Roasted squash, crunchy apples and dried cherries add seasonal freshness to this autumnal cobb salad, dressed in a spiced apple cider vinaigrette and topped with candied walnuts.
It’s that time of year where I’m either straddling the urge to pull out my chunky sweaters and hunker down with ooey gooey comfort food, or dig in my heels and cling to the straggling bounty of summer and all the freshness it holds.
Yesterday I was debating what to share here on the bloggity blog so I took to Facebook and Instagram and asked what you wanted to see.
“🔜 I’m working on tomorrow’s recipe post. Would you rather see a weeknight chicken pasta 🍗🍝 or a decadent fall-inspired salad 🌽🍅? Getting fresh pickings and loving fall’s bounty at the farmer’s market.”
Your comments, clicks and likes overwhelmingly say you’re in the same camp I am. Long live the salad! So at your request, I present a fall-inspired leafy beauty that will con any non-salad eater into giving the greens a go with the tease of chicken, bacon and eggs and more.
This started out as a simple salad. And then as things tend to go in my world, it quickly escalated to a full blow affair.
Butternut squash? Sure! But let’s add acorn squash too just to be sure.
Crisp apples sliced so thin you can eat 4 or 9 at a time? You bet. But lets add even more bite with crunchy nips of celery ribs. I’ve been consumed with celery lately. I never expected that!
Romaine lettuce as our bed? Sounds good, but let’s pile onto the plushness with arugula and radicchio, too.
Bacon? Eggs? Avocado, chicken and cheese? Of course they’re all there because they’re Cobb classic.
But just for fun let’s toss in some sweetness with dried cherries and candied walnuts. I mean, who doesn’t like a little dessert with their salad?
About the Recipe
Don’t be afeared of the length of this grocery list. This salad is a true mix and match, making best of what’s in the fridge to pull from the depths of the crisper and moving along accordingly.
Got corn? Zucchini? Pears or peaches? Any of these flavor makers would pair swimmingly with what we have going on here.
I made up for the sheer number of flavors by drizzling this salad with a simple 3-ingredient dressing that just happens to echo my favorite flavor of fall. Spiced apple cider!
There’s a bit of roasting to do and of course there’s chopping. But really this salad comes together fast.
The most sensitive part of this recipe is when preparing the candied walnuts, and so long as you don’t leave the room to go change the laundry and then get side tracked when you quickly look up to see if Mercury is in retrograde because all of your electronics are going full-on spastic and stroking out, you should be in good shape.
Not that I’d know anything about that. (Sadly, my iMac’s hard drive and I do. Always back up your files people!)
This salad is a meal preppers dream.
Nearly all of the ingredients for this salad can be prepared at once and assembled as your week progresses. Roast your squash and chop your cheese and celery. Hard boiled eggs can be cooked, cooled and peeled. Cook and dice your chicken, fry the bacon and candy that nut. Then simply bag individual portions and toss together with your already chopped and portioned salad greens when ready to eat. The only last minute additions will be slicing your apple and avo.
I originally made this for lunch, and then we had it for dinner too. It’s the salad that just keeps on giving. And man, how I like that.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment below or take a photo and tag me on Instagram or Twitter with #foodiecrusheats.
Autumn Cobb Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 acorn squash seeded and peeled then cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 1/2 small butternut squash seeded and peeled then cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup spiced apple cider
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 6 cups mixed salad greens such as romaine, radicchio and arugula
- 4 sliced cooked bacon chopped
- 3 hard boiled eggs sliced
- 1 baked chicken breast chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 avocado peeled and pitted then thinly sliced
- 1 apple such as Gala or honey crisp cored and thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup white cheddar cheese chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
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Place the acorn squash on one side of a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and the butternut squash on the other side of the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil or vegetable oil and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until the squash is tender. Let cool completely.
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Meanwhile, stir together 1 1/2 tablespoons water and the brown sugar in a non-stick pan and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture slightly thickens then add the walnuts and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the sauce reduces and the nuts become fragrant. Transfer to a piece of parchment paper and sprinkle with kosher salt. Separate the nuts with a fork and cool.
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In a small jar, combine the vegetable oil, spiced apple cider, Dijon mustard and season with kosher salt and pepper. Shake the jar until well combined and emulsified. Taste for seasoning and add more apple cider to taste.
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In a large bowl, add the salad greens. Top with rows of bacon, hard boiled egg, chicken, celery, avocado, apple, cheddar cheese, dried cherries and candied walnuts. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve.
Thanks for stopping by, and you know what they say, “Get in the kitchen and cook something good!”
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Tori says
September 28, 2015 at 4:50 amYes! This is the perfect way to enjoy all the flavors of fall without giving in to all of the sugary sweets this time of year. My kind of salad!
Joan T says
September 29, 2015 at 12:02 amThe recipe sounds fantastic . . . unfortunately, the web site
is NOT User Friendly and the recipe wlll not copy.
