This fall salad is loaded with seasonal fruits and topped with candied pecans and blue cheese. The rich molasses balsamic vinaigrette has a mild spice from cayenne pepper.
I have the strangest pattern for salad cravings. For some reason throughout the end of the summer, despite all the light and refreshing produce, salads did not sound good at all. But all of a sudden fall hits and I’m ready for some leafy greens.
Maybe it’s the seasonal fruits like grapes or the heavier toppings like blue cheese that make fall salads surprisingly comforting. That must be why my cravings have finally come around, especially since the temperatures dropped a bit today and the leaves are starting to fall.
This salad combines some favorite flavors that you’ve likely seen before. The dressing was where I tried to get a little creative. A friend of mine messaged me on Facebook to tell me that she had one of the best salads ever in Hong Kong a little while ago. It had a molasses vinaigrette.
Until then, I had never really considered molasses for a dressing, but when mixed with balsamic, it adds a really nice, balanced sweetness. A sprinkle of cayenne adds a little heat for the sweet. The dressing is heavier side, though, so be sure not to dress the salad until you are ready to eat. Also, the candied pecans take about an hour to bake at low heat so be sure to plan ahead. They will keep fine for a couple days in an airtight container. This makes a lot of salad so it’s perfect for a special occasion.
- 2 cups raw pecan halves, roughly chopped
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp fine ground sea salt
- 2 cups finely chopped kale
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 lb. mixed greens (about 8 to 10 cups)
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups halved seedless grapes
- 1 cup pomegranate arils
- 1 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp molasses
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 1/2 tsp fine ground sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- To make the pecans, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F and spray or grease a baking sheet with coconut oil (or your favorite oil).
- In a small dish, whisk together the egg white and water. Add the pecans to a medium bowl. Pour in the egg white and water, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and salt. Stir well until all of the pecans are evenly coated.
- Dump the pecans onto the baking sheet and spread in a single layer. Bake for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, until the sugar coating dries and pecans are lightly browned. Let cool.
- For the salad, place the kale in a small bowl and add the olive oil. Using clean hands, massage the oil into the kale for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Transfer the kale to a large bowl and add the remaining salad ingredients. Toss to mix well.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar and molasses in a medium bowl until combined. Whisk in the garlic, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Top with the pecans and serve.
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The blue cheese and pecans sound so good with this dressing! Fall is a great time for salads like this.
Thanks, Lisa! I agree. Something a little heavier in the fall is great.