Food Recipes Salads 21 Fall Salads to Memorize This Season Our favorite sweater-weather salads are simple enough to keep in your back pocket and break out at a moment’s notice. By Alison Spiegel Alison Spiegel Alison Spiegel has been a writer and editor in the food media world for 10 years. In her work, she enjoys building communities and covering everything from cooking tips to dining trends. Also, ice cream.Experience: Alison Spiegel holds a Professional Culinary Arts degree from the International Culinary Center (ICC) and has worked at numerous publications, including the Huffington Post, Tasting Table, Food & Wine, and most recently, Milk Street, where she launched a global network of chefs and culinary leaders, hosted a monthly cookbook club, and oversaw content on a website and Instagram account that were named finalists for the 2021 IACP awards.Alison currently runs digital content at Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, and writes about cooking on the side. She began writing for Simply Recipes in the summer of 2021. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 24, 2023 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Whether you’re entertaining at home or looking for something fresh and colorful to get you through the work week, keeping a few, simple salads on rotation is a great way to make things easy on yourself this fall. Though summer tomatoes and delicate greens are harder to come by, new opportunities present themselves as chicories, cabbage, broccoli, root vegetables, apples, pears, and citrus fruits hit their prime. Some of these delectable fall-friendly salads, like this Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda, rely on sturdier, frost-hardy greens. Others, like our recipes for Roasted Squash Salad with Sumac and Italian Dressing and Charred Broccolini Caesar with Kale and Chickpeas, leverage a cooking step to tenderize heartier vegetables. Of course, many root vegetables can be rendered into a refreshingly crisp salad ingredient with a little help from a vegetable peeler, mandoline, or sharp chef's knife, as in this recipe for Shaved Beet and Carrot Salad With Citrus-Scallion Dressing. Here are 21 of our favorite sweater-weather salads, all simple enough to keep in your back pocket and break out at a moment’s notice. 01 of 21 Salad of Pink Radicchio, Citrus, and Mushroom Bagna Cauda Gentl & Hyers In this recipe from Cooking with Mushrooms by Andrea Gentl, melted anchovies and porcini mushroom powder lend a savory depth to nutty brown butter bagna cauda, yielding a powerhouse sauce that's perfect for drizzling on a combination pink and Castelfranco radicchio. These vibrantly colored varieties are as mild and tender as they are beautiful on the plate. Sherry vinegar, honey, orange juice, and Cara Cara orange segments add an agrodolce balance and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano builds on the savory flavors of the bagna-cauda. Get the Recipe 02 of 21 Beet and Pear Salad Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Dickey / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell "For me, this salad embodies the Japanese saying 'shokuyoku no aki,' meaning 'the appetite of the fall season,' when we look to make dishes a bit heartier and more warming," says chef Shota Nakajima of Taku in Seattle. "This salad combines the earthy sweetness of beets with the crisp acidity of Asian pear, and the complementary textures of the ingredients will keep you coming back for seconds. Simply dressed with an umami-forward miso-honey dressing and finished with toasted hazelnuts and Parmesan cheese, this dish can incorporate any root vegetables or tree fruits." Get the Recipe 03 of 21 Shaved Beet and Carrot Salad with Citrus-Scallion Dressing Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Thom Driver When salad greens become scarce in late fall, try making this gorgeous, colorful salad of thinly shaved beets, carrot ribbons, and rounds of juicy clementine, served atop arugula and dressed with a citrus-scallion vinaigrette. The dressing is so delicious, recipe creator Leah Koenig says, "I sneak it straight from a spoon." Topped with nutty almonds, this salad is special enough to serve as part of a large feast and just as delicious as a quick, light lunch. Get the Recipe 04 of 21 Charred Cabbage Salad with Pecan Dukkah and Chile-Lime Butter Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Nick Cobarruvias draws on his Mexican heritage for his menu at San Francisco's Otra, layering complex flavor combinations into dishes like this crisp-tender cabbage salad. At the restaurant, he seasons charred cabbage with a chile-lime butter, which is mildly spicy from árbol chiles and bright from lime zest. The pecan dukkah adds earthiness from cumin and pops of citrus from coriander, plus a lovely nutty flavor and texture from toasted pecans and sesame seeds. Get the Recipe 05 of 21 Roasted Squash Salad with Sumac and Italian Dressing Greg DuPree Petals of red onion, nutty acorn squash, and pickled peperoncini tossed in a creamy Italian dressing make a hearty but not heavy side. Inspired by chef Scott Tacinelli’s crispy sweet potatoes at Don Angie in New York, we’re adding sumac to the dressing, giving it an herbal, lemony kick. Get the Recipe 06 of 21 Charred Broccolini Caesar with Kale and Chickpeas Photo by Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Rishon Hanners / Prop Styling by Audrey Davis Smoky, charred Broccolini and chickpeas give this take on Caesar salad the heft it needs to be a main course. Texture is the secret to a salad's wow factor. Here, Little Gem lettuces, hearty kale, and crisp-tender Broccolini bring three levels of crunch and provide plenty of leafy nooks and crannies to catch the thick, anchovy-laced dressing. Get the Recipe 07 of 21 Greek Kale Salad with Fried Halloumi Jennifer Causey / Food Styling by Margret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Nidia Cueva Crisp and tender pan-fried Halloumi cheese is the star of this cold-weather version of Greek salad. Finely chopped kale holds up a creamy, spicy yogurt-based dressing that gets a kick of piquancy from minced garlic and crushed red pepper. Classic Mediterranean ingredients — cucumbers, olives, and artichokes — and crisp radishes add savory flavor and crunch. Get the Recipe 08 of 21 Puntarelle-Citrus Salad with Roasted Beets Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely Puntarelle stays bright and crisp in this salad, while beets bring a tender, earthy sweetness. Puntarelle is a specialty item — check your local farmers market or substitute another bitter chicory. Get the Recipe 09 of 21 Marinated Chickpea Salad with Radishes, Cucumber, and Queso de Freir Farrah Skeiky This quick chickpea salad from pastry chef Paola Velez, a riff on this recipe from former Food & Wine test kitchen supervisor Marcia Kiesel, is packed with vegetables and tossed with a simple, flavorful lemon-garlic and cumin dressing. Crispy, melty strips of fried queso de freir — a favorite cheese from Velez's childhood — take the dish over the top. The salad comes together in 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy nights. Get the Recipe 10 of 21 Beets with Chicories, Yogurt, and Sherry Mustard Vinaigrette Photo by Jennifer Causey / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn The novel presentation of this salad is matched by the inventive combination of flavors: a bed of roasted beats is topped with "nests" of mild chicory leaves dressed with vinaigrette, which are filled with a healthy dollop of yogurt and dusted with lemon zest. Roasting the beets with the skins on means you get both the bright, colorful flesh and the crinkled papery skin. Don't skip eating the beet tails, which emerge from the roasting pan crispy and salty. Get the Recipe 11 of 21 Roasted Hot Honey Sweet Potato Salad Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Hannah Greenwood This sweet potato salad makes a colorful, satisfying side dish. Seasoning the potatoes with smoked paprika creates a sweet and savory balance while the hot honey dressing adds a touch of tangy heat. Homemade pickled red onions, crunchy toasted pecans, and fresh parsley round the dish out. Get the Recipe 12 of 21 Little Gem Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette © Sara Remington Nancy Silverton knows salads. And this one, adapted from her Mozza Cookbook, is as approachable as it is impressive. The walnut oil and walnut halves make it a rich, toasty dish great for kicking off any meal or for enjoying on its own. Get the Recipe 13 of 21 Celery, Fennel, Apple Salad with Pecorino and Walnuts This one, from designer and blogger Athena Calderone, is all about a satisfying crunch, from the celery, raw fennel, and apple. Honeycrisps are her favorite apples, for their sweet-tart flavor and crisp, juicy texture, but you can use the variety you like best. Get the Recipe 14 of 21 Radicchio Salad with Manchego Vinaigrette This salad is the perfect introduction to radicchio for those who are new to using the vibrantly colored chicory. It's also ideal for anyone who has been turned off by overly bitter radicchio: the 15-minute soak in ice water tames its bitterness while reviving the leaves for optimal crunch. Sherry and balsamic vinegars add a sweet and slightly funky element to the dressing. The vinegars are infused with onion, which subtly flavors the vinaigrette and avoids the harshness that can often come from raw onion. Honey and mild, salty Manchego perfectly balance the bitterness and acidity. Get the Recipe 15 of 21 Sweet Potato and Mushroom Salad Umami from a savory miso with mustard dressing, combined with earthy mushrooms and roasted sweet potatoes, makes this a salad you’ll want to cozy up to all season. Get the Recipe 16 of 21 Fennel and Red-Onion Salad with Parmesan Ashley Rodriguez A citrus dressing, Parmesan, and onion are the perfect complement to raw fennel in this salad. Use a food processor with a slicing blade to prep the fennel and the salad comes together in no time. Get the Recipe 17 of 21 Little Gems with Warm Garlic Dressing Abby Hocking Here, a warm, garlicky dressing spiked with smoky paprika turns tender Little Gem lettuce into something refreshing and warming at the same time — just want you want for fall. Get the Recipe 18 of 21 Roasted Beets with Pistachios, Herbs, and Orange © Fredrika Stjärne Beets are a no-brainer for healthy meals since they taste great even when they’re simply roasted with a little oil. Naomi Pomeroy goes beyond that, topping red and golden beet slices with a lively mixed-herb dressing, pistachios, and celery leaves. Get the Recipe 19 of 21 Asian Pear and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Rinne Allen This simple salad has a perfect mix of bitter (arugula), sweet (Asian pear), tangy (lemon dressing), and crunchy (pumpkin seeds). Try it with green apples or Bosc pears if Asian pears are hard to find. This is such a classic, which is exactly why it belongs in your rotation. There’s a reason this comforting combo remains so popular. Get the Recipe 20 of 21 Kale Salad with Root Vegetables and Apple © Paul Costello In this super healthy salad, adapted from Marcus Samuelsson’s book Marcus Off Duty, the chef recommends you massage kale with apple cider vinegar, salt, and olive oil, which makes the leaves tender and sweet. Once you try it here, you’ll do it every other time you make a kale salad. Get the Recipe 21 of 21 Quinoa Salad with Sweet Potatoes and Apples © Christina Holmes Take this salad for lunch or serve it at Thanksgiving. It’s bound to become a go-to, thanks to the simple, nourishing, and filling ingredients. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit