Description

A vibrant and refreshing Fall Harvest Salad featuring a crisp blend of lacinato kale, fennel, persimmon, and apple, tossed with a tangy mustard orange vinaigrette and topped with crunchy pumpkin seeds, pecans, dried cranberries, and shaved Manchego cheese. Perfect for celebrating the flavors of autumn in a healthy, colorful dish.

Ingredients

Scale

Mustard Orange Vinaigrette

¼ cup orange juice (freshly juiced or store-bought)
⅓ cup olive oil
1 ½ tablespoon stone ground mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad Ingredients

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 the Mustard Orange Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the freshly juiced orange juice, olive oil, stone ground mustard, honey, and kosher salt. Whisk thoroughly until the mixture is emulsified. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.
Rinse and Slice Shallot: Trim the shallot, cut it in half, and slice thinly. Place the slices in a small bowl and rinse with warm water briefly to mellow the sharp onion flavor. Drain and set aside.
Slice Fennel Bulb: Trim and finely slice the fennel bulb into thin strips for a crisp, anise-flavored crunch.
Prepare Kale: Remove the lacinato kale leaves gently from the stems and chop into bite-sized pieces. Place the chopped kale in a large mixing bowl.
Combine Salad Base: Add the sliced fennel and rinsed shallot to the bowl with kale, then pour in half of the prepared vinaigrette. Massage the dressing into the kale, fennel, and shallot to soften the kale and infuse the salad base with flavor.
Add Seeds and Nuts: Stir in the pumpkin seeds, chopped pecans, and dried cranberries to add texture and natural sweetness.
Prepare Fruit and Cheese: Thinly slice the persimmon and apple. Shave the Manchego cheese and set aside for garnish.
Finish Salad: Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to combine all ingredients evenly.
Serve: Transfer the salad to a serving platter, artfully arrange the apple, persimmon slices, and shaved Manchego cheese on top. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt to taste. Enjoy immediately.

Notes

Massage the kale thoroughly with the dressing to soften its texture and enhance flavor.
Rinsing the shallot with warm water helps reduce its pungency for a milder bite.
Use fresh persimmons for the best flavor—ripe but firm.
To make this salad vegan, omit the Manchego cheese or substitute with a plant-based alternative.
This salad is best served fresh but can be prepped ahead by keeping dressing and salad components separate until ready to serve.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Category: Salad
Method: No-Cook
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Fall salad, kale salad, persimmon salad, autumn recipe, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, fresh salad, seasonal salad