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Autumn Apple Harvest Salad

A hearty fall salad of massaged kale, crisp apple, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and feta in a maple cider vinaigrette that holds up for two days.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the maple cider vinaigrette
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 small garlic clove minced
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
For the salad
  • 1 bunch lacinato kale about 8 oz, stems removed, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup pecan halves
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup for the pecans
  • 2 crisp apples Honeycrisp, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 red onion very thinly sliced

Method
 

  1. Shake all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar until emulsified.
  2. Toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes, then drizzle in the 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until glazed. Spread on parchment to cool and harden.
  3. Put the sliced kale in a large bowl and pour about 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette over it.
  4. Massage the kale with your hands for a full 2 minutes, squeezing and rubbing the leaves. They will soften noticeably and turn a deeper green.
  5. Slice the apples and toss them with a spoonful of the vinaigrette right away — the acid keeps them from browning.
  6. Add the apples, cranberries, feta, and red onion to the kale along with the remaining vinaigrette and toss.
  7. Scatter the candied pecans over the top just before serving so they stay crunchy.