Fall Salad with Kale, Apple and Blue Cheese Crumbles

Fall salad is really one of the best isn’t it? Full of apples, hearty kale, crumbled blue cheese and sugar coated nuts, nothing says slow down and enjoy the moment like this culinary concoction. Some restaurants add pepitas or dried cranberries, but I find a simple dressing of fig vinaigrette is the perfect topping for this end of harvest season medley.

This salad is healthy, crunchy and bursting with the earthy flavors of autumn. Add a homemade fig vinaigrette to this bowl full of seasonal flavor and you have a classic harvest salad. This salad is crunchy, healthy and a little sweet thanks to slices of apples and sugared walnuts.

Kale creates a healthy base green for this autumn salad filled with fruit and vegetables traditionally harvested during the fall months. This healthy apple kale salad with vinaigrette is the perfect fall salad.

• Kale, the unsung hero of fall is in abundance this time of year. These dark leafy greens are hardy and withstand the cooling weather as autumn sets in. Soften the leaves before tossing into the salad by rubbing with olive oil or alternatively removing the tough stems and slicing the leafy green thinly.
• Apples are a fall classic and the addition of this fruit to the salad creates a sweet, floral and crunchy addition not to be missed in this classic salad combination.
• Crumbled blue cheese is a bright pop of flavor that ties this kale salad together. The tang of blue cheese and the creaminess of the crumbles are the perfect addition to this fruit and green combo.
• Fun additions: Candied nuts add more crunch and bring out the sweetness of the apples. Celery adds a burst of green, fresh flavor.
• A homemade fig vinaigrette is the perfect topping, and really brings this Fall Salad with Kale, Apple and Blue Cheese together, drizzle over for a perfect Autumn meal.

Fig vinaigrette is really the kitchen workhorse here, pulling all of the ingredients together fabulously. The sweetness of the vinaigrette is cut with apple cider vinegar (yes! more apple) and has bas herbal notes of thyme. Shallots play of the sweetness of the salad without becoming too overpowering.

Fig Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp Fig Preserves
1 Shallot small
¼ Cup Olive Oil extra virgin
¼ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar organic
1 Stem Fresh Thyme about ¼ tsp

Steps:

Chop shallot.
Remove leaves from thyme stem.
Add all ingredients to container and shake.
Store in glass container in refrigerator until ready to use.
fig vinaigrette in glass bottle.