The Ultimate Fall Salad

fallsalad

This hearty salad would be a beautiful complement to a soup or as a part of your holiday menu. It has the perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors and the candied pumpkin seeds add a satisfying crunch. High in zinc and vitamin A, it also scores high on the nutritional front.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz container of your favorite greens (I did a mix of arugula and spring mix)

  • 3 cups of peeled and cubed sweet potato

  • 1/4 tsp. cumin

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil

  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries

  • 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled*

Candied Pumpkin Seeds

  • 3/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (unsalted)

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup

  • 2 tsp. sugar

  • 1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

  • 1/2 tsp. salt

  • pinch cayenne

Maple Mustard Vinaigrette

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup

  • 1 Tbsp. dijon

  • 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

  • 1/3 cup olive oil

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • pinch of pepper

*if you’re dairy free, you can sub Kite Hill’s ricotta. It’s delicious in this salad

Method

1) Preheat oven to 325 F.

2) Whisk together candied pumpkin seed ingredients in a small bowl, folding in the seeds themselves at the end.

3) Transfer to a greased cookie sheet and spread out (seeds don’t need to be spread individually, just into small clumps). Bake for 5 minutes.

4) Remove from oven and gently stir seeds. Return to oven for another 10 minutes.

5) Using a rubber spatula, quickly transfer seeds to a piece of tin foil and separate seeds into a single layer/small clumps. Allow to cool completely.

6) Increase oven temperature to 400 F.

7) Toss sweet potato cubes in olive oil, cumin, salt and pepper. Transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until starting to brown and cooked through. Set aside.

8) Whisk together dressing ingredients.

9) Assemble all salad components.

RecipesLauren LeedyComment