A delicious, healthy combination of your favorite fall flavors and textures: sweet and tart honey crisp apples, juicy pomegranates, spiced and roasted butternut squash, salty bacon, crunchy pecans, and tangy goat cheese; then topped with a maple tahini balsamic dressing. Pure bliss in a bowl!
I’m about to introduce you to your new favorite salad for this Fall!
My Fall Harvest Salad with maple tahini balsamic dressing.
It combines all of your favorite fall produce, like apples, butternut squash, and pomegranates, and combines it with other delicious flavors like bacon, pecans, and goat cheese. Then all of this goodness is drizzled with a sweet, rich, and tangy maple tahini balsamic dressing. AMAZING!
Plus, it’s simple to make and comes together in about 30 minutes.
It is also very versatile. I’ve been making it non-stop for lunch for the past week. Once you do all of the work, like making the dressing, cooking the bacon, and roasting the butternut squash, you can store the leftovers in the fridge and make this salad in under 5 minutes.
It would also work beautifully on your Thanksgiving table or at any other holiday get together this season.
Let’s get to crafting this salad.
You start by roasting the butternut squash until its caramelized and fork tender. I tossed the squash in cinnamon and allspice to reinforce those familiar and comforting fall flavors. The squash roasts for 20-25 minutes in a 400 degree oven till it’s golden brown and delicious.
Meanwhile, you can make the dressing by combining all the ingredients, except water: balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, tahini, garlic, and S&P. Then add the water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. I prefer my dressing to be a little thick so it coats everything nicely but thin enough to be pourable.
This dressing is to die for! It is tangy from the balsamic, sweet and rich from the maple, and slightly earthy and nutty from the tahini. It’s a beautiful combination of flavors that will work on just about any salad.
The final step is to combine all of the ingredients. Add your mixed greens to the bottom of the bowl. Then add the honey crisp apples, pomegranate seeds, crumbled goat cheese, crumbled bacon, roasted and cooled butternut squash, and crushed pecans.
The salad is a showstopper for two reasons: 1. its absolutely beautiful. It’s a wonderful mixture of bright, fresh colors and contrasting textures. 2. It’s also delicious and nutritious. It’s packed with healthy fruits and vegetables and the flavors work so well together: sweet and tart honey crisp apples, juicy pomegranates, spiced and roasted butternut squash, salty bacon, crunchy pecans, and tangy goat cheese; then topped with a maple tahini balsamic dressing.
It’s everything Fall has to offer in one big beautiful bowl. Enjoy!
If you make this Fall Harvest Salad, please leave a comment below to let me know your thoughts and take a picture and tag me on Instagram. I love hearing from you guys and seeing your pics of the recipe!
For other Fall inspired recipes, check out my Fall Harvest Quinoa Bowls.
Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Balsamic Dressing
A delicious, healthy salad with all your favorite fall produce, like apples, pomegranates, and butternut squash, combined with bacon, pecans, and goat cheese and dressed in a maple tahini balsamic dressing. Pure bliss in a bowl!
Ingredients
Maple Tahini Balsamic Dressing
- ½ cup balsamic
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 teaspoons Dijon
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2-4 tablespoons water*
- Salt and pepper to taste
Harvest Salad
- 1 butternut squash diced
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- Big pinch salt and pepper
- 1 honey crisp apple sliced thin
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- 4 slices paleo bacon cooked and crumbled
- 1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 1/3 cup crushed pecans
- 2 ½ cup mixed greens
Instructions
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To make the dressing, whisk together all of the ingredients, except water, until it is well combined. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency (you may not use all the water). Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss together the diced butternut squash, cinnamon, allspice, salt/pepper and olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, flipping hall way through. Let cool slightly.
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In a big bowl, add lettuce and top with all of the salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing.
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Serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
*The dressing can be stored in an airtight container for up to two weeks. The dressing may thicken while it sits in the fridge. Just add water to loosen it back up.
