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.
Ingredients and Assembling Your Apple Walnut Salad:
On a bed of chopped kale add sliced celery and apples. Sprinkle candied walnuts and crumbled blue cheese over top and drizzle with Fig Vinaigrette Recipe (see below). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Kale leaves (I use curly variety).
Apple, Granny smith or any other tart apple variety (I used Macintosh in the recipe photographed here).
1/4 cup candied walnuts, see paragraph below.
Celery stalks, sliced diagonally; cutting the celery into elongated pieces makes for a pretty presentation and it is easier to grab the vegetables up with a fork this way.
Crumbled blue cheese.
Fig Vinaigrette recipe.
Fall kale Salad with Apple and Blue Cheese Crumbles
Ingredients
- 4 leaves Kale lacinato or purple
- 1 tart Apple medium
- ¼ Candied Walnuts
- 2 stalks Celery sliced diagonally
- ¼ cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
- 2 tbs Fig Vinaigrette
Instructions
- To prepare the kale you can rub the leaves with extra virgin olive oil before slicing for tender leaves or slice thinly. I prefer a thin slice as the vinaigrette with coat the kale much quicker and give you the same results.
- Slicing the the celery diagonally creates a pretty presentation and makes it easier to pick the celery up on a fork, so slice it on a diagonal.
- Slice apples thin and spread over kale.
- Layer all ingredients onto a platter to serve per preference or mix together tossing dressing as you go.