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We made this last night and it was SO good! A perfect way to get in the Fall spirit and feel healthy doing it. This will be in my regular rotation. Thanks for the recipe!!
Cara Pardo
Dear diary, I’m in love with a salad.
A non-green salad. That’s right – it has no greens and I’m finding that refreshing. But, like, the opposite of refreshing. Comforting? Like a big warm hug that radiates deliciously roasty glow-power straight into me. That kind of refreshing.
It’s got sweet potato, crispy apple, roasted cauliflower, fresh parsley, grains of choice (fully support flexibility here), autumn-y spices, and an appropriate zippy lemon dressing that brings everything together in a big and happy way.
You know those days that you just can’t… it’s not even… someone just please?… ugh.
That is the time for this salad.
Sometimes you’re just in a rut and you need to boost yourself out, and in that moment it all comes back to the Autumn Glow Salad.
You don’t have to love it – we could still be friends. But why wouldn’t you love this non-green, citrusy, grainy, satisfying and earthy-in-a-good way salad? This is the salad for salad and non-salad people alike. It’s the salad for the person who just likes good food.
And since it has that magical “glow salad” thing going on, this salad might say to you: hey, let’s get some proper nutrition after a week of poor (read: delicious but bad) eating. Let’s slow down, let’s set you back on your feet, let’s give you a little boost of glow power for an otherwise kinda gloomy day. Or week. Or whatever you’re working with.
Also – not saying you HAVE to, but it does have some awesome Thanksgiving vibes going on. Sweet potatoes, roasted cauli, apples, grains, warming spices, and lemony dressing? I can basically hear Silver Bells playing somewhere out there.
How To Make Our Autumn Glow Salad:
Autumn Glow Salad with Lemon Dressing
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 6 as a meal, 8-10 as a side 1x
Description
Autumn Glow Salad with Lemon Dressing – a MUST for healthy, glowy eating! Roasted cauliflower, sweet potato, grains, and apples. Vegetarian and vegan.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 cup freekeh or other grain (quinoa, bulgur, etc.)
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- a sprinkle of dried spices that you like, or a few sprigs of thyme, rosemary, etc.
- 1 large apple
For the Lemon Dressing
- 1 bunch parsley (about 1 cup), minced
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 2/3 cup olive oil
- juice of one lemon (more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon agave (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse the grains and place in a rice cooker with the appropriate amount of broth or water (refer to package directions – it depends on the grain). Set on the white rice setting and prep the other stuff while it cooks.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Chop the cauliflower into small florets. Peel and chop the sweet potatoes. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a few sprigs of thyme or other dried spices if you have some that you like. Roast for 20 minutes, stir, and roast for another 10-15 minutes. When they are golden brown and soft, remove from oven and set aside.
- While the veggies are roasting, combine all dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight lid and shake to combine. Chop the apple and set aside.
- When the grains and vegetables are done, toss everything together. This can be done when everything is hot or when it’s cooled, although the texture will be different (heavier) when hot. Store leftovers separately (salad and dressing) if possible.
Notes
If you want some crunch, add a few handfuls of chopped nuts like cashews or pecans.
Nutrition facts are for 6 servings.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roast
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: autumn salad, fall salad, thanksgiving salad
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our collection of best healthy sweet potato recipes. Check it out!
Used quinoa for grain otherwise made everything according to recipe. It was delicious!!😋
SO good! I added red cabbage & red onion and it was a win. Compliments from both my husband and son. Thanks for yet another healthy & scrumptious dinner!
One of our favorite recipes! We make this all the time, and usually add bacon, goat, cheese, and pepitas. Yum!
Love, love this dish! Tons of flavor, love the crunch of the apple, and the lemony dressing is very light and zingy. Definitely adding into our repertoire of go-to dinners!
I just came across this recipe and it is fantastic!! I too struggle with green salads at lunch. I just can’t do it. This was perfect and easy to make. I used farro as my grain and added a little goat cheese. The dressing pulls it all together. So happy to have this in my healthier arsenal now!
Could I serve this alongside a frittata?
Yes! Sounds delicious!
Do you eat this warm or cold?
Either works!
This recipe is very good as is but also has the ability to be flexible! Last night I had to make several substitutions, butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes, kale instead of parsley, farro instead of freekeh, and I added pine nuts and goat cheese. It was delicious that way and also as written!
Amazing! I make this all the time. Tastes great with quinoa and freekeh but looks beautiful with a darker grain like farro or bulgur.
I Love all the options you give with this recipe! I sometimes add pomegranate arils and roasted butternut squash for an extra pop of colour.
Thanks so much for sharing!
I made this salad last night and it was amazing!!! I served it with grilled chicken. This is one of my favorite recipes! Make this tonight!!
Made this for my in-laws last night, and everyone loved it so much! I used farro and I lowered the olive oil to 1/2 c, added 1/4 c apple cider vinegar. This is going on rotation and I will for sure be making for Thanksgiving. Thank you!
Wow! My family L O V E S this dish and it’s already on regular rotation. Thank-you!
I came across this recipe and picked up the few things I needed to make it ASAP. Its a sunny fall day in St. Paul and this hit the spot for lunch! I used maple in place of the agave and a couscous and pilaf blend for the grain. Delicious!
Hi Lindsey, I am making this for dinner. But I can’t figure out how there is almost 30 grams of fat in this? Olive oil?
Hi, i just need to know, is the autumn glow salad gud for me as i m on diet ?
Our family has been enjoying your recipes this year so much! So happy we found you & POY! With gratitude, the Ribout family in CLE.
So happy to hear this, Anita!
Didn’t have any apples on hand but made the recipe without them, and it was absolutely delicious all the same! Added some chopped cashews for extra protein. Thanks so much for this recipe! Will be making this again and again.
So happy to hear it, Melanie!
We made this last night and it was SO good! A perfect way to get in the Fall spirit and feel healthy doing it. This will be in my regular rotation. Thanks for the recipe!!
Glad you enjoyed it, Cara!
Just made this and it is delicious. I made it into 8 servings and it actually felt like enough for a meal. Yum!
Glad to hear it, Margie!
What kind of apple do you recommend? I picked up a Granny Smith because I thought that tart would be good, but just noticed that your photos have a red apple!
We just used a Honeycrisp apple. A tart apple like Granny Smith could work here though!
Delicious, filling so healthy. I added 1 can of small white beans for protein, and 2 large cloves of garlic. Sooo yummy! Definite keeper! Thank you!
Thanks for sharing! 😊
I’m obsessed with this, thanks for sharing! Put it on a bed of arugula and topped with feta!! Question on the leftover dressing- fridge or no?
Yep! We’d suggest storing it in the fridge.
Exceptional warm salad for cooler days. I substituted broccoli for cauliflower (just personal preference). This was perfect. I’m making it again tomorrow!
Sounds delicious, Kim!
I made this for the second time and loved it! This time, I added some of the herbs to the salad and then I used this dressing from Occasionally Eggs and it was a really good twist!!:
tahini vinaigrette
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar***
2 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon sea salt , to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
Delicious! I skipped the grain and it was still so good. I happily ate it all day. The lemon dressing is perfection.
Glad to hear you enjoyed this, Elena!