The harvest Salad: a colorful salad is a complete meal with greens, grains, protein, and healthy fats and it can be made start to finish in under 20 minutes. Add chicken or leave it out, either way it’s a delicious complete meal!
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The Harvest Salad: Greens, Couscous, Fall Fruit and Apple Vinaigrette #salad #applevinaigrette

 

A Complete Meal Salad:

Fall greens, sweet red apples, minced shallots, roasted pecans, tangy dried cranberries and apricots, chicken (optional) and Israeli couscous drizzled with an apple vinaigrette.

The Harvest Salad: Greens, Couscous, Fall Fruit and Apple Vinaigrette #salad #applevinaigrette

 

The Dressing:

Such a lovely salad deserves nothing less than an spectacular dressing. And this apple vinaigrette is just that! Apple juice, extra virgin olive oil, honey, a hint of dijon and white balsamic combine to make the perfect flavor combination for this sweet and savory salad. Many stores carry white balsamic. My first pick is always Prelibato White Balsamic vinegar from Italy. You may get lucky and find it in a store, but I almost always have to buy online. Second choice, O California White Balsamic. (<—Amazon link) I find this one in many stores and it’s a little easier on the wallet.

The Harvest Salad: Greens, Couscous, Fall Fruit and Apple Vinaigrette #salad #applevinaigrette

The Israeli Couscous:

Israeli couscous is a simple pearl pasta. It can be found in almost any grocery store or you can have it delivered to your door. But sometimes I make this salad using Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Couscous Blend. It is pearl pasta with some red quinoa, baby garbanzo beans and orzo. It gives the salad a little more texture and nuttiness!

 My first pick is always Prelibato White Balsamic vinegar from Italy. You may get lucky and find it in a store, but I almost always have to buy online. Second choice, O California White Balsamic. (<—Amazon link) I find this one in many stores and it’s a little easier on the wallet.

The Recipe: The Harvest Salad: Greens, Couscous, Fall Fruit and Apple Vinaigrette

Tips and what you will need: Israeli couscous is a simple pearl pasta. It can be found in almost any grocery store or you can have it delivered to your door. If you can’t find white balsamic at the store you can order online. My first pick is always Prelibato White Balsamic vinegar from Italy. You may get lucky and find it in a store, but I almost always have to buy online. Second choice, O California White Balsamic. (<—Amazon link) I find this one in many stores and it’s a little easier on the wallet.

5 from 2 votes
The Harvest Salad
Prep Time
12 mins
Cook Time
8 mins
Total Time
20 mins
 

Fall in a bowl!

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy dinner recipe, easy lunch recipe, fall recipes
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Linda Spiker
Ingredients
The Apple Vinaigrette:
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 Tablespoons frozen organic apple juice concentrate Tip! reseal can with plastic and a rubber band and place back in freezer for use next time!
  • 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 pinch sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
The Couscous:
  • 1/2 cup Israeli Couscous or TJ's Harvest Couscous Blend cooked to package instructions Tip: you can also use orzo pasta or quinoa
The Salad:
  • 5 oz bag of mixed baby greens
  • 2 cups rotisserie chicken, diced (optional)
  • 1 small red apple diced
  • 1 small shallot diced (small)
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup dried apricots diced (small)
  • 1/4 cup roasted pecan halves roughly chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped mint leaves
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Start a small pot of water to boil. While water heats:

  2. Make apple vinaigrette by placing all ingredients in a bowl and whisking until emulsified. Set aside.
  3. Add couscous to boiling water. Cook couscous to package instructions.

  4. While couscous cooks dice apple, apricots and chicken (if using), chop pecans, mint, shallot and parsley.

  5. When couscous is ready, pour into a colander and rinse with cold water. Place couscous in a large bowl, add nuts, apples, dried fruit, shallots, parsley and mint to bowl. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour some salad dressing over couscous and toss.
  6. Place greens on a platter. Dress lightly with apple vinaigrette, toss. Pour couscous and chicken mixture over greens and toss. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Save extra dressing in the fridge for up to a week.

MAY I PLEASE ASK A FAVOR?

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