Autumn Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Salad to me isn't a distinct spring-summer occasion. I see it as a way to showcase all of the delicious produce that is available year round. It is a fantastic way to serve up seasonal fruits and greens, and they don't need to be cold either. You can add wild rice, quinoa or other grains to turn it in to a warm salad. To me, this one should be served with a beautiful roast chicken and really creamy potatoes. The vinaigrette is really quite moorish and I could drink it quite frankly. My sister-in-law taught me to always have a salad dressing, I will thank her for that forever. They are just so simple to whip up and add a whole new dimension of flavour.
This salad is a great balance of textures, something which is extremely important to me when building a salad. I love the crunch and chewiness against the fresh, crisp leaves. That acidity of the fruit and bitterness of the leaves against the sweet fruit. It has it all and I hope that you make it one day soon. One to serve up for friends, plonk it in the middle of the dinner table and let people help themselves. Just don't forget that dressing, it really does make everything sing. Find more salad recipes here.
Serves: 4-6Prep time: 12-15 minsCook time: ZeroTotal time: 12-15 mins
Ingredients
- Mixed seasonal salad leaves, (rocket, radicchio, raw kale)
- 4 fresh figs, quartered
- Seeds from 1 pomegranate
- 1 apple, sliced
- 1 pear, sliced
- Handful of walnuts
- Handful of mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, chia)
- Handful of fresh herbs (oregano, parsley)
- Handful of dried cranberries
- Juice of a lemon
- 30ml each of extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar and honey
- Quarter tsp chilli flakes
Directions
- For dressing, mix oil, vinegar, honey and chilli flakes in a jar and shake. Set aside.
- For salad, slice apple and pear, mix with lemon juice and water in a bowl to stop browning.
- Mix all salad leaves together, top with apple, pear, figs, nuts, seeds, pomegranate, cranberries, herbs and figs.
- Dress and toss salad when ready to serve. Making sure to give the dressing one final shake first to combine.
