Fall Apple Salad is perfect for taking to school or work. Apples and chickpeas combined with pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Even the dressing has some great fall flavours. You will also want to try this tasty harvest salad.
If you love warm fall spices, these Apple Cranberry Scones are a must-try.
This healthy fall salad recipe is sweet, tart, crunchy, protein-packed, vegan-friendly, and gluten-free too. Great for weekday lunches. Awesome for brunch.
Are you excited for apple season? I sure am. Crisp, juicy, fresh-picked right from the orchard. A sure sign of fall. Just what I need for apple oatmeal muffins, perfect for breakfast.
Or how about toffee apple muffins? A healthy alternative to those fun candy apples.
I am a mild weather girl, but I just happen to love the flavours of fall. The warm spices, cozy soups and stews, everything pumpkin, and of course apple season.
All the holiday meals and comfort foods. Harvest Turkey Wrap is another great fall recipe. The perfect way to use leftover turkey.
Ontario has loads of great orchards to visit. I am so lucky I am surrounded by them. In only a few minutes I can drive to 4 different orchards.
Thank goodness I have lots of apple recipes to make. They are great in smoothies, soups, and tarts, or cooked on the grill too.
We often have salads for dinner. There are so many healthy recipes to make, and this easy chickpea apple salad is one of our favourites.
Autumn Salad Ingredients:
- Fresh Apples – this apple salad will be great with any variety you choose.
- Dried Cranberries – the perfect fall ingredient. Adds that sweet tart flavour.
- Pumpkin Seeds – a great way to add nutrition and crunch.
- Chickpeas – you can use canned or cooked from scratch.
- Lemon Juice – every salad needs a squeeze of lemon.
- Olive Oil – a healthy base to any salad dressing.
- Pomegranate Balsamic – what a wonderful addition to the fall flavour profile.
- Pomegranate Molasses – a perfect way to add some sweetness to the mix.
- Apple Balsamic – if you have never tried flavoured balsamic, you are in for a treat.
- Cinnamon– the finishing touch to this delicious vinaigrette.
Easy Fall Salad Recipe
- Chop up some apples (skin on) and toss them into a mixing bowl.
- Add some pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries, the perfect flavours of fall.
- Add some chickpeas (great protein).
- Toss everything into a bowl with a squeeze of lemon.
- For the fall salad dressing, I used a combination of apple and pomegranate balsamic along with some pomegranate molasses.
- Mix these with a bit of regular extra virgin olive oil and you have a tasty sweet/tart vinaigrette to tie in all the seasonal flavours.
Serving Suggestions
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. It will keep for several days. There are so many ways to enjoy it.
- A great way to start your day. Yes, I do eat this for breakfast.
- The perfect addition to the weekend brunch menu.
- Add it to yogurt with a touch of maple syrup for a bit of added sweetness.
- Pack it into containers, and lunch is ready for the week.
- Have it as a snack when you get home from the gym or school.
- Use it as a topping over ice cream for dessert.
- Stuff it into a wrap for a delicious sandwich idea.
- The perfect Thanksgiving salad recipe.
Chickpeas Are So Versatile
1 ounce of chickpeas contains 8 grams of carbs, 2 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein. A great plant-based protein choice.
Rinse with cold water to reduce the sodium content. This will also make them easier to digest.
There are numerous ways to enjoy garbanzo beans, especially if you try to incorporate meatless meals into your diet.
- Homemade hummus is always a hit. This great dip makes an awesome sandwich spread too.
- Chana Masala is an easy dinner idea made in under 30 minutes.
- Chickpea Curry is a great meatless meal any night of the week.
- This salad with chickpeas, fennel, and apples is tossed in a curry dressing.
- Stuffed acorn squash is perfect for Thanksgiving.
- Need a healthy snack? My friend Byron’s nacho roasted chickpeas are deliciously addictive.
Autumn Apple Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 cups diced apples (I used Honeycrisp)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 cups chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
- 1 tablespoons lemon juice
For the Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoons apple balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoons pomegranate balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoons pomegranate molasses
- ¼ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Wash the apples, core and dice. I left the skin on, but feel free to peel if you wish. Toss apples into a large bowl.
- Mix the lemon juice in the apples.
- To the bowl add the cranberries, pumpkin seeds and chickpeas.
