Fall is the perfect time to enjoy a delicious chopped salad! This recipe features kale, butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, radishes, fennel, and apple. The salad is tossed in a delicious maple tahini dressing and topped with a homemade breadcrumb topping. It’s the perfect meal for a cool autumn day!
Why this kale butternut squash salad is the best!
Happy fall y’all!
The best way to start the fall season is to use an abundance of those fresh fall veggies that have been growing all summer.
One of my favorites is kale, the perfect green for this fall salad. Kale is packed with nutrients and has a slightly bitter taste that pairs perfectly with the sweetness of butternut squash and apples.
This salad also features shaved Brussels sprouts, radishes, and fennel! The combination of these ingredients creates the perfect balance of flavors and textures. The fennel adds a lovely licorice flavor, the radishes add a touch of heat, and the Brussels sprouts add a nice crunch.
The homemade breadcrumb topping is the perfect finishing touch to this fall chopped salad. The breadcrumbs add a lovely crunch, and the maple tahini dressing ties everything together perfectly.
This salad serves six people and can easily be doubled or tripled if you’re feeding a crowd. It’s the perfect fall meal to enjoy with family and friends!
Follow along to learn how to make this fall chopped salad. If you do better with video instructions, watch my TikTok down below!
Kitchen equipment needed:
To make this chopped salad recipe with homemade fall dressing, you will need a:
- Food processor
- Baking sheet
- Mason jar
- Large salad bowl
Note: Check out the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions to make this kale butternut squash salad.
Chopped salad tips:
When making this seasonal salad, I came up with the best hacks to create a delicious kale apple salad with fall dressing.
- Use homemade sourdough. This salad is the perfect way to use up that extra sourdough you just made fresh! Any good quality bread will do if you don’t have time to make your own.
- Make it gluten-free. Swap out the sourdough for gluten-free bread, or leave it out altogether. The salad will still be delicious with the rest of the crunchy toppings.
- Add some protein. To make this salad a complete and filling meal, add some roasted chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tofu.
- Make the maple tahini dressing in advance. This fall salad dressing can be made up to a week in advance. Store it in a mason jar in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
- Save it for later! This salad is best served immediately, but if you have leftovers, they will keep in the fridge for up to two days. If you store it for later, make sure NOT to dress the salad. Instead, save the maple tahini dressing in a mason jar to drizzle on when you are ready to eat!
I hope you enjoy this fall chopped salad! If you love this recipe and want to learn how to make other fun recipes, follow me on TikTok and save some of my cooking videos.
Check out these other fall recipes!
- Fall Turkey Sandwich
- Chorizo Quinoa Stuffed Squash
- Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
- Cinnamon Apple Whipped Brown Butter
- Classic Creamed Corn Cornbread Muffins
Kale Butternut Squash Salad With Maple Tahini Dressing
Equipment
- Food processor
- Baking sheets
- Jar
- Large Bowl
Ingredients
Bread Crumb Topping
- 2 thick slices sourdough torn
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- Olive oil to coat
- Kosher salt and pepper
Maple Tahini Dressing
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp dijon
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Salad
- 1 bunch tuscan kale chopped
- ½ a medium butternut squash peeled, diced small and roasted
- 4 large Brussel sprouts thinly sliced
- 3 large radishes a variety of colors if you can find it!, thinly sliced
- 1 medium fennel thinly sliced
- 1 crisp apple of choice diced small (i used pink lady)
- ¼ of a red onion thinly sliced and rinsed under cold water
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 3 oz manchego cheese diced small
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- To make the topping, add bread, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds to a food processor.
- Pulse until bread is the size of large crumbs.
- Place bread mixture onto a lined baking sheet. Add pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds.
- Add 2 Tbsp maple syrup and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to the oven and bake for about 15-25 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Let cool completely. (it will crisp up more as it cools.)
- Next prepare the dressing. Add all dressing ingredients to a jar and shake until incorporated.
- To finish the salad, add kale to a large bowl. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Gently massage just a bit to soften the kale.
- Add remaining salad ingredients to the large bowl. Add about half the dressing and toss to coat. Add more dressing to desired taste.
- Serve salad topped with the crunchy topping and enjoy!
