Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp, and Goat Cheese
Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp, and Goat Cheese is a crisp, colorful, and nutrient-packed salad perfect for fall. With crunchy kale, sweet apples, tangy goat cheese, fennel, cranberries, and pepitas, all tossed in a bright lemon-mustard dressing, it’s fresh, flavorful, and perfect for seasonal meals.
- Prep Time: 10–15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Seasonal/Fall-Inspired
Ingredients
Salad:
1 very large bunch kale
1 medium Honeycrisp apple
1 medium bulb fennel
3 ounces chilled goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or chopped pecans
Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Remove tough stems from kale and chop leaves into bite-sized pieces. Thinly slice fennel and apple.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- In a large bowl, combine kale, apple, fennel, cranberries, and pepitas. Drizzle with dressing and toss well to coat.
- Sprinkle with goat cheese and gently toss or serve as garnish. Serve immediately.
Notes
Swap Honeycrisp with Fuji or Gala apples.
Use walnuts or pecans instead of pepitas.
Add thinly sliced pears for a sweeter touch.
Include roasted butternut squash cubes for a heartier salad.
Try a maple-balsamic vinaigrette for richer flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1.5 cups)
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