Shalee says
September 29, 2015 at 1:59 pmTo the right of the recipe there is a print button. Mine printed fine.
Bella B says
September 28, 2015 at 8:28 amThis looks delicious! Bacon is so good in salads.
xoxoBella | http://xoxobella.com
Lisa @ Healthy Nibbles & Bits says
September 28, 2015 at 10:40 amThis cobb salad looks amazing, Heidi! It’s about that time of the year when I top every salad with sliced apples! And how can I say “no” to a salad that’s filled with chunks of cheese, candied walnuts, and bacon!
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
September 28, 2015 at 2:05 pmHello dream fall salad! This is gorgeous!
Jan Schifter says
September 28, 2015 at 5:56 pmThe Cobb looks so tasty! WOW! I am a pasta fanatic so I would like to see your recipe for weeknight chix pasta please. THANKS!
heidi says
September 28, 2015 at 10:29 pmHi Jan! I’ll be posting that pasta in the next 2 weeks so stay tuned. Thanks for the comment.
Deborah D Neal says
September 28, 2015 at 7:15 pmI’m a real salad lover…and that’s the yummiest salad I’ve ever seen. Now I can’t wait
to taste it…
heidi says
September 28, 2015 at 10:30 pmIt’s a tasty one. And the salad dressing is so easy. If you try it, add more apple cider to your liking.
Kelly says
September 28, 2015 at 8:46 pmThis looks SOOOO good!
Stephanie @ Girl Versus Dough says
September 28, 2015 at 8:47 pmThis is the most perfect fall salad I ever did see. And the perfect bridge between the seasons!
heidi says
September 28, 2015 at 10:30 pmI can’t leave salads behind just because they closed the pool, now can I? :)
Brian @ A Thought For Food says
September 29, 2015 at 6:49 amGood call on the cobb salad. I think there’s nothing more satisfying than a giant overloaded salad on a cool fall night. And I’m right there with you… totally having trouble figuring out what kind of food I’m in the mood for. It’s been pretty warm here, but I think things may have turned and we’re finally in sweater season.
Sue|theviewfromgreatisland says
September 29, 2015 at 9:48 amoh wow–this looks so good! it looks so satisfying without being too much-I love that about cobb salads!
KALINA says
September 29, 2015 at 11:00 amThis looks fantastic, but where can I get spiced apple cider?
heidi says
October 6, 2015 at 5:55 pmHi Kalina, I get mine from Trader Joe’s but they also carry it in the drink aisle at the grocery store. If you can’t find it, you can use regular apple juice that’s been simmered with a few cloves, a cinnamon stick and a star anise (if you have one) for a few minutes to impart the flavor.
Trish says
September 29, 2015 at 1:03 pmThis looks so good, and the perfect Autumn salad! Love the idea of creating the apple cider dressing. :)
Gaby Dalkin says
September 29, 2015 at 1:17 pmyaaaas to putting all the things in the salad! I’m in the same, holding onto summer, camp so I’m pretty much in love with this
Tieghan says
September 29, 2015 at 9:10 pmWhat a perfect fall salad!! I am all ready for fall, so this is perfect!! :)
Sarah {Thyme to Eat} says
September 29, 2015 at 9:25 pmLooks DELISH!! What a healthy way to start Fall!
Cynthia says
September 30, 2015 at 3:51 amWhere/what spiced apple cider? I google it but it comes up with a drink recipe. Please help!!
I’m hoping to make this tonight:)
heidi says
October 6, 2015 at 5:54 pmHi Cynthia, I get mine from Trader Joe’s but I’ve also seen it in the drink aisle at the grocery store.
Kate says
October 14, 2015 at 8:05 pmOh me oh my! Thanks for helping me figure out what I’m making for dinner tomorrow. :)
Ileana says
October 28, 2015 at 8:58 amI wish this were my lunch! Looks so, so good.
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February 12, 2017 at 12:47 amoh wow–this looks so good! it looks so satisfying without being too much-I love that about cobb salads!This looks fantastic, but where can I get spiced apple cider?This looks so good, and the perfect Autumn salad! Love the idea of creating the apple cider dressing.
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kpop kpopers says
March 18, 2017 at 8:35 pmHi Kalina, I get mine from Trader Joe’s but they also carry it in the drink aisle at the grocery store. If you can’t find it, you can use regular apple juice that’s been simmered with a few cloves, a cinnamon stick and a star anise (if you have one) for a few minutes to impart the flavor.
This looks so good, and the perfect Autumn salad! Love the idea of creating the apple cider dressing.
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Fred says
October 3, 2018 at 2:27 pmI got the ingredients together today and we’ll eat it tonight – it looks scrumptious. Note: I stumbled when I finished step 5 and still had the squash sitting on its plate on the counter beside the completed salad. I had to come back to the web site and look at the picture to see that it was added on top of the greens with the rest of the ingredients.
Don’t laugh! I’m a novice, follow recipes closely, and am easily confused :-/