This Harvest Salad is basically fall in a bowl! 🍎🍂 It's loaded with juicy rotisserie chicken, crisp apples, creamy goat cheese, toasted pecans, cranberries, and roasted butternut squash, all tossed in an easy homemade apple cider vinaigrette.
It's fresh, colorful, filling enough for dinner, and comes together in about 20 minutes thanks to my favorite shortcut—rotisserie chicken!
If you love easy meals like this, check out my easy family dinner recipes for more family-friendly dinner inspiration.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Harvest Salad
- Harvest Salad Ingredients
- Homemade Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- How to Make Harvest Salad
- How to Roast Butternut Squash for Harvest Salad
- Best Apples for Harvest Salad
- Substitutions & Variations
- Tips for the Best Harvest Salad
- Can I Make this Harvest Salad Ahead of Time?
- What to Serve with Harvest Salad
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Did You Make This Harvest Salad?
- 📖 Recipe
Why You'll Love This Harvest Salad
- Quick and easy: Rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut and makes this salad so easy to throw together.
- Full of fall flavors: Apples, cranberries, pecans, butternut squash, and maple vinaigrette were made for each other!
- So much texture: Every bite has something crunchy, creamy, sweet, and savory.
- Perfect for lunch or dinner: The chicken makes this harvest salad filling enough to serve as a main meal.
- Easy to customize: Use whatever greens, apples, nuts, or cheese you already have.
- Beautiful enough for the holidays: The colors make this a gorgeous salad for Thanksgiving or a fall dinner with family and friends.
If you love salads that can double as dinner, my Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is another easy one to add to your dinner rotation.
What is a harvest salad?
A harvest salad is usually made with seasonal fall ingredients and fresh greens. Apples, pears, squash, sweet potatoes, cranberries, nuts, seeds, and cheese are all delicious additions. This version adds rotisserie chicken to turn it into an easy main-dish salad.
Harvest Salad Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this easy harvest salad with chicken.
- Rotisserie chicken: One of my favorite dinner shortcuts! Remove the skin and bones, then shred or chop the meat into bite-size pieces.
- Mixed greens: I like spring mix, but baby spinach works beautifully too. You can even use a combination of the two.
- Apple: Use a crisp apple that won't turn mushy in the salad. Honeycrisp is my favorite, but Pink Lady, Fuji, or Gala are delicious too.
- Goat cheese: Creamy and tangy goat cheese is SO good with the sweet apples and cranberries.
- Pecans: Toast them first if you have an extra few minutes. It brings out their flavor and gives the salad an amazing crunch.
- Dried cranberries: These add little bites of sweetness throughout the salad.
- Red onion: Slice it nice and thin so it doesn't overpower the other ingredients.
- Roasted butternut squash: Technically optional, but I highly recommend it! It adds beautiful color, sweetness, and that cozy fall flavor that makes this feel like a true harvest salad.
- Fresh parsley: For a little extra freshness and color.
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
Homemade Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Now let's talk about the dressing because you don't need a complicated dressing for a salad like this.
We're making a simple apple cider vinaigrette with:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar
- Pure maple syrup
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh garlic
- Salt
- Black pepper
It's sweet, tangy, and takes just a couple of minutes to make.
The maple syrup balances the apple cider vinegar, and the Dijon helps everything come together into a beautiful vinaigrette.
I like to make it in a small jar, put the lid on, and shake, shake, shake. One less whisk to wash!
If homemade dressings are your thing, you might also love my Homemade Ranch Dressing. It's another easy dressing I love keeping in the fridge.
How to Make Harvest Salad
1. Make the Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl or jar.
Whisk until combined, or close the jar tightly and shake until the dressing comes together.
2. Prepare the Chicken
Remove chicken breast from the rotisserie chicken.
Shred or slice about 3 cups of chicken into bite-size pieces.
This is why I love rotisserie chicken. No cooking chicken and no extra pan to wash!
3. Assemble the Harvest Salad
Add the mixed greens to a large serving bowl.
Top with the chicken, sliced apple, crumbled goat cheese, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, thinly sliced red onion, roasted butternut squash, and fresh parsley.
4. Add the Dressing
Drizzle about half of the apple cider vinaigrette over the salad.
Gently toss everything together until lightly coated. Taste and add more dressing as needed.
5. Serve
Finish with a little extra goat cheese and toasted pecans on top.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
How to Roast Butternut Squash for Harvest Salad
Cut peeled butternut squash into small bite-size cubes and toss with a little olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
Spread it onto a baking sheet in a single layer and roast at 425°F for about 20–25 minutes, or until fork-tender and lightly caramelized around the edges.
Let the squash cool before adding it to the greens.
Munchkin Tip: Roast the butternut squash ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. It makes assembling this salad SO much faster!
And if you have extra butternut squash to use up, make my Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup. A warm bowl of soup with a fresh salad is one of my favorite cozy fall combinations.
Best Apples for Harvest Salad
I recommend using a crisp apple that can hold its shape after slicing.
Honeycrisp is my favorite because it's sweet, slightly tart, and super crunchy.
You can also use:
- Pink Lady
- Fuji
- Gala
- Granny Smith
Granny Smith is especially good if you like a more tart apple because it balances the sweet cranberries and maple vinaigrette beautifully.
Substitutions & Variations
One of my favorite things about this fall harvest salad is how easy it is to change depending on what you have in the refrigerator.
- No goat cheese? Try feta cheese or blue cheese.
- No pecans? Walnuts, almonds, or pumpkin seeds would be delicious.
