I have a salad for you that’s absolutely perfect for fall (and using up your apple orchard haul!)
This gorgeous kale apple farro salad is packed with manchego cheese, sweet dried cranberries, and a lovely maple pecan pumpkin seed crunch. That easy cider dressing pulls everything together, and every ingredient gives the salad incredible flavors and textures.
Get a nice boost of fiber and protein from the farro and nuts, plus lots of vitamins from all of that fresh produce! This would be a wonderful side dish for your holiday table or the perfect meal prep lunch because it stays good for days.
Ingredients in this apple kale farro salad
You know I love a big salad filled with all things crunchy, sweet, and savory. That’s exactly what this harvest salad is all about! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Farro: I’m a big fan of pearl couscous in salads, but I wanted to mix it up by using farro instead. I LOVE the chewy texture and slightly nutty flavor that it adds, plus the extra fiber and protein.
- Fruits & veggies: we’re using kale as the base for this salad for a big boost of greens. It also helps the salad hold up over multiple days! You’ll also add red onion and a diced apple (honeycrisp is my favorite).
- Mix-ins: add a little extra sweetness with dried cranberries or chopped Medjool dates, and a savory kick with grated Manchego or parmesan cheese.
- Dressing: my flavorful maple cider dressing is made with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, fresh garlic, and a little salt and pepper.
- Crunch: every good salad has a little crunch to it, so we’re also toasting up some pecans and pumpkin seeds with maple syrup and a pinch of salt.
Make this salad your own
Like with most salad recipes, this apple farro salad is fun and easy to customize:
- Choose your cheese: you can really use whatever you’re feeling! A sharp white cheddar would be great in this, or try a crumbled cheese like feta, goat cheese, or even gorgonzola.
- Add more veggies: feel free to add in 3 to 4 cups of cubed roasted sweet potato or butternut squash. Learn how to cut & roast butternut squash HERE!
- Get extra crunchy: this salad is also delicious topped with ½ heaping cup toasted bread crumbs, croutons, or crushed pita chips for crunch.
Can I make it gluten-free or dairy-free?
Yes — it’s easy!
- To make gluten-free: simply omit the farro, or swap it for a short, gluten-free pasta, quinoa, or brown rice!
- To make dairy-free: leave the manchego cheese out.
Add a delicious boost of protein
Feel free to add:
- A can of rinsed, drained chickpeas
- Crispy bacon for a lovely salty flavor boost
- Cooked, cubed chicken breast
- Sliced sautéed chicken sausage (I tried it, and it was FABULOUS!)
Don’t forget these tips for using raw kale
Raw kale leaves are much tougher than a leafy green like spinach, so don’t forget these tips for making kale salads:
- Chop it small. Be sure to chop it very finely so that the bites aren’t too large. Use a sharp knife or salad chopper, or pulse the kale a few times in a food processor.
- Massage it. Add the dressing to your bowl with the kale, farro, and red onion first and toss it all together really well. You can even do this with your hands and “massage” the dressing in so that everything is well coated.
- Let it marinate. You’ll then want to let the dressed kale sit for a bit while you make the nut & seed mixture so that the veggies soak up all of the flavor.
How to store this apple farro salad
This salad will be delicious over the course of a few days after it marinates in the dressing! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. The nuts will soften a bit over time, so if you’re prepping this salad ahead of time, I’d recommend leaving the nut mixture off until you’re ready to serve.
Our favorite salad tools
- Salad chopper
- Salad spinner
- Mason jars
- Dressing containers
- Serving bowl with tongs
- Meal prep containers
Get more of my favorite kitchen tools here!
More fall salads you’ll love
- Warm Roasted Vegetable Harvest Couscous Salad
- Winter Butternut Squash Brussels Sprouts Caesar Salad
- California Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad
- One Pot Moroccan-Inspired Chickpea Quinoa Salad
- Chickpea Apple Broccoli Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
Get all of my salad recipes here!
I hope you love this manchego apple kale farro salad! If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Manchego Apple Kale Farro Salad
Ingredients
- For the dressing
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, to sweeten
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced or grated
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Farro
- 3 cups filtered water
- ¾ cup farro, rinsed and drained
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- For the salad
- 6 to 8 cups chopped Tuscan kale
- ½ small to medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large (or 2 medium) honeycrisp apple, cored and diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries (or sub chopped pitted Medjool dates)
- 3 to 4 ounces aged Manchego (or Parmesan cheese), grated
- Pecan and pumpkin seed crunch
- ½ cup raw pecans, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup raw pumpkin seeds
- ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cook the farro: In a medium pot, combine the water, farro, and salt and place over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered and cook until tender, 25 minutes. Transfer to a large sieve, rinse with cool water for 1 minute, then drain and add to a large bowl.
