In the fall and winter months, salads tend to take the back-burner. We shift our focus to richer, warmer, and heartier dishes and we leave the fresh greens in the rearview. But what if we could have a medley of warm roasted veggies, seasonal flavors, AND still get our raw greens in?

I present to you: The Hearty Autumn Kale Salad. It’s the perfect balance of cooked to raw, sweet to savory, and crunchy to creamy. It’s got enough going on that it satisfies our energy and comfort needs in the cooler months, while also feeling light enough not to bog us down like many richer dishes on the menu.

Few things scream cool weather to me than a roasted Brussels sprout and squash combo. By the end of fall, I estimate that I am about 95% pumpkin and squash. My skin loves the vitamin A and my tastebuds love the sweet and savory flavor and creamy texture. That’s a win-win in my book! Another nutritious highlight in cold weather crops, although severely underrated, are Brussels sprouts. They are packed with fiber and vitamin C, and when prepared the right way can be a hit with your tastebuds, too!

In this recipe, roasted shaved Brussels pair with sweet squash and juicy grapes. It’s the sweet-savory combo of the century, trust me.

I honestly haven’t been a fan of chicken salad until I made it myself. I always thought it had too much mayonnaise and not enough of the good stuff — the nutty pecans, crunchy celery, juicy grapes, and tart, chewy cranberries.

My loaded chicken salad made with shredded rotisserie chicken has about as much of the “extras” as it does chicken and is much lighter on the mayo. The perfect ratio, if you ask me!