My Trusty Formula for Fab Fall Salads

+ recipe for Delicata Squash Salad with Chickpeas and Apple

One of the foods I lean on when I want something fabulous that comes together fast is a big, full-meal salad. After having made so many over the years, I have landed on a reliable formula for my ideal salad---one that brims with seasonal produce and has an exciting balance of savory and sweet, crunch and tenderness, bright acidity and richness.  

Here’s my basic blueprint for a fab, fall salad: leafy green + roasted vegetable + bean + nut/seed + fruit + cheese + vinaigrette. Each component has a distinct role to play for a beautiful, nutritionally balanced dish, and it’s easy enough to have all the elements in your refrigerator or pantry, ready to be pulled together for a stellar meal on demand.

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1)    Start with leafy greens- any variety such as tender red- or green- leaf lettuce, heartier kale or chicory, peppery arugula, crisp romaine, or a mix of these, provides a voluminous, fresh base.

2)    Add a roasted, seasonal vegetable — this may be whatever you have left over from a previous night’s dinner, or you can roast something just for this purpose and keep it in the fridge. Squash, cauliflower, beets and broccoli are all fall favorites which, when roasted, bring a measure of savory, caramelized flavor.

3)   Open a can of beans — pinto, cannellini, chickpeas, black beans, black eyed peas— to instantly add hearty vegetable protein.

4)  Sprinkle in some toasted nuts or seeds— pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews —you can’t go wrong. They add a satisfying, contrasting crunch and another hit of vegetable protein.

5)   Sweeten the deal with some fruit — grapes, apple, pear, persimmon are all fall favorites which enliven the mix with sweet-tart juiciness.  You could add dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, currants or chopped prunes or dates also, or instead.

6)  Get cheesy – chunks of soft cheese, such as goat cheese, feta, mozzarella or blue, add a creamy luxuriousness that’s a nice counterpoint to all the vegetables. Shaved or grated parm or other hard cheese add deep umami flavor and a nice bite. For a vegan option, you could go with a vegan cheese, or use diced avocado for creaminess, and/or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor.

7)   Toss with a vinaigrette: The dressing can be as simple as olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, or it can be gussied up with mustard, minced shallot or onion, and maybe a dash of tangy mustard and/or some honey or maple syrup to tie the sweet and savory salad components together.

The salad below is one iteration of how this ingredient math adds up — it’s irresistible proof of concept.