I made this salad last night to go along with one of our many Trader Joe’s pumpkin products (specifically, the samosas!), and it’s been on repeat for lunches ever since.  This salad features romaine as the base, chopped apples as the main mix-in, pepitas and grated cheddar cheese for protein and richness, and a light apple cider vinaigrette to hold it all together.  It’s light and bright, fruity and savory, filling and satisfying, and the perfect fall salad for lunches and dinner sides. 

As always, there are always alternatives if you don’t have these ingredients on hand.  Don’t have little gems or romaine – really any lettuce will do here!  Don’t have apples?  Pears or Asian pears would be a great substitute.  No pepitas?  Try walnuts or slivered almonds, or simply skip.  Fresh out of cheddar cheese?  Try a little parmesan, feta, or manchego instead – or skip entirely to keep this fully vegan.  Need an ACV replacer?  Try a white balsamic or rice wine vinegar – even red wine vinegar or balsamic will work in a pinch.  There are plenty of ways to customize this salad, but I think the recipe below is a great combination, and I hope you give it a try!

Recipe down below is enough for 1 big salad, or two large side salads.  Feel free to scale up or scale down as needed if feeding just a crowd or just yourself.

Recipe: A Delightful Fall Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 head little gem lettuce, roughly chopped
  • Sub for ½ head of romaine lettuce
• 1 apple, cored and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup pepitas, toasted
• 2 oz cheddar cheese, grated (about ¼ cup)
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt

Method:

1. Using a sharp knife, split the head of little gem or romaine lettuce in half (lengthwise), then cut across (cross-wise) in 1-inch strips to make bite-sized pieces.  Using your hands, break up the lettuce a bit and add it to a bowl.
2. Cut the apple into quarters (lengthwise), then use your knife to cut the center core out of each quarter.  Cut each apple quarter in half (lengthwise), then slice the apple quarters crosswise into ½ inch thick slices, to create bite-sized apple chunks.  Add to the bowl with the lettuce.
3. Add the pepitas to a small sauté pan, and toast over medium-low heat on the stove top until fragrant and very lightly browned, about 5 minutes, tossing/stirring occasionally.  Once toasted, allow to cool in the pan while you prepare the cheese.
   1. This step can be skipped if you are in a rush, but I find the toasting really adds to the flavor of the final salad!
4. Using the large holes of a cheese grater, grate the cheddar cheese.  Add to the bowl with the lettuce and the apples, and add the cooled pepitas to the bowl as well.
5. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper to the bowl with the lettuce, apples, cheese, and pepitas.  Using tongs (or your hands), stir until everything is fully combined.
6. Serve immediately, and enjoy!