As the cooler months roll in, it’s time to embrace the comforting, nutritious flavours of autumn. This Autumn Salad is packed with seasonal ingredients that bring both warmth and freshness to your plate. It’s a recipe that’s perfect for those crisp days when you crave something hearty yet nourishing.
The roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas, seasoned with garlic, paprika, and a hint of cumin, create a deliciously crispy topping that adds texture and flavour to the salad. Paired with kale, which can sometimes be a tricky vegetable to love, this salad is a great way to enjoy it. Massaging the kale with the tangy dressing softens it and allows all the flavours to soak in, making each bite a treat.
The addition of apple, almonds, raisins, and pomegranate seeds provides the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch, bringing the essence of autumn into every forkful. It’s a dish that celebrates the season’s best, and with its high fibre content and nutritious ingredients, it’s both satisfying and healthy.
Whether as a side dish or a main meal, this salad will quickly become a yearly staple. It’s a celebration of autumn’s harvest, offering everything from warmth to freshness in one bowl.
Tips
- Pat Dry Chickpeas Before Roasting: Make sure the chickpeas are dry before seasoning and roasting—this helps them crisp up better and avoids steaming.
- Cut Sweet Potato Evenly: Keep the sweet potato pieces a similar size to ensure even cooking. Smaller cubes will roast faster and get crispier.
- Cool Roasted Ingredients Before Adding to Salad: Let the sweet potatoes and chickpeas cool before tossing with the kale to avoid wilting the greens.
- Massage the Kale Properly: Don’t skip this! Massaging kale with the dressing for 30 seconds to a minute softens the leaves, making them much more enjoyable to eat.
- Toast Almonds for Extra Crunch: Toasting almonds for a few minutes in a dry pan can really enhance their flavour and add more crunch to the salad.
- Make the Dressing First: Whisk the dressing before you do anything else so the flavours have time to come together while you prep the other ingredients.
- Toss Just Before Serving: For the best texture, combine everything right before serving so the roasted parts stay crisp and the kale doesn’t get soggy.
Swaps
Sweet Potato: Try to swap with Butternut squash, it has the same natural sweetness and texture, just as seasonal.
Chickpeas: Butter beans or lentils still high in fibre and protein, and great when roasted.
Kale: Cavolo nero or spinach if kale is too tough for your taste, cavolo nero is a milder alternative, or use spinach for a softer texture (no need to massage).
Almonds: Walnuts or pumpkin seeds add a deep autumn flavour; pumpkin seeds are nut-free and still give crunch.
Apple: Pear adds a mellow sweetness and works beautifully with the dressing.
Pomegranate: Dried cranberries for a chewy texture and tartness, perfect if pomegranate isn’t available.
Storage
This autumn salad is best enjoyed straight away, while the roasted chickpeas and sweet potatoes are still crisp and the kale is fresh and vibrant. If you do have leftovers, store in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 24 hours. For best texture, keep the dressing separate and add just before eating.
More Autumn Salads
- One-Tray Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad
- Roasted Carrots & Halloumi Salad
- Kale & Butternut Squash Cous Cous Salad
- Shredded Brussel Sprouts Salad
Autumn Salad
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato
- 1/2 can chickpea
- 1 tsp of: garlic and paprika
- 1/2 tsp of: cumin and salt
- Oil
For the salad
- 2 big handful of kale
- 1/2 apple
- almonds
- raisins
- pomegranate seeds
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple vinager
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1-2 tbsp water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl add chickpeas, sweet potatoes, oil and the spices. Mix.
- Air fry for 10-15 mins until crispy and golden then let it cool down completely.
- In the meantime prepare the dressing.
- In a large salad bowl add the kale and dressing, massage the kale (it sounds weird but it actually helps the kale to go a bit softer and the dressing to really cover every bit of the kale.
- Add all the salads ingredients and enjoy