Shanika Graham-White’s Harvest Roasted Apple Kale Salad
From the roasted apples to the pecans and walnuts, this kale salad's star ingredients create a crunchy, yet tender mix of texture and bold flavors.
Serves6
Prep10 minutes
Cook20 minutes
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There’s no better addition to a fall meal than this harvest roasted apple kale salad. It has a perfect balance between crunch and tenderness from the roasted apples, pecans, and walnuts that creates a comforting experience with lots of texture and bold flavors. Made with a base of fresh kale, sliced onions, cranberries, and pumpkin seeds, the salad is topped with an easy, creamy lemon-garlic dressing made from entirely dairy-free ingredients.
Whoever said that salads were boring certainly hasn’t tried this one. The epitome of fall comfort, thanks to warming spices and simple ingredients, it all comes together to create the best umami experience. Your plant-based friends and family will thank you greatly for this salad!
Harvest Roasted Apple Kale Salad Recipe
From the roasted apples to the pecans and walnuts, this kale salad's star ingredients create a crunchy, yet tender mix of texture and bold flavors.
Prep time 10 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Serves 6
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1
medium Gala apple
- 1
medium Honeycrisp apple
- 1/4 cup
maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon
ground allspice
- 1 cup
chopped pecans
- 1 cup
chopped walnuts
- 2 large
bunches curly kale (about 1 pound each)
- 1/2
medium red onion
- 1/2 cup
dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup
shelled pumpkin seeds, toasted if desired
For the lemon-garlic dressing:
- 3 cloves
garlic
- 1 cup
vegan mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup
unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon
freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon
dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon
garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon
freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Halve, core, and thinly slice 1 medium Gala and 1 medium Honeycrisp apple (no need to peel). Place in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice. Stir and toss until the apples are fully coated.
Transfer to one half of the baking sheet and arrange into an even layer. Place 1 cup chopped pecans and 1 cup chopped walnuts on the other half of the baking sheet and arrange into an even layer.
Bake until the nuts are browned and fragrant, and the apples are golden and tender but still a bit crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the dressing.
Mince 3 garlic cloves and place in a large jar or medium bowl. Add 1 cup vegan mayonnaise, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Seal the jar and shake or whisk together until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Strip the leaves from 2 large bunches kale and discard the stems. Coarsely chop the leaves. Thinly slice 1/2 medium red onion (scant 1 cup). Place the kale and onion in a large bowl. Add the roasted apples, pecans, walnuts, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, and 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with the dressing when ready to serve and toss to combine.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: The nuts can be toasted and the dressing made up to 2 days ahead. Store the nuts at room temperature and refrigerate the dressing in separate airtight containers.
The salad can be tossed up to 30 minutes before serving.
Storage: Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.