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, pure maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and add a little more maple syrup if you like a sweeter dressing.
- In the same large bowl with the farro, add the shredded kale and red onions then pour dressing over. Use tongs or clean hands to mix everything together for 1 minute. (This helps to break down the kale and potent red onion and evenly distribute the flavor of the dressing.) Allow it to sit and marinate while you make the pecan pumpkin seed crunch.
- To make the pumpkin pecan crunch: Place a medium skillet over medium heat and add pecans and pumpkin seeds. Toast the nuts/seeds, stirring frequently until they turn slightly golden brown and fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes, then turn off heat and immediately add in maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt. Stir for 30 more seconds to coat the nuts and seeds, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper to cool for a few minutes. Some of the nuts will slightly stick together but this is what we want for the ‘nut crunch’ in the salad. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- In the bowl with the kale, add in the apple, cranberries and grated manchango cheese. Give it a gentle toss, then add extra salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle the nut mixture on top and toss again. If you are serving the salad later, I recommend leaving the nut mixture out until you are ready to serve so it stays nice and crunchy. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on October 21st, 2025, and republished on September 23rd, 2026.
I am obsessed with this salad. It is not the kind of salad I usually go for but I wanted something that felt a little more like fall and this delivered. All the ingredients just go together well. I added in roasted sweet potatoes and a cranberry goat cheese chicken sausage and it was perfect. Definitely a heavy salad because there are so many components. I made it for lunch but would probably do for a dinner salad next time. My only complaint is that there are just a lot of components and it took awhile to make but that’s why it is so good. Highly recommend!
So good! This one’s great for customizing and makes delicious leftovers 🙂
This became one of my favorite recipes of all time a few months ago and I just keep coming back to it..it’s THAT GOOD. The warm salty farro (& I make some chicken to go in mine too) with the sweet dressing, apples, chewy dates, and crunchy topping is…immaculate.
So happy to hear that! This is one of my favs for fall, too 🙂
This is one of my favorite kale salads!! SOOO good! I omitted the cheese due to preferences. It is going on the meal rotation list!
So happy to hear that!
OH…..MY….GOODNESS!, I made this salad tonight and it was crazy amazing. I foolishly thought I would have some leftovers for tomorrow but NO. My husband and I ate the ENTIRE BOWL. (Don’t judge) we did use this recipe as a dinner since it was very hearty with the farro and kale. All the different layers of flavor came together beautifully. This is definitely a recipe that will be added to my dinner rotation. Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Never judging! So glad you loved it SO much! It truly is a staple salad for the colder months 🙂
This was a family favorite – including a hesitant teen was doubtful. But one bite and everyone wanted more. It’s delicious! I didn’t make the crumble for the top due to a nut allergy and we still feel the same. YUMMY! Will be on repeat.
So happy to hear that!
Hi, I’d like to prepare this a day ahead, how can i do so? Could I prepare the pumpkin pecan crunch in advance?
Hi! Feel free make the whole salad the day before, but leave off the nut crunch until you’re ready to serve (or toast the nuts and store them at room temp until you’re ready to serve).
This is a really delicious and hearty salad. I added cubed beets and really enjoyed it.
Absolutely! Beets sound delicious in here 🙂
Oh my goodness what a delicious salad. I love the fall flavors and nothing overpowers anything else. I’m not typically a salad eater because it feels too hard, and while this salad does take some time to make, it is well worth it. I used a sharp cheddar and added in sweet potato’s. 10/10.
So glad you gave this one a try! One of my new favs, too 🙂
I have the 10 minute Trader Joe’s Farro. How much of that would you use? Thanks!
The dry farro here should make about 2 cups of cooked farro!
The salad is so good! My family ate it up in one day and I made enough for 2 days! I can’t wait to have it again. To add a little extra protein. I added white beans which was really good too!
So happy to hear that!!
Holy flavor bomb! I’m always looking for fun seasonal salads, especially this time of year where the soup vs salad debate is very real, but oh my goodness this one came in clutch. The manchego grated into the salad really takes it to the next level, and I love the balance of sweet and salty. I got the smoked apple Chardonnay chicken sausage at Trader Joe’s to boost the protein and it really takes the salad over the top. I’ll definitely make this again!
Absolutely! Those chicken sausages sound SO good. Glad you enjoyed!
I made this tonight as part of dinner and everyone loved it, even my 11 year old nephew. I used quinoa and parmesan as that’s what I had on hand. I think the pumpkin pecan crunch made the salad!
Love that! Glad it was a hit!
10/10 – already made twice this week! Used the parm instead of manchego. The pecan pepita crunch makes it!
So happy to hear that!
Would quick cooking farro work?
Yes!