13 Fall Salads That Are Perfect for Lunch

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Lunch has never tasted so good. These salad recipes are packed with healthy seasonal ingredients like Brussels sprouts, cranberries and broccoli, as well as delicious lean proteins like salmon, chicken and legumes to give you a well-rounded lunchtime meal. Try recipes like our Roasted Salmon & Butternut Squash Salad and Cherry, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad and you’ll quickly add them to your lunchtime rotation.

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Roasted Salmon & Butternut Squash Salad

Roasted Salmon & Butternut Squash Salad

The natural sweetness of the squash is amplified by a maple syrup-spiked dressing in this hearty salmon salad. Serve with crusty garlic bread and a glass of Beaujolais wine.

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Fiber-Packed Spicy White Bean & Spinach Salad

white bean salad with spinach, carrots, almonds in a serving bowl
Photographer: Jen Causey, Food Stylist: Melissa Gray, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster

In this light and refreshing salad, we season white beans with ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend which features cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, ginger, cardamom and ground black and red pepper. If you prefer a creamier texture, gently mash some of the beans as you stir everything together. The bean salad is served on a bed of lightly dressed spinach that pairs well with the beans, but also grilled chicken or steak kebabs on another night.

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Roasted Cranberry, Squash & Cauliflower Salad

Roasted Cranberry Squash Cauliflower Salad

Serve this healthy salad as a main course or as a starter for a special meal. To speed up prep, look for precut butternut squash in the refrigerated area of the produce section at your grocery store.

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This Autumn Salad Is Packed with Anti-Inflammatory Ingredients

Serving bowl of autumn salad with utensils on a rust colored linen, surrounded by glasses of sparkling water.

Jen Causey (Photographer), Rishon Hanners (Food Stylist), Julia Bayless (Prop Stylist)

This autumn salad features plenty of cozy ingredients for a crisp fall day, including kale and nuts, which are two of the best foods to eat to fight inflammation. Massaging nutrient-rich kale helps to tenderize the leaves while infusing them with the flavors of the dressing. Enjoy this salad as a meal on its own or topped with roasted chicken, or serve it in smaller portions for an easy side worthy of holiday entertaining.

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Cherry, Wild Rice & Quinoa Salad

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This whole-grain wild rice and quinoa salad recipe is perfect for toting to summer potlucks. It features sweet cherries, crunchy celery, nutty aged goat cheese and toasted pecans. If you can find red quinoa, it's particularly pretty.

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Roasted Veggie & Quinoa Salad

Roasted-Veggie-and-Quinoa-Salad

Quick, simple and packed with satisfying protein and fiber, this salad makes a perfect lunch or easy one-dish dinner.

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Broccoli, Ham & Pasta Salad

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A great make-ahead entree, this lightened-up pasta salad is loaded with broccoli and peppers. Smoky ham and sweet raisins give it plenty of punch. Enjoy the leftovers for a fuss-free lunch. Recipe by Nancy Baggett for EatingWell.

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Lentil & Roasted Vegetable Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

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Goddess dressing typically gets its umami-ness from anchovies, but we use miso in this super green salad recipe to keep it vegetarian. Substitute 2 chopped anchovies for the miso if you like. Or add baked tofu, poached salmon or grilled chicken for a boost of protein.

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Composed Salad with Pickled Beets & Smoked Tofu

a recipe photo of the Composed Salad with Pickled Beets and Smoked Tofu

This composed salad is an artful arrangement of greens, hard-boiled egg, smoked tofu, beets and snap peas drizzled with a cool, creamy dill dressing.

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Apple, Fig & Brussels Sprouts Salad

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Salad dressing made from sweet and mellow white balsamic vinegar balances out the assertive greens and Brussels sprouts in this healthy winter salad. If you have one handy, a small mandoline makes it easy to slice the Brussels and apple. To make it a dinner salad, top with shrimp or chicken.

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Loaded Chicken-Quinoa Salad

Loaded Mediterranean Chicken-Quinoa Salad

Turn simple precooked ingredients into a delicious one-dish meal, high in fiber and with plenty of protein to keep you feeling satisfied.

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Roasted Chicken & Vegetable Quinoa Salad

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Mushrooms, carrots and onions are roasted with garlic and fennel seeds in this roast chicken and quinoa salad. Preparing the quinoa with a little less water than is typical makes it cook more quickly and keeps it fluffier‚ perfect for soaking up the sherry-vinegar dressing in this salad. Serve with garlic-rubbed toast.

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Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar

Fall Chopped Salad with Spinach, Butternut Squash, Apples & Cheddar

Who says spinach salads are only for spring? Use autumn's tender crop of fresh spinach and other seasonal vegetables to make this fall salad with roasted butternut squash, apples, cheddar and pecans. This colorful and healthy salad would be a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving menu, but there's no reason to save it for holidays--serve it along with chicken or pork for a healthy weeknight dinner, or turn it into a main course by adding some chickpeas or chopped chicken or turkey.

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