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This colorful Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad combines all the best produce that fall has to offer into the season’s best salad. Spicy baby arugula, Honeycrisp apples, juicy pomegranate seeds, candied nuts, and crispy prosciutto. All tossed with an apple cider vinaigrette. It’s a fall staple around here…healthy, simple, and so delicious.
Today is the official start to autumn so this fall harvest salad feels very appropriate. I’ve already been talking about fall for weeks. And though fall is only officially beginning, our leaves have just about reached their peak. We even had our first dusting of snow early on Monday which brought chilly temperatures and an aire of coziness.
I’m not ready for snow yet, but I’m definitely welcoming the cozy vibes. They excite me every year!
I know for most of you the weather is still fairly mild, if not warm, but I hope you’re all getting into the fall mood!
Anyway, I’ve been waiting to share this salad with you guys for a while, as it’s been on repeat around here. The second the crisp sweet Honeycrisp apples arrive at our local grocery, it’s time for fall salads.
This salad is simple, but I promise you, it’s everything delicious, and not one bit boring.
Here are the details
I wanted this salad to be three things, colorful, flavorful, and to have great texture…meaning some crunch to it.
This means candied nuts/seed and crispy prosciutto…two of my favorite ingredients!
Start by tossing the pecans and pumpkin seeds together with some maple syrup, cinnamon, and cayenne. I arrange them to one side of a baking sheet, then add prosciutto to the other.
Throw the pan into the oven and allow the nuts to roast and the prosciutto to get nice and crispy!
While the nuts/seeds are toasting, toss the salad together. Since we had a ton of fresh arugula left in the greenhouse, I used spicy arugula, which was perfect for this semi-sweet salad. If you don’t love arugula, use kale, but make sure to massage the kale with some olive oil and salt before tossing it up in the salad. You could also just use romaine lettuce.
To the greens, add lots of thin slices of Honeycrisp apples, pomegranate arils, and avocado.
Finally, the vinaigrette
This is key to the salad. A mix of oil, apple vinegar, creamy dijon, sweet apple butter, thyme, and sage. It’s so warming, sweet, and even a little spicy.
It pairs wonderfully with the flavors in the salad and is so quick to mix up too!
When the seeds are all roasted, toss the salad with the vinaigrette. Then add the seeds and the prosciutto, plus lots of feta cheese, goat cheese would be great too – serve it up, and enjoy!
Not only is this so pretty on a dinner table, but it’s totally delicious too. Sweet, tangy, and spicy with so many autumn flavors, plus an awesome CRUNCH too. I love that this salad is so versatile, you could add your favorite protein, like chicken to make it a main.
A great dish for every occasion from family dinners to Thanksgiving!
Looking for other fall salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Fall Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Salad
Shredded Brussels Sprout Bacon Salad with Warm Cider Vinaigrette
Pomegranate Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
Lastly, if you make this Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Check out the how-to video here:
Autumn Harvest Honeycrisp Apple and Feta Salad
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 360 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw pecans
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- flaky sea salt
- 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
- 6 cups arugula or shredded kale
- 2 honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, diced
- arils from 1 pomegranate
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Apple Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon apple butter (optional)
- 2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- kosher salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. On the prepared baking sheet, toss together the pecans, pumpkin seeds, maple, cayenne, and cinnamon. Arrange in a single layer. Lay the prosciutto flat around the nuts. Transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the nuts are toasted and the prosciutto is crisp. Watch both closely. Sprinkle the nuts with sea salt.3. Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, apples, avocado, and pomegranate arils.4. To make the vinaigrette. Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake. Taste and adjust as needed.5. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with toasted nuts, prosciutto, and feta. Eat and enjoy!
This post was originally published on September 22, 2021
This was so good! Used your pumpkin butter instead of the apple butter and it was great! Loved the sweet and spicy combination. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hi Shelby! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Can’t wait to make this for Thanksgiving! Any special instructions for making ahead? Thanks, and love your recipes!!!
I rarely ever come back and rate recipes! But damn was this tasty. My husband and I both LOVED it. I debated on the apple butter, I’m so glad I included it. That dressing is dynamite. And all the flavors mesh wonderfully together. I especially loved the flavor profile of the roasted nuts.
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I hope it was delicious! xTieghan
Great fall salad. I added dired cranberries, swapped feta for blue cheese, and did a mix of kale and arugala. make sure to use parchment paper, i think i ruined a baking sheet hah.
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I hope you loved it! And oh no I’m sorry about the baking sheet! It happens to the best of us, haha. Have a great week 🙂 xTieghan
SUPERB! One of the best salads I’ve ever eaten. Made it with the “I Put a Spell on You Martini”! Didn’t have apple butter this time but will try next time.
Excellent……………
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I hope you loved it! Have a great week 🙂 xTieghan
I made this salad for our friends and it was gone before anything else on the dinner table. Delicious and pretty!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week! xTieghan
This salad is so delicious! I have a question about the roasted nut mixture that goes onto the parchment paper. Mine seem to glob together and it’s difficult to spread them around in the salad- I end up with chunks of nuts stuck together bc of the syrup? Any tips?
So delicious! The highlight is those spicy, sweet nuts! I made this salad for dinner and made the pretzel snicker choc chip cookie bars for dessert. Love the complexity of tastes with all your recipes.
Hey Amy! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! 🙂 xTieghan
Omg!! I just ate this and it was so delicious!!
Hi there! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it! xTieghan
Is this filling enough to be dinner (served with rolls)? Or do you recommend serving on the side of something else?
Hi there! Yes, I’ve had this as dinner multiple times and I think it’s delish! Serve with a side of bread and you are good to go 🙂 xTieghan
My partner and I had this as a main and it was perfect.
Can’t wait to make this tonight! I don’t eat pork, can I sub turkey bacon in the oven or should I cook it on stove top?
I made this salad today and it was delicious! Full of bright colours and flavours. The vinaigrette was especially delicious (although I left out the apple butter since I had none).
Made this for Canadian thanksgiving! was told it was the best salad ever! all the elements come together perfectly and the dressing so good with fresh herbs! (didnt use apple butter) was excellent.
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try! So glad you enjoyed it. And Happy (Belated) Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan, this salad is just yum! My mom usually doesn’t like salads at all, but she loved this one. Thank you so much for all your hard work!
This salad is such a winner – so much great flavor and texture in every bite!!!
Loved this salad so much! Just discovered half baked harvest and I’m OBSESSED. Everything Tieghan makes is amazing, along with this salad that goes great with the soft cheesy herb bread and butternut squash rosemary bacon carbonara:)!
Hi there! Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Best salad I’ve ever made! Was looking for an accompaniment to go with a butternut squash risotto, and this, along with Irish soda bread and balsamic olive oil dip, turned it into the most beautiful autumn meal. For a salad, it was a little labour intensive but so worth it – a thing of beauty on the table and the most gorgeous combination of textures and flavours. There were NO LEFTOVERS! ?. Thank you Teighan, for sharing this. All the way from Scotland, UK
Hi Georgie! Thank you so much for trying out this recipe, I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it, (even though it turned out to be a little more labor intensive, my apologies). Have a lovely day! xTieghan