18 Fall Salads You'll Want to Make for Dinner Tonight

By

Danielle DeAngelis

Published on September 1, 2022

Fig & Goat Cheese Salad

If you're craving a salad for dinner tonight, we've got you covered. These salad recipes use seasonal ingredients like apples, cranberries, Brussels sprouts, squash and more and combine them with satisfying protein like chicken and quinoa for the ultimate fall meal. Recipes like our Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad and Fig & Goat Cheese Salad are so delicious, you'll want salad for dinner every night of the week.

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Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad

Quick, simple and packed with satisfying protein and fiber, this salad makes a perfect lunch or easy one-dish dinner.

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Fig & Goat Cheese Salad

The sweet-and-savory combination of the figs and earthy goat cheese will surely satisfy the palate. If you can't find dried figs, try swapping in dried apricots.

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Roasted Cranberry, Squash & Cauliflower Salad

Serve this healthy salad as a main course or as a starter for a special meal. To speed up prep, look for precut butternut squash in the refrigerated area of the produce section at your grocery store.

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Mixed Greens with Lentils & Sliced Apple

This salad with lentils, feta and apple is a satisfying vegetarian entree to whip together for lunch. To save time, swap in drained canned lentils--just make sure to look for low-sodium and give them a rinse before adding them to the salad.

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White Bean & Veggie Salad

White Bean & Veggie Salad

This meatless main-dish salad combines creamy, satisfying white beans and avocado. Try mixing it up with different seasonal vegetables.

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Apple-Cranberry Spinach Salad with Goat Cheese

The tangy-sweet dressing in this spinach salad beautifully amplifies the apples and cranberries--and the creamy goat cheese transforms it into the perfect salad. Tasters raved about this easy fall salad. If you can't find Pink Lady apples, any sweet, crisp apple is a worthy substitute. Want to make this salad a main meal? Top with some rotisserie chicken, chickpeas or tofu.

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Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus Dressing

This hearty vegan salad is loaded with plant-based power ingredients: chickpeas, quinoa and hummus. We love the crunch of the sunflower seeds and the unexpected flavor of roasted peppers.

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Tomato & Onion Salad with Crispy Tofu

Tofu definitely benefits from a marinade, in this case lemon juice, olive oil and fresh herbs. In this vegetarian salad recipe, the tofu is pressed first, which concentrates its subtle soy flavor and improves the texture by removing some of the water. But what really makes this recipe special is the Parmesan cheese crust that transforms the tofu into a soft, cheesy crouton.

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Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Burrata

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad with Burrata

This beautiful butternut squash salad with creamy burrata cheese and peppery arugula is perfect for fall entertaining. For the best flavor and texture, remove the burrata from the refrigerator about an hour before use and assemble the salad while the squash is still warm from roasting so the cheese will melt slightly. Feel free to use precut butternut squash to make this recipe easier. If you can find pomegranates, the arils add a bright pop of color and flavor to this healthy salad, but it's just as good--and almost as impressive-looking--without them.

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Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Goddess dressing typically gets its umami-ness from anchovies, but we use miso in this super green salad recipe to keep it vegetarian. Substitute 2 chopped anchovies for the miso if you like. Or add baked tofu, poached salmon or grilled chicken for a boost of protein.

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Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Quinoa Salad

Mushrooms, carrots and onions are roasted with garlic and fennel seeds in this roast chicken and quinoa salad. Preparing the quinoa with a little less water than is typical makes it cook more quickly and keeps it fluffier' perfect for soaking up the sherry-vinegar dressing in this salad. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.

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Fennel Panzanella

James Beard Award-winner and Top Chef contestant Karen Akunowicz of Fox & the Knife in Boston turns this Italian-inspired bread salad into a hearty fall dish. Instead of tomato, fennel mingles with the vinaigrette to let the bread soak up its licorice notes, while the arugula lends the dish a hint of pepper. The lemony vinaigrette is so simple and tastes so much fresher than store-bought. Make a double batch to toss on other salads. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Add some shredded chicken to the salad to make it a meal.

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Apple, Fig & Brussels Sprouts Salad

Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

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Arugula Salad with Roasted Pork Tenderloin, Pears & Blue Cheese

Toasted walnuts and roasted pork tenderloin make this elegant salad worthy of company, yet it's easy enough to prepare on a weeknight!

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Green Goddess Salad with Chickpeas

In this cucumber, tomato, Swiss cheese and chickpea salad recipe, a healthy green goddess dressing is made from avocado, buttermilk and herbs. The extra dressing is delicious served with grilled vegetables.

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Roasted Salmon & Butternut Squash Salad

The natural sweetness of the squash is amplified by a maple syrup-spiked dressing in this hearty salmon salad. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a glass of Beaujolais wine.

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Chopped Salad with Shrimp, Apples & Pecans

Sweet and crunchy apples and celery combine with savory shrimp and nutty pecans in this easy, colorful dinner salad.

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Apple & Grilled Chicken Salad with Cheddar Toasts

Apple & Grilled Chicken Salad with Cheddar Toasts

This hearty grilled chicken salad recipe highlights the classic combination of sharp Cheddar and sweet crunchy apples. For a fabulous starter anytime you entertain, simply skip the chicken.

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