Harvest Fall Salad
This Autumn Harvest Grain Salad is the best fall salad! It’s a blend of Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains combined with fall-inspired ingredients like butternut squash, cranberries, pecans, and apples. Toss with a vibrant orange dressing for a flavorful side or lunch.
What You’ll Love About This Fall Harvest Salad Recipe
▶︎Looking for more delicious autumn recipes? Try out…
Fall Salad Recipe Ingredients
What is Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend?
This is a grain and pasta mixture from Trader Joe’s that contains pearled couscous, orzo, split baby garbanzo beans, and red quinoa. The great part of this blend is that it is ready in just 10 minutes.
This is available at most Trader Joe’s stores. You can also see it listed on Amazon.
▶︎For another great Trader Joe’s recipe try out this Trader Joe’s Thai Yellow Tofu Curry!
How do I cook Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend?
This blend is cooking over the stove in just 10 minutes. It tastes best when cooked in vegetable broth which gives it a lot of flavor.
For each 1 1/4 cup of Harvest Grain Blend, add 1 3/4 cup water or broth. Bring the broth to a boil then add the Harvest blend (optional add in 1 tbsp of butter). Bring back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
Other ingredient notes:
- Butternut Squash: It’s easiest to get pre-cut butternut squash from your refrigerator section in your grocery store. It will save you a lot of time peeling and chopping!
- Dried cranberries: These all a little sweetness to the dish. I recommend getting the “No sugar added” variety to decrease the sugar content in the dish.
See recipe card for full ingredient list and quantities.
How to Make Harvest Fall Salad
Step 1: In a large skillet, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add in butternut squash cubes and season with a little salt and pepper. Sauté for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
Step 2: In a large pot, begin heating vegetable broth and add Trader Joe’s Harvest Grain Blend. Cook to package instructions.
Step 3: Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl.
Step 4: In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients of the salad with the dressing and serve. You can also dress only portions of the salad and refrigerate the rest in an airtight container.
▶︎Looking for more delicious-ness? Cozy up with a wholesome bowl like this Warm Winter Harvest Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas!
Fall Salad Recipe Tips
- I highly recommend cooking your Harvest Grain Blend in vegetable broth. It adds so much flavor to this dish!
- I find it’s easiest to get pre-cut butternut squash for this recipe (you can find it in the refrigerator section at the grocery store. You can also buy a butternut squash and cut it into small cubes and use the extra in this Fall Farro Salad with butternut squash or these butternut squash fries!
- Enjoy this dish warm or chilled in the fridge for a few hours.
What to Serve with This Autumn Harvest Salad
This salad can be served on its only as a lunch but is also a great pairing with lots of main meals for your fall dinner.
Serve it with…
- A cozy soup, stew, or curry (like my Nourishing Lentil Barley Soup or Creamy Carrot Tomato Soup)
- Barley Stuffed Peppers
- A wrap or sandwich (like this Crunchy Kale Caesar Wrap or 10-Minute Tempeh Sandwich)
- A bowl of cozy Vegan White Bean Chili
- Other delicious Thanksgiving sides like my Vegan Sweet Potato Casserole
Storing Leftover Harvest Fall Salad
Trader Joe’s Harvest blend is a mix of pasta and grains – so it’s best enjoyed within a day or two of making, but you can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days.
This recipe does not freeze well.
Recipe FAQs
This blend is versatile and can be transformed with the addition of different types of vegetables such as roasted sweet potatoes, butternut squash, broccoli and more. You can also add in greens such as sauteed chopped kale or spinach. Add in some plant-powered protein like crispy chickpeas or other beans, toasted nuts, seeds, and more. Add more flavor by making a simple vinaigrette with olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, a touch of maple syrup, garlic, salt & pepper, or whatever other flavors you like.
This blend contains a mixture of pasta, beans, and grains that are high in fiber and plant-based protein to keep you full longer. It is low in fat but higher in carbohydrates.
Easily! You can add lots of plant-based protein options like chickpeas, white beans, lentils, tofu cubes, vegan chicken, and more. Sprinkle some hemp seeds on top for more protein as well.
Store it in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. I do not recommend freezing this recipe.
You can also only pour dressing on the portion of the salad you are eating at that time so that it lasts longer and is less likely to become mushy as it sits.
⇨ Other Fall Favorites⇦
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Harvest Grains Blend Salad
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Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced butternut squash*
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 16 oz Trader Joe's harvest grain blend cooked with vegetable broth or water*
- 1 medium apple diced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup toasted pecans*
- 2 cups baby spinach or kale optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Dressing
- 3 tbsp orange juice
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Optional Topping
- chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add in butternut squash cubes and season with a little salt and pepper. Sauté for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and fork tender.2 cups diced butternut squash*, 1 tbsp olive oil
- In a large pot, begin heating vegetable broth and add Trader Joe's Harvest Grain Blend. Cook to package instructions.16 oz Trader Joe's harvest grain blend
- Whisk together the dressing in a small bowl.3 tbsp orange juice, 2 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- In a large bowl, toss together the squash, diced apple, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, spinach, cooked TJ Harvest Blend and the dressing. You can also dress only portions of the salad and refrigerate the rest in an airtight container. Add salt and pepper to taste.1 medium apple, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup toasted pecans*, 2 cups baby spinach or kale, salt and pepper
- Serve and enjoy! Optional: sprinkle with chopped parsley, feta, or another cheese of your liking for a savory component.
Notes
- Want to make this your main entree? Need more protein in this dish? You can add lots of plant-based protein options like chickpeas, white beans, lentils, tofu cubes, vegan chicken, and more. Sprinkle some hemp seeds on top for more protein as well.
This is great!!! I had no idea what to do with the Harvest Grain Blend my husband brought home from Tjoes, and this helped me take it up to another level of taste. The kids loved the sweet combo, too!
Hi Lina! So glad you liked it! It’s a fun way to use the mix 🙂
Delish! Loved this, will be making it again!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Krissy. Thanks for your review!
Does this reheat well?
I personally think it’s best the day of – but if you want to make it for leftovers, I would add the pecans on top each time you enjoy it (they can get soft if they sit in the mixture for a few days).
Probably the best grain salad I’ve ever eaten. I used chicken broth as that’s what I had and kale. I made it for guests on Sunday and have one serving left for today/Wednesday. So. Good. I’m using the leftover squash in the fall farro salad this afternoon. This is definitely a make again recipe.
This was magnificent and will be in the regular rotation. I used chicken broth (I was out of vegetable broth) and kale rather than spinach, as I knew it would hold up better as leftovers. I made this on Sunday for company and enjoyed the last of it on Wednesday, so it holds up well. Yum.
Thanks for your review Sophia! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
What type of apples should I use?
I personally love Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp!
Just ate 2 bowls of this yummy Harvest Salad! I added some diced red onion for a bit more crunch. I will definitely be making this again!
But I did want to clarify that while this recipe is vegan and dairy-free as you stated, it is not gluten-free. Trader Joe’s Harvest blend has orzo and pearled couscous which are wheat products.