Description
This vibrant Fall Harvest Salad combines crisp kale, sweet persimmons, and tart dried cranberries with a tangy mustard orange vinaigrette. Enhanced by crunchy pumpkin seeds, pecans, and shaved manchego cheese, this fresh and colorful salad celebrates seasonal flavors in just 15 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- ¼ cup orange juice (freshly juiced or store-bought)
- â…“ cup olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons stone ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Salad
- 1 shallot (thinly sliced)
- 1 bulb fennel (trimmed and finely sliced)
- 1 bunch lacinato kale (chopped)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup pecans (chopped)
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 persimmon (halved and thinly sliced)
- 1 apple (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup manchego cheese (shaved)
- Flaky sea salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Prepare Mustard Orange Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together orange juice, olive oil, stone ground mustard, honey, and kosher salt until emulsified. Set the dressing aside.
- Rinse Shallot: Trim and cut the shallot in half, then thinly slice it. Place the slices in a small bowl and rinse with warm water to mellow the raw onion flavor. Drain and set aside.
- Slice Fennel: Trim and thinly slice the fennel bulb, removing the tough outer layers if needed.
- Prepare Kale: Remove the lacinato kale leaves from their stems and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Place the kale in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine Vegetables: Add the sliced fennel and rinsed shallot to the kale in the mixing bowl.
- Dress and Massage Salad: Pour half of the prepared dressing over the kale mixture and massage it gently with your hands to soften the kale and evenly distribute the flavors.
- Add Nuts and Fruits: Fold in the pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans, and dried cranberries into the massaged kale blend.
- Slice Persimmon and Apple: Thinly slice the persimmon and apple, and shave the manchego cheese. Set aside for garnish.
- Toss Salad: Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat all ingredients.
- Assemble and Serve: Transfer the salad onto a serving platter. Arrange the sliced persimmon, apple, and shaved manchego cheese on top. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
- Massaging the kale softens its texture, making it more tender and easier to eat.
- Rinsing the shallot in warm water helps reduce its sharpness for a milder flavor.
- Use freshly juiced orange juice if possible for the best flavor in the vinaigrette.
- You can substitute pecans with walnuts or almonds according to your preference.
- For a vegan version, omit the manchego cheese or replace it with a plant-based cheese alternative.
