18 Easy Fall Salad Recipes to Make Tonight
Fall for these satisfying autumnal salads.
Greg DuPree
Every season is salad season! And fall is no exception. Fall salads make the most of the late summer and pre-winter bounty, often vegetables in rich jewel tones, like purple radicchio, deep-green kale, and ruby-hued beets. That means your composed veggies dishes are about to be so gorgeous, full of nutrients, and satisfying on a chilly night. Plus, they’re all easy to execute (and even easier to enjoy). Explore this list for all the essential salads to make this fall.
Steak and Beet Salad With Radicchio
This composed salad is meal-worthy, and so simple to put together for an elegant dinner. The radicchio is torn to cut down on chopping time, and the yogurt dressing is so creamy, you’ll want to double the batch for more weeknight meals. The topping of pepitas will have the whole table talking.
Tips
When cooking the hanger steaks for this salad, get the pan very hot before putting on the meat to get the ultimate crust without it overcooking.
Bitter Greens and Beet Salad
Victor Protasio
Bright and bold, this radicchio and beet salad was made to stand out on your table. The toasted pecans add another layer of crunchy texture, along with an earthy taste that balances out the salad's rich and bitter flavors. A sweet and tangy honey-mustard vinaigrette ties it all together.
Brussels Sprouts Salad
Brussels sprouts are an excellent autumnal salad base, and you don’t even need to cook them! Thinly sliced sprouts work like crunchy lettuce and absorb vinaigrette so well—the leftovers are like a slaw! Top this salad with your protein of choice for a complete dinner.
Mustardy Kale Salad With Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple
A salad that can also function as a side dish or even a main course, this kale salad is tingly and crunchy, with sweetness from the apples to round it all out. Roasted sweet potatoes continue the mellow sweet taste in this high in fiber and protein salad. Once you know this recipe, it’s bound to become a fall staple.
Baby Kale and Chicken Caesar
Baby kale can be found year-round in plastic clamshells at most grocery stores, and is a great ingredient for simple salads—no chopping required! Mix up the Caesar salad as a starter to a big baked pasta meal or as the main course. You can also swap out the chicken for avocado or shrimp if you prefer.
Farro Salad With Tuna
Farro is an incredible fall ingredient, thanks to its heartiness and ability to stand up to big flavors. Enjoy it in this salad with radicchio, pear, and arugula, plus tuna for protein. The salad can also be 100 percent plant-based if preferred.
Beet Radicchio Salad
Christopher Testani
This colorful salad brings some brightness to drab fall days and doesn’t take any special skills to plate it as if it’s being served in a restaurant. Pre-cooked beets make this salad super easy to assemble. Cheery citrus adds a nice brightness and sweet flavor. Top with parmesan and crunchy pistachios for the best combination of textures and flavors.
Superfood Lentil Salad
Lentil salad is a versatile dish that can be made once and repurposed for various meals, such as lunch, dinner, or a side to serve alongside salmon or another entree. Opt for pre-cooked lentils if you want to speed up the process. Golden raisins add a bright sweetness to the salad, while sunflower seeds carry in the earthy flavors to mellow it out.
Related: 10 Quick and Easy Lunch Salads You Can Make in Less Than 10 Minutes
Warm Roast Chicken Salad
A wonderfully satisfying chicken dinner that’s also a salad? We’re here for it. This colorful salad takes a juicy roast chicken and puts it atop a crisp fall salad for the best of both worlds. It is served with a tangy buttermilk dressing that the whole dinner party will adore.
Celery and Apple Salad With Crispy Buckwheat
This refreshing green salad offers a satisfying crunch and pairs nicely with hearty braised meats or a lighter meal. Opt for whole celery (not just the hearts) from the store or farmer’s market, for the best flavor and decorative leaves. Toasted buckwheat gives a nice nutty flavor to the salad.
Roasted Sweet Potato and Bulgur Salad
This salad practically makes itself! While the sweet potatoes are roasting, you’ll just whip up a vinaigrette and a pot of bulgur, and then assemble with fresh watercress. On top, you'll add feta and crisp pistachios, elements that go together so seamlessly.
Miso Caesar Salad
Add savory umami to your Caesar salad with some miso in the dressing. It’s so good, you’ll be making this recipe through the winter. It’s also quick, so you can make it a full meal with a topping of chicken nuggets, fish sticks, or crispy tofu.
Make-Ahead Holiday Salad
This tender kale salad isn’t just for holidays, but a great weekday hack to have a marinated, healthy salad ready to grab and go for days. Make an even bigger batch of vinaigrette to whip up a second salad once the first one is all gone. Not only is it colorful and gorgeous, but it's also full of nutrients and protein.
Green Salad With Cornichon Vinaigrette
This rich green salad gets a punch of flavor with tangy and tart cornichons, which are pickles made from small cucumbers. Chopped shallot, white vinegar, Dijon mustard, cornichon pickling liquid, and olive oil make up the vinaigrette. Pair with a protein to make it a full meal.
Salad With Chicken and Crispy Farro
Made in under 30 minutes, this vegetable-packed salad has a great mixture of textures and flavors. Farro and asparagus get thrown in the broiler first until they are nice and crispy. A mix of lemon juice, honey, and oil creates the perfect sweet-and-sour sauce that blends together perfectly with chicken, arugula, and radishes. Top with the crispy Farro for a tantalizing crunch.
Grapefruit, Beet, and Radish Salad
This colorful salad is a feast for the eyes and the stomach. The tangy nature of grapefruit and beets bode excellently well with spicy radish. This fall salad is best served with grilled fish or chicken. Olive oil, salt, and pepper are all you need bring this bright medley together.
Grilled Honeynut Squash Salad
Christopher Testani
This fall salad is bursting with seasonal flavors. Honeynut squash and napa cabbage are marinated in a miso-and-spicy brown mustard dressing before hitting the grill. Roasted salted pepitas a mint leaves are sprinkled on top. While salad is delicious, the colorful presentation will have you snapping pictures before digging in.
Roasted Carrot Salad
Greg Dupree
Make sure to get your carrot fix while they are in season. Roasted with shallots, these rainbow carrots are seasoned to perfection and come out of the oven juicy and tender. This salad can be served warm or at room temperature. Use the carrot greens to top the salad and reduce food waste.
Related: The 30 Healthiest Foods to Eat Every Day
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