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fall salad in a white bowl
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Fall Panzanella Salad

This ultimate Fall salad is made with crispy olive oil soaked French bread, sweet butternut squash, apples, and dried cranberries, balanced with fresh arugula, kale, and pecans.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 399kcal

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1 loaf French bread*
  • 20 oz. butternut squash, pre cut
  • 3 cups baby arugula
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 1 large apple, cut into cubes (we like Honey crisp or Fuji)
  • 1 cup pecans* (or walnuts or peptias)
  • 1 cup feta cheese (or goat cheese)
  • 1 cup dried cranberries

For the dressing

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp. honey
  • 1 Tbsp. shallots, minced
  • 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper

Instructions

  • Toast the bread: preheat the oven to 300°F. Cube the bread into ~1 inch bite sized cubes. Place on a baking sheet, toss with 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil and toast for 15-20 minutes.
    1 loaf French bread*
  • Roast the butternut squash: Increase the oven temperature to 375°F. Place cubed butternut squash on a baking sheet. Toss with 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil. Spread evenly on pan. Bake until fork tender, ~35 minutes. Set aside to cool.
    20 oz. butternut squash, pre cut, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • Massage the kale: Pull the kale leaves off from the stems and discard the stems. Use a chef’s knife to chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big bowl. Drizzle olive oil generously over the kale and use your hands to massage the kale leaves (lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in color). About 2 minutes.
    1 bunch kale
  • Make the dressing: In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.
    1/3 cup olive oil, 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. honey, 1 Tbsp. shallots, minced, 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • In a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, kale, apples, pecans, feta, dried cranberries, butternut squash and bread together. Serve with dressing on the side or toss dressing in the salad if serving immediately.
    3 cups baby arugula, 1 large apple, cut into cubes (we like Honey crisp or Fuji), 1 cup pecans* (or walnuts or peptias), 1 cup feta cheese (or goat cheese), 1 cup dried cranberries

Video

Notes

Toast the pecans if preferred: Preheat the oven to 350°F and spread the pecans on a baking sheet. Toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they bake evenly. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside to cool.
Instead of toasting the bread cubes, you can also dry them if you plan ahead: Spread the bread cubes over a baking sheet. Leave uncovered overnight to stale and harden. When ready to make the salad, you won't have to toast them!

Nutrition

Calories: 399kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 201mg | Iron: 3mg