My favourite autumn salad

Vibrant colours and seasonal produce combine to make this nourishing and delicious salad.

Combining apples with many other delicious Autumn flavours: fresh earthy beets, sweet butternut squash, dried fruit, and buttery pecans brightened by a sprinkling of fresh mint and drizzled with a sweet and sour vinaigrette made of kombucha tea, honey, and mustard. It’s truly lovely, though I’m sure a sprinkling of crisp pastured bacon, some legumes, or a crumbling of fresh goat cheese might be a good addition for a more substantial meal.

For the Salad

• 1 cup pecan halves

• 1 small butternut squash

• 2 bunches curly kale (torn into pieces)

• 3 apples (cored and thinly sliced)

• 3 beets (chopped into ¼-inch dice)

• ¼ cup dried unsweetened cranberries

• ¼ cup sultanas

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint

For the Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup kombucha tea

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

• 1 shallot (minced)

• ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

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Instructions

• Place a cast-iron pan over high heat on your stove. When it’s blisteringly hot, toss in the pecans and toast them, stirring frequently, until they release their aroma. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a plate, and allow them to cool.

• Cut off the bulbous bottom of the squash, and reserve it for another use. Peel the top part of the squash, and chop it into cubes.

• Toss the kale into a mixing bowl, toss in the squash, apples, beetroot, cranberries, sultanas, mint and toasted pecans until well mixed. Then arrange on a serving platter.

• In a separate bowl, whisk together the kombucha, honey, mustard and shallot. When uniformly mixed, whisk in the olive oil. Dress the salad with the kombucha vinaigrette and serve.

Notes

If you don’t brew kombucha tea, you can buy a good quality brand like Kombucha Bros. or simply substitute raw apple cider vinegar which offers a similar flavour.

Enjoy! x