- In a small bowl combine the salad dressing ingredients (oil, vinegars and cinnamon) and whisk until blended.
- Pour over the apple mixture. Mix well.
Natalie
I love the flavors you combined here in this salad. Looks so inviting and delicious. I will definitely give this a try. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Gloria.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
The flavours in this chickpea salad are perfect for FALL. Such a delicious way to enjoy apple season.
Marysa
What a fun combination of flavors! This would be a good one to try when we go apple picking and we have so many apples.
Gloria Duggan | Homemade & Yummy
This really is a delicious salad perfect for fall. Hope you give it a try.
Shelley
Yes, yes – I’m definitely a salad lover, too! And this sounds really wonderful – so many great flavors and textures, all dressed up with the pomegranate, balsamic and cinnamon – I am absolutely pinning this to remember as fall begins and I want apple EVERYTHING! And oh my goodness – I clicked over to check out the Healthy Chickpea Salad with Curry Vinaigrette you mentioned, and I am just falling in love with the sound of that one, too! You are definitely rockin’ the salads, girl! YUM!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
We LOVE having salads for dinner. So many great ideas for sure.
Analida Braeger
This looks a great snack for a hike or just any time of the day meal. The chick peas and apples sound interesting and tasty!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Chickpeas and apples make a great combination.
Jim
My wife made this salad the other day and it was a hit with the family. I was a bit skeptical about apples and chickpeas. I just couldn’t imagine the combination. I was certainly short-sighted! The flavor combination was very tasty and there were no left-overs. I know she’ll be making it again.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I am looking forward to getting some fresh apples off the trees and making this again too. I love it for breakfast.
Jenni LeBaron
I love that you call this Apple Salad an “all day” salad because I would literally want to eat it all day. I’m loving the fall flavors in this and it seems like a super versatile dish. I think it would pair with chicken tremendously.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
YES add so chicken for sure. I love eating this for breakfast.
Aline
I love all the ingredients in this! This salad is definitely a great way to welcome and celebrate the fall season! So delicious!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
YES, I need to make more of this salad. I love eating it for breakfast.
Julie
I love salads like this for dinner, or especially for a quick and easy lunch to take to work. Now all I need is for it to actually feel like fall! Too bad we probably have another month of 90 degree weather waiting for us before fresh apples start to show up at the farmers market.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I wish we had another month of HOT weather. The only thing I like about cooler weather is the fall flavours and comfort food. I am a warm weather girl to the bone.
Paula Montenegro
It looks so flavorful! I’m not a fan of salads when the main part is greens. But recipes like this one, I’m all in! I’m very intrigued by the addition of so many pumpkin seeds. Love it!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
This really is a delicious salad. Full of texture and flavour. Great for any time of day too. ENJOY!
Anna
What a great combination of flavours and ingredients in this tasty salad! Picking your own apples is always so much fun, and it is one of my favourite activities in early fall. Your recipe is definitely going on my list to try very soon, it will be perfect alternative to a boring sandwich for lunch!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
The only thing about the orchards are the WASPS!! They are SOOOO annoying and get in the way of the fun. ENJOY!
Anne Lawton
I love all kinds of salads and this one is sure to be my next favorite! It’s apple season and we love picking apples, now I have a new salad to make!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
ENJOY….I am not looking forward to the cooler weather, but apple season is delicious.
Elena
This salad looks perfect for a quick fall lunch or breakfast! I’ve never thought of combining fall flavors in a salad like that – what a great idea!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
I could eat this salad all day long….and do. ENJOY!
Kelly Anthony
I’ve been eating salad for breakfast lately. Nothing else sounds good right now but a salad. I can’t wait to add this to my menu.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
You will love eating this salad for breakfast…..I sure do.
Chef Dennis
Yum! This Salad Recipe looks really appetizing. It made me want to buy ingredients and make this wonderful salad right now!
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy
Hope you enjoy this as much as we do. The perfect combination of fall flavours.
Ashley - Forking Up
I am going apple picking tomorrow, and I have a can of chickpeas in my pantry. This is definitely going to be a healthy lunch I try next week!
Homemade & Yummy
Easy, delicious and totally nutritious.
Kate
What a beautiful salad! I can’t wait to try it!
Homemade & Yummy
Enjoy..we sure do.