This fall Panzanella salad is packed full of fresh roasted vegetables, dried cranberries, pine nuts, feta cheese, and buttery toasted bread and drizzled with a maple syrup herb vinaigrette.
Fall Panzanella salad is a delicious and hearty salad that’s perfect for the autumn season!
It’s a twist on the classic Italian bread salad, Panzanella, but features seasonal ingredients like Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, beets, spinach, cranberries, pine nuts, and feta cheese.
The best part is that it’s all tossed in a sweet and savory maple syrup herb vinaigrette.
The toasted bread provides a sturdy base for the salad that soaks up the flavors of the vinaigrette.
You can ideally use whatever bread you have on hand or even throw in some of my Homemade Garlic Butter Croutons or some of my Pumpkin Cornbread Croutons.
Fall Panzanella salad is a satisfying and healthy dish that is perfect for a cozy fall dinner or a Thanksgiving side dish.
Table of Contents
Ingredients for fall Panzanella salad
- Brussels spouts
- Spinach
- Butternut squash
- Beets
- Dried cranberries
- Pine nuts
- Feta cheese
- Toasted bread
- Maple syrup herb vinaigrette
What to serve with autumn Panzanella salad
This fall Panzanella salad is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving salad! Here are a few great holiday recipes that would pair perfectly with this salad!
- Turkey recipes like my Air Fryer Turkey Breast, Garlic Herb Maple Roast Turkey, Adobo Butter Turkey or my Herbed Mayonnaise Roast Turkey.
- It would also pair perfectly with holiday side dishes like my Roasted White Sweet Potatoes with Honey Cinnamon Glaze, Pancetta Apple Fennel Brioche Stuffing, or even my Thanksgiving Stuffing Topped Hummus.
Substitutions and adaptations
Looking for a few ways to change up this salad recipe?
- Add fresh fruit such as chopped apples or pears.
- Add different nuts like toasted pecans, pistachios, or walnuts.
- Add a big flavor with crunchy or caramelized onions.
- Add in more protein with the addition of grilled chicken or leftover chopped turkey.
More fall recipes
- On The Stalk Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Bacon Brussels Sprouts Butternut Squash Flatbread
- Butternut Squash Sausage Pasta
- Cinnamon Maple Delicata Squash
Fall Panzanella Salad
Ingredients
For salad:
- 2-1/2 cups quartered Brussels sprouts
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 1 cup cubed beets
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 slices seedy wheat bread cubed
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
For dressing:
- 1-2 cloves garlic grated
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- On a large baking sheet add Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, and beets.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Roast for about 15 minutes or until soft when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat add butter and olive oil.
- When melted add the cubed bread to the skillet and toss to evenly coat the bread in fat. Keep moving the bread around in the pan until the bread is toasty and delicious. Remove from the heat.
- In a big bowl add spinach, cooled roasted vegetables, toasted bread, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Toss gently to combine.
- Drizzle the salad with the desired amount of dressing and let the salad sit for a bit to soak up all that delicious dressing.
For dressing:
- Whisk together all ingredients except olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in olive oil until fully combined. Season with kosher salt and pepper.
- Note: add less olive oil if you want a thicker less oily dressing.
Sandy
Thursday 12th of December 2019
I made this salad today and really enjoyed it. Very delish! I only made a couple of changes, used Ezekiel bread (as I’m not gluten free) used sweet potato in place of the butternut squash and added grilled chicken spiced with Garam Marsala. I think the dressing was so perfect for this salad. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. I will make this for my daughter in law as she is gluten free!
cathy @ Noble Pig
Monday 10th of October 2016
This is a gorgeous salad..on point for Fall.
Amy @ Little Dairy on the Prairie
Saturday 8th of October 2016
I love panzanella salad! The colors in this one are gorgeous!
Miranda
Saturday 1st of October 2016
This sounds like such a wonderful fall dinner! And it is also so pretty and colorful!
Laura at I Heart Naptime
Friday 30th of September 2016
This salad looks so amazing! And I don't even need to wait till the holidays - add some grilled or roasted chicken and dinner is set!