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Wholesome Fall Chopped Salad with Easy Maple Vinaigrette

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A crisp, colorful fall salad born from a happy accident—combining sweet apples, earthy butternut squash, tangy feta, crunchy pecans, and a perfectly balanced maple vinaigrette. Ready in under 20 minutes with no cooking required, it’s a quick, crowd-pleasing side or light meal.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 cups (180g) mixed greens (baby kale, spinach, arugula, or spring mix)
  • 1 cup (150g) butternut squash, diced small (½-inch cubes)
  • 1 large Honeycrisp apple, diced (Fuji or Gala work too)
  • ½ cup (60g) dried cranberries (unsweetened or reduced-sugar preferred)
  • ½ cup (60g) pecans, toasted and roughly chopped
  • ½ cup (75g) feta cheese, crumbled (goat cheese or blue cheese also work)
  • ¼ cup red onion, thinly sliced (soak in cold water 10 minutes to mellow)
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) pure maple syrup (Grade A dark amber preferred)
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Instructions

  1. Toast the pecans: Place a dry skillet over medium heat. Add pecan halves and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and slightly darkened. Transfer to a plate to cool, then roughly chop.
  2. Make the maple vinaigrette: In a small jar or bowl, combine maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder (if using), salt, and pepper. Add olive oil. Screw lid on tight and shake vigorously for 30 seconds until emulsified. Alternatively, whisk continuously while drizzling in oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
  3. Prep the vegetables: Wash and dry greens thoroughly. If using whole butternut squash, peel, halve lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and dice into ½-inch cubes. Core and dice apple into similar-sized pieces (peeling optional). Thinly slice red onion; soak in cold water for 10 minutes if desired.
  4. Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, add mixed greens. Top with diced butternut squash, diced apple, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, crumbled feta, and sliced red onion.
  5. Dress and toss: Shake vinaigrette again, then drizzle about half over the salad. Use hands or tongs to gently toss until evenly coated. Add more dressing as needed—greens should be lightly glistening, not drowning.
  6. Serve immediately: Divide among plates or bowls. For make-ahead, keep dressing separate and add just before serving.

Notes

Chop all ingredients uniformly (½-inch pieces) for best texture. Dry greens completely to help dressing cling. Toast nuts for deeper flavor. Start with half the dressing and add more as needed. Let dressed salad rest 10 minutes for flavors to meld. Store undressed salad and dressing separately for leftovers.

Nutrition

Keywords: fall salad, chopped salad, maple vinaigrette, butternut squash salad, apple salad, healthy salad, gluten-free, vegetarian, meal prep salad

Find it online: https://daintydine.com/wholesome-fall-chopped-salad-with-easy-maple-vinaigrette/