colourful salad delight soon! Thanks!
ugh, goddess knows i need a detox. one too many trips the the Halloween candy bowl. i got the minis and was giving them out the the kids by the handful when they eventually made it to our door. so after a weekend of no so healthy eating, this salad looks heavenly to me.
This salad is beautiful! I love all these ingredients and it sounds like a great fall or winter salad, especially for a holiday table! I prefer this kind of candy, too :)
Glad Coco is okay after the Reese’s incident!
That’s one colorful detox salad!
Definitely a salad I can see myself making.. loving all the fresh produce and flavours going on it. Great recipe!
Such a bright and beautiful salad recipe!! Awww, naughty Coco girl! I had a few pieces of candy over Halloween weekend, but nothing too crazy. We had so many trick-or-treaters, and I was kind of thankful to just get all of that candy out of the house!
Loving pomegranate arils in salads lately. The acidity is great.
This salad is seriously beautiful.
This looks amazing! I was seriously just asking myself what to do with the red cabbage in our csa this week!
Beauuuutiful!!!! While I love a refreshing salad in the summertime, I also adore fall salads! This really IS the ultimate fall salad!
Coco!! Oh no, I’m glad she’s okay! My husband’s parent’s beagle once ate an ENTIRE box of chocolates. We are talking foil, candy and the box itself. It was ridiculous. He was fine, thankfully!
And I love the sound of this salad – so colorful! And perfect for some after-holiday detoxing :)
I love hearty salads like this! And all the beautiful fall colors don’t hurt, either :) Glad Coco was OK after going to town on your Halloween candy! What a greedy little girl :)
Totally head over heels in love with this salad! Pinning :)
I can’t even imagine how scared I’d be if the puppy ate all that chocolate and foil!
I love Mother Nature’s candy too – ESPECIALLY pomegranate seeds. I’d eat a bowl of those over a bowl of smarties any day! This salad looks healthy and so delicious.
It was so great to meet you tonight!
This wasn’t her first time getting into chocolate either. That’s why I named her Coco!
It was so nice meeting you too. Hopefully we can meet again in the future!
Pingback: Easy Lacinato Kale Salad - I Heart Vegetables
Pingback: 25 Gluten-free Thanksgiving Recipes for Every Course
Pingback: Weekly Seasonal Menu, 23-29 November - three beans on a string
Pingback: 45 Filling and Healthy Salad Recipes
Pingback: 70 Healthy Fall Recipes - Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free
Hi there! I featured this recipe on my healthy fall recipe round up today. Thanks for the great inspiration! http://physicalkitchness.com/healthy-paleo-fall-recipes/
Thanks Chrissa! :)
Pingback: 5 Fall Salads You Need to Make this Season | Le Petite City
Pingback: 27 Signs Kale Will Never Die | Woman Blog | Fashion | Make up | Health | Fitness
Pingback: 27 Signs Kale Will Never Die | Dana Hender
Pingback: Weekend Notes | Camille Styles
Pingback: 2015 Summer Harvest CSA Share Week of October 27 | Your CSA
Pingback: 15 Healthy Salad Recipes (#12 is our Favorite!) | Nutrition Fox
Pingback: Eat the Season | November - Designs of Any Kind
Pingback: Shredded Brussel Sprout and Kale Salad with Maple Pecan Parmesan – Making Thyme for Health
This salad is excellent, and I’m no fan of kale. I used a store bought raspberry vinaigrette due to time constraints and forgot the parm. It stayed crispy until the next day. Delicious!
Thank you for the feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed it and glad to know it works with raspberry vinaigrette. :)
Pingback: Top-10 Healthy Salad Recipes - RecipePorn
Pingback: Brussel Sprout, Red Cabbage, and Kale Slaw Salad | Klean Kuisine
Pingback: Healthy Fall Salads to Make Right Now - Eating Bird Food
This salad looks DELISH! What kind of mustard do you use for the dressing?
Hi Angela! I used Dijon mustard. Sorry for leaving that out!
Pingback: 20 Must-Have Thanksgiving Side Dishes, Drinks & Desserts | Fully Nourished
Pingback: Delicious Thanksgiving Salads – The Healthy Classified