Harvest Salad with Maple Cinnamon Vinaigrette
We’re just past the half-way point of our Six Weeks of Salads journey, and if this has taught me anything, it’s that I tend to think arugula is the only acceptable salad-leaf. Baby arugula is, in my mind, the undisputed champion of the salad world. Why deal with lettuce, which is essentially just less flavorful arugula? So, I guess, I learned two things: lettuce belongs on sandwiches, and arugula is king. Things would get pretty boring, though, if I kept offering you arugula salads every single time. So, I’m changing things up. No arugula here, and thankfully, no lettuce either.
I never was a big salad person growing up. Unless the salad had no lettuce in it, in which case I was easily convinced. So, when I grew up and started having to reason with my own self to eat my vegetables, I tried all sorts of different new and exciting salads. I had a very simple garden salad made on baby arugula with some feta, tomatoes, onions, and a simple lemony dressing. I also had raw broccoli in a broccoli salad. Similarly, I had raw brussels sprouts in a salad, too.
I’ve had many different salads over the years, but the most fun, stand-out experiences for me was when I had these vegetables, that I’d only ever had cooked, in salad form. That’s why when I was brainstorming ideas for this harvest salad, I knew from the start the base was going to be brussels sprouts. To me, they’re the ultimate cold weather vegetable.
Now that I’ve discussed the base, let’s talk about everything else! The weather’s been getting colder here in Australia, so a quick look at the produce section of my grocery store was plenty of inspiration for this. Beautiful dark kale leaves, ripe and juicy pomegranates, and all sorts of different apple and pear varieties. When it came time to dream up the dressing, it had to be made on apple cider vinegar, of course. Then came the risky, but rewarding, decision to add in the sweet, warm flavors of cinnamon and maple syrup. The result is a really comforting salad packed full of flavor.
Harvest Salad with Cinnamon Maple Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- This recipe is vegan and gluten free.
- You can play around with the type of apples used in this salad, and you can even try pear!
Nutrition Facts
Calories
405.13Fat
23.54Sat. Fat
2.82Carbs
46.93Fiber
11.07Net carbs
35.87Sugar
28.5Protein
8.74Sodium
53.53Cholesterol
0Actual nutritional value may vary based on quantity of balsamic glaze and honey used.