If there is one salad that shows up at my table all November long, it's this one. By the time the farmers' markets shift from tomatoes to squash and the kids' fall sports schedules are in full swing, I want a dish that feels like the season on a plate: roasted butternut squash and beet, crisp apple, hearty kale, and a maple-kissed vinaigrette that ties it all together. It's the salad I bring to Friendsgiving, pack for lunch after a Saturday morning at the farmers market, and serve alongside roast chicken on a busy weeknight.
Nutritionally, this one earns its keep. Kale and roasted beet bring fiber, folate, and antioxidants that support detoxification and heart health, while the butternut squash offers beta-carotene for immune support right as the weather turns. Pepitas add plant-based protein, magnesium, and a satisfying crunch, and the apple brings natural sweetness along with more gut-friendly fiber. It's a salad that's genuinely filling, not the sad-desk-lunch kind, and it holds up beautifully for meal prep, which matters when everyone with kids is juggling school pickups, sporting events, and the early stretch of holiday hosting.
I like to make a big batch of the roasted vegetables on a Sunday and keep this salad going, un-dressed, in the fridge for easy lunches and sides all week.
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main
- 1 bunch kale, stemmed, washed, and chopped small
- ¾ cup butternut squash, chopped small and roasted
- 1 beet, roasted, peeled, and chopped small
- 1 apple, cored and chopped
- ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- Optional: ¼ cup shaved or chopped Parmesan cheese
- Optional: ¼ cup dried cranberries or dehydrated cherries
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for roasting (for the kale and vegetables)
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Apple Cider Maple Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables. Preheat oven to 400°F. On one lined sheet pan, toss the chopped butternut squash with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. On a separate sheet pan, place the beet whole and unpeeled — do not chop it yet, since raw beet is hard to cut cleanly and can bleed color into the other vegetables (wrap it loosely in foil if you like). Roast both for 25–30 minutes, until fork-tender. Let the beet cool slightly, then peel and chop it into small pieces.
- Massage the kale. While the vegetables roast, place the chopped kale in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a pinch of salt. Massage with your hands for 1–2 minutes until the leaves soften and darken slightly — this makes the kale much more tender and easier to eat raw.
- Make the vinaigrette. In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- Assemble the salad. To the massaged kale, add the roasted squash, roasted beet, chopped apple, and pepitas. If using, add the Parmesan and dried cranberries or cherries.
- Dress and serve. Drizzle with the apple cider maple vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Serve immediately, or refrigerate un-dressed for up to 4 days for easy meal prep.
Serving Tips & Substitutions
- Make it a full meal by adding grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, or a soft-boiled egg for extra protein.
- No pepitas on hand? Toasted walnuts or pecans work beautifully in their place.
- For a dairy-free version, simply skip the Parmesan - the salad is plenty flavorful without it.
- Roast the squash and beet in advance and store separately in the fridge for up to 4 days to make weeknight assembly quick.
- For a festive holiday-table version, add a handful of pomegranate seeds along with the cranberries.
Where to Source It Locally
This is a great one to build entirely from the Darien Farmers Market and New Canaan Farmers Market while they're still running their late-fall hours, look for local kale, apples, and beets. Palmer's Market in Darien is my go-to for good olive oil, maple syrup, and Dijon mustard for the vinaigrette, and Stew Leonard's in Norwalk is an easy one-stop for pepitas, parmesan, and dried cranberries. If you'd like to pick your own apples for the salad, Ambler Farm in Wilton and Warrup's Farm in Redding are two of my favorite family outings this time of year.
Bio
Isabel Smith, MS RD CDN, Founder of Isabel Smith Nutrition, and host of The Wellfuel Podcast, is a nationally recognized Integrative Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Health and Wellness Expert, as well as a Certified Level 2 Reiki Practitioner.
At Isabel Smith Nutrition, Isabel and her team of dietitians work with clients of all ages and in most areas of wellness, though ISN specializes heavily in gut health, toxicity, thyroid, hormone, cancer, autoimmune, and allergy. Isabel and her team help guide their clients towards true health and healing through helping clients identify and treat the root cause of their dis-ease.
Isabel's expert opinion is often featured in print and online and can be found in Elle, Mind Body Green, Readers Digest, Women's Health/Men's Health and others. Isabel is also an advisor, consultant and brand ambassador for various companies she loves, as well as an Angel Investor in the Consumer Packaged Goods space.
In her spare time, Isabel can be found in nature, creating new recipes, painting and/or hanging with her two Yorkshire Terriers Henry and Moose, and her husband Paul.