September 8, 2022

Harvest Salad with Chicken (Paleo, Whole30)

This Harvest Salad with Chicken is a seriously satisfying dinner salad!

Tender chicken, sweet potatoes, apples, pecans and more are coated in a thick, creamy tahini dressing.

Plus it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, Paleo and Whole30 friendly.

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Paleo Harvest Salad with Chicken

As soon as the weather starts to get even a little chilly, I start craving a big, hearty salad full of fall produce like sweet potatoes and apples.

So this Harvest Salad with Chicken hits all the right notes – there’s so much texture and flavor.

Plus it’s full of protein, healthy fats and complex carbs to keep you full and energized.

Roasting the sweet potatoes makes them creamy, the apples deliver juicy crispness and the pecans offer a toasty crunch.

To make it feel like even more of a meal, I add chicken for extra protein but you could leave it out for a vegan harvest salad.

Plus, as you’ll see from the ingredient list below, there’s lots of ways to customize it!

What you need for a Paleo Harvest Salad with Chicken

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds sweet potatoes (about 3 medium) – you could use winter squash instead, such as butternut, delicata, kabocha, acorn, etc.
2 tablespoons avocado oil
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika – you can omit both the cumin and paprika if you like, or use other spices instead of or in addition to them, such as coriander, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, etc.
5 oz. leafy greens, such as spinach, chard, arugula, kale or a mix
1.5 pounds cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2″ cubes – you can use leftover chicken (grilled, baked, etc.) or rotisserie chicken; you could use turkey, pork, salmon or steak instead as well
1 large apple – I like using Fuji or Granny Smith apples, but you can use whatever you like. Pears would also work well here. Just make sure they’re not too ripe – you don’t want a soft, mushy pear in your salad.
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped – use whatever nuts or seeds you like (if using seeds like pumpkin or sunflower, you’ll only need 1/3 cup; using seeds would also make this salad nut-free)
6 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced – you could also use diced red onion or pickled red onion, or omit the onions entirely
Tahini Date Dressing – this is my favorite dressing to use with this salad, but you could also use balsamic, honey mustard or other favorite vinaigrettes
If dairy is in your life, this salad would be great with goat cheese, feta or blue cheese.

Equipment:

How to make Paleo Harvest Salad with Chicken

First, roast the sweet potatoes.

Heat the oven to 425°.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Trim off the dried ends of the sweet potatoes, then cut them into roughly 1/2″ pieces.

Add them to the baking sheet and toss with the oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, cumin and paprika until evenly coated.

Roast until tender, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool.

Core and chop the apple into 1/2″ pieces. (You don’t want to do this too far in advance or the apple will brown.)

Add the greens, chicken, apple, pecans and scallions to a large bowl. Add the sweet potatoes.

You’ll need about 1/2 cup of dressing – drizzle it over the ingredients and give everything a good toss.

Taste and add more salt or dressing if necessary.

Make ahead

Cooked chicken can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before adding to the salad.

The roasted sweet potatoes can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

The toasted, chopped pecans can be kept in an airtight container either in the fridge or at room temperature for up to a month.

The salad is best eaten immediately.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. The sweet potatoes will soften but everything else should maintain its texture.

Other recipes you might like:

Sheet Pan Apple Cinnamon Chicken (Paleo, Whole30)
Sweet Potato Salad – 3 ways (Paleo, Whole30)
Sweet Potato, Apple and Sausage Stuffing (Paleo, Whole30)

whole30 harvest salad in a big white bowl

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5 from 3 votes