- No butternut squash? Try roasted sweet potatoes. I use roasted sweet potatoes in my Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl, and they're such a good addition to fall meals.
- No dried cranberries? Dried cherries or chopped dates are another yummy option.
- No rotisserie chicken? Use leftover baked, air fryer chicken thighs, or roasted chicken.
- Want more greens? Baby spinach, arugula, kale, or spring mix all work.
You can even leave out the chicken and serve this as a fall side salad.
Tips for the Best Harvest Salad
- Toast the pecans. This little step makes such a difference. Toasting brings out their nutty flavor and makes them extra crunchy.
- Don't dress the salad too early. Wait until you're ready to eat so your greens stay fresh and crisp.
- Start with half of the dressing. Toss, taste, and add more if needed. You can always add more!
- Slice the apple right before serving. This helps keep it fresh, crisp, and beautiful.
- Cut everything into bite-size pieces. You want to get a little chicken, apple, goat cheese, and crunch in every bite.
Can I Make this Harvest Salad Ahead of Time?
Yes! This is actually a great salad for meal prep—you just don't want to toss everything together ahead of time.
You can shred the chicken, roast the butternut squash, toast the pecans, and prepare the apple cider vinaigrette in advance.
Store everything separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.
When you're ready to eat, slice your apple, assemble the salad, and add the dressing.
Easy peasy!
What to Serve with Harvest Salad
Turn this Harvest Salad into a cozy fall meal with one of these easy Munchkin Time favorites:
- Creamy Roasted Butternut Squash Soup – A warm and creamy fall soup that pairs perfectly with the apples, goat cheese, and roasted squash in this salad.
- Easy Creamy Potato Soup – Cozy, comforting, and perfect for an easy soup-and-salad dinner.
- Homemade Sourdough Bread – A warm slice of crusty sourdough is SO good alongside this salad, especially for soaking up that apple cider vinaigrette.
- Easy Chicken Noodle Soup – A simple, comforting option when you want to turn your salad into a bigger family dinner.
- Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl – Another delicious fall-inspired recipe loaded with hearty, wholesome ingredients.
Munchkin Tip: Serving this Harvest Salad for Thanksgiving? Leave out the chicken and serve it as an easy fall side salad alongside your holiday dinner.
Frequently Asked Questions
Crisp apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, Gala, and Granny Smith work best. Honeycrisp is my favorite because you get the perfect balance of sweetness and crunch.
Absolutely! Leave out the chicken and serve it as a fall side salad. It's especially delicious for Thanksgiving or other holiday dinners.
Yes. Prepare the individual ingredients ahead of time and keep them separate. Assemble and dress the salad just before serving so the greens stay crisp.
Feta is an easy substitute. Blue cheese is also delicious if you like a stronger flavor.
Slice the apple shortly before serving. If you need to cut it ahead of time, toss the slices with a small amount of fresh lemon juice.
More Easy Salad Recipes
If you love this Harvest Salad, here are a few more Munchkin Time salads to try next:
- Steak Salad – Another protein-packed salad that's filling enough to make for dinner.
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad – Juicy chicken, crispy bacon, vegetables, cheese, and creamy homemade ranch make this one perfect for an easy family meal.
- Black Bean Salad – A fresh, colorful salad that's great as a side or for meal prep.
- Watermelon Fruit Salad – Fresh fruit with a simple lime dressing for something light and refreshing.
- Taco Pasta Salad – A hearty salad loaded with seasoned beef, vegetables, cheese, beans, and a creamy salsa dressing.
Did You Make This Harvest Salad?
If you make this Harvest Salad, I would LOVE to hear what you think!
Leave a comment and rating below—it really helps other readers too.
And don't forget to tag me @munchkintimeblog on Instagram so I can see your delicious creation! I absolutely love seeing what you make. ❤️
📖 Recipe
Harvest Salad with Chicken, Apples & Goat Cheese
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Harvest Salad
- 3 cups rotisserie chicken shredded or chopped
- 5 cups mixed greens spring mix, or baby spinach/kale
- 1 large crisp apple thinly sliced
- ½ cup goat cheese crumbled
- ½ cup pecans toasted and roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup red onion thinly sliced
- ½ cup butternut squash roasted, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic finely minced
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Make the dressing. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and black pepper to a small bowl or jar. Whisk until combined, or cover the jar and shake until the dressing is well mixed.
- Prep the chicken. Remove chicken breasts from rotisserie chicken, then shred or slice the meat into bite-size pieces.
- Assemble the salad. Add the mixed greens to a large serving bowl or platter. Top with the chicken, sliced apple, goat cheese, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, roasted butternut squash, and fresh parsley.
- Add the dressing. Drizzle about half of the apple cider vinaigrette over the salad. Add more as needed.
- Toss and serve. Gently toss everything together until lightly coated in the dressing. Garnish with a little extra goat cheese and pecans, if desired, and serve right away. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut for this recipe, but leftover baked or grilled chicken works great too.
- Apples: Honeycrisp is my favorite because it's sweet and crunchy. Pink Lady, Fuji, Gala, or Granny Smith are also delicious.
- Pecans: For extra flavor, toast the pecans in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Butternut squash: If you're roasting it from scratch, cut it into bite-size cubes, toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 425°F for about 20–25 minutes, or until tender and lightly caramelized. Let it cool before adding it to the salad.
- Make ahead: Prepare the dressing, chicken, pecans, and butternut squash ahead of time and store them separately. Slice the apple and assemble the salad right before serving.
- Dressing tip: Start with half of the vinaigrette, toss, then add more if needed.
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