fall harvest salad ~ spicy sweet vinaigrette{gf}

who says salads have to be boring?

i love a good salad chock full of seeds, fruits and nuts - Justin on the other hand is a classic salad guy. no fruits, no nuts, no seeds whatsoever, he prefers greens, cucumbers, olives, tomatoes, carrots & peppers drenched in vegan ranch dressing.

a few weekends ago i prepared this salad for dinner with friends - it was quick, easy, tasty and prepared with local seasonal ingredients.

did you know that there is a fall raspberry - is anyone as super excited as i am to learn this? when i popped into picnic farm lauchie had walked in with a freshly picked flat of ruby red raspberries!

you bet they went right into my basket - and then straight into my belly and in this salad, they were amazing.

i love my salads to have a lot of texture - a bit of crunch, a hint of sweetness and a few spicy notes are what i look for in a really good & satisfying salad.

this salad hit all those marks.

almonds & pepitas give you the crunch, raspberries & sauteed apples pop in for a bit of welcome sweetness and a spicy sweet vinaigrette brings all the flavors together with a little heat.

our friends loved this salad - Justin enjoyed is classic veggie salad- in the end my loved ones were full and happy. in addition to this colorful salad we enjoyed roasted carrot & sweet dumpling squash bisque {recipe coming!}, veggie lasagna & homemade garlic bread.

i may or may not serve this salad or a variation of it on thanksgiving day - i am still undecided. when planning your menu for the holidays do you typically offer multiple courses, do you serve family style or buffet style? normally i serve a soup course, then family style for the remaining dinner and dessert buffet style- this method seems to work well for us, but i am curious how others serve their special holidays meals.

when having guests over for dinner and i find myself short on time in addition to cooking for non vegans my go to recipe is a veggie lasagna - familiar, tasty and can be made in advance.   do you have a fail safe dish that you rely on for impromptu dinners with friends? what's your "safe" vegan dish that you make for first timers?

Fall Harvest Salad ~ Spicy Sweet Vinaigrette
serves 6 as a side

you will need:

sauteed apples:
2 apples- chopped
1 small jalapeno - diced
2 tsp butter
2 tsp pure maple syrup

salad:
6 cups mixed greens - rinsed and dried

1/4 cup pepitas

1 cup raspberries

1/2 cup whole raw almonds - roughly chopped if desired

 

spicy sweet creamy vinaigrette:

1/4 cup veganaise

scant 1/4 cup apple cider (not vinegar)

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

 few dashes of sriracha

assembly:

over medium heat, in a saute pan add cored & chopped apples, diced jalapenos & butter, saute until softened but still holds shape- drizzle with maple syrup and continue to cook for about another minute or so. remove from heat and set aside.

in a serving bowl add greens, pepitas, raspberries & almonds.

to make the creamy vinaigrette, in a lidded/covered jar add all ingredients and shake well.

to serve, top the assembled salad with cooled apples and drizzle with creamy vinaigrette just prior to serving or allow guests to dress their own salads.

salad, apples and vinaigrette can be made a day in advance - store salad, apples & dressing separately, combine just prior to serving.

enjoy!