Harvest Apple Chopped Salad is everything that you could want in a simple salad recipe.

Fresh, chopped kale is tossed with Honeycrisp apples, dried cranberries, goat cheese crumbles, pumpkin seeds, and a homemade honey mustard dressing. 

Each bite is bursting with flavors of autumn! It’s a healthy salad recipe that makes the perfect meal or side dish. 

Why You’ll Love This Apple Chopped Salad

Easy + Healthy

Recipes like this apple chopped salad are what we all need in life. It only requires a handful of ingredients and minimal prep time — with a delicious outcome! The fact that it is healthy is a bonus. (Did you know pumpkin seeds are a great source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and unsaturated fatty acids?) 

Whatever You Need It To Be

Need a main dish? Make your meal complete by adding grilled or roasted chicken. This harvest salad is also a great side dish for all types of occasions, from holiday parties to weeknight dinners. 

Gets Better With Time

Normally, salads don’t keep long (because who wants wilted lettuce leaves?!). But this harvest salad holds up for a while. In fact, when you allow the salad to sit for a bit before serving it, the dressing works on the kale, so it’s not as tough or rigid. That means this dish can be made in advance and whipped out when you need it!  

Makes Salad Taste Good

This is a kale salad that I actually got my husband to eat. And love. That’s a BIG deal! Which also vouches for the fact that this is a GOOD salad. Making a homemade dressing plays a big part in making this fall salad a home run.

Apple Chopped Salad Ingredients

Chopped kale

Insider tip on kale: make sure you remove the tough ribbing and stalks from the kale as the recipe calls for. That way, you won’t have to do a bunch of unnecessary crunching! Shop here!

Dried cranberries

These add a delicious sweet, tart flavor and a splash of color. You could also use dried tart cherries. Shop here!

Pumpkin seeds

Buy these packaged and ready-to-go from the grocery store to save time. You could also toast your own pumpkin seeds. Shop here!

Crumbled goat cheese

A tangy and creamy touch to the salad. If you can’t find crumbled goat cheese, use crumbled feta cheese instead. Shop here!

Honeycrisp apples

The key here is to use a crisp apple with a sweet/tart flavor. If you can’t find Honeycrisps, try Pink Lady apples, Fuji apples, or Jazz apples. Chop them into ½ inch pieces. Shop here!

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing Ingredients

Shallot (finely diced)

This adds a nice bite without being quite as sharp as a regular onion.

Dijon mustard

I’d go for the Dijon mustard first. But stone ground mustard would also be a good option. 

Honey

Extra virgin olive oil

Lemon juice

Salt

How To Serve This Autumn Salad

As a Main Dish

This vegetarian salad is packed with delicious ingredients and could be served as is with a side of crusty garlic bread or a baked sweet potato. Or, if you want more protein, top it with grilled chicken. Finish the meal with Apple Butter Coffee Cake for a fall treat!

As a Side Dish

Serve this simple fall salad alongside a comforting pan of Creamy Baked Mac and Cheese or Slow Cooker Beef Ragu. Finish things off with some Caramel Apple Sangria!

Soup + Salad Combo

You can’t go wrong with soup and salad. Go for a rich, Creamy Tortellini Soup, a veggie-packed Fall Minestrone Soup, or a simple Roasted Tomato Soup. And don’t forget a side of crusty bread. 🥖

Harvest Apple Chopped Salad FAQs