Fall Breakfast Salad
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Published Oct 19, 2015, Updated Sep 07, 2023
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A festive fall breakfast salad with cinnamon roasted butternut squash, apple slices, avocado, red onion, walnuts, hemp seeds and an egg!
Leafy green vegetables are some of the healthiest foods on Earth and getting a large dose at breakfast is an awesome way to start the day. I know some folks are going to think having a salad for breakfast is a weird concept but it’s really not — especially if you’re on a mission to eat more whole foods and/or fewer grains at breakfast.
I make egg scrambles with sautéed leafy greens like spinach, swiss chard and kale all the time, but it wasn’t until recently I started experimenting with eating a large bowl of raw greens with toppings (you know, a salad) for breakfast.
Here’s What You Need
- butternut squash – chopped into chunks and roasted, it’s delicous, mildly sweet and nutrient-packed.
- coconut oil – you’ll use coconut oil to coat the butternut squash before roasting.
- cinnamon – the ulimate Fall spice, you’ll toss the butternut squash in this before roasting.
- sea salt – just a pinch, to bring out the flavors!
- spring mix or baby spinach – your salad base.
- apple – I used a granny smith apple but any crisp apple will work. Honeycrisp and Pink Lady are also great options!
- avocado – a dose of healthy fats and creaminess!
- red onion – for a tangy crunch.
- toasted walnuts – adds additional healthy fats as well as some texture variation with a crunch.
- hemp seeds – these little seeds are insanly nutrious with a mild nutty flavor. I love adding them to salads to boost plant-based protein and omega fatty acids.
- eggs – cooked any way you like (fried, poached or hard boiled is my preference)
- avocado balsamic dressing – make this amazing avocado balsamic dressing to drizzle on the salad or use your favorite store-brand dressing!
How to Make This Delicious Fall Breakfast Salad
Combine – combine butternut squash, oil, cinnamon and sea salt together on a baking sheet and roast in a 450°F oven for about 30 minutes or until squash is cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool.
Assemble – Fill a salad bowl with spring mix and add your toppings: roasted squash, apple slices, avocado, red onion, walnuts and hemp seeds.
Serve – Portion salad into two bowls and place cooked egg on top of each salad – I like to make my eggs sunny side up. Drizzle dressing over the salad and enjoy!
You can mark this delicious fall salad down as the first EBF breakfast salad, but if y’all like the idea I will certainly post more. And you can bet your bottom dollar that if I ever open my dream salad shop there will be at least one breakfast salad on the menu.
Of course, this salad isn’t strictly for breakfast. Feel free to serve it for lunch or dinner (or any time you please).
Looking for More Fall-Inspired Salads?
I’ve put together a list of 18 Delicious Fall Salads that are sure to fill you up and remind you of fall!
Popular Fall-Flavored Breakfasts
- Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
- Pumpkin Pancakes
- Baked Apple Cider Donuts
- Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal
- Apple Pie Overnight Oats
- Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Fall Harvest Breakfast Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped butternut squash chunks
- ½ Tablespoon olive or coconut oil
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- sprinkle of sea salt
- spring mix or baby spinach
- ½ Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
- ½ avocado, chopped or sliced
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced
- 2 Tablespoons toasted walnuts
- ½ Tablespoon hemp seeds
- 2 eggs, cooked any way you like (fried, poached or hard boiled is my preference)
- avocado balsamic dressing
Instructions
- Combine butternut squash, oil, cinnamon and sea salt together on a baking sheet and roast in a 450° oven for about 30 minutes or until squash is cooked through. Remove and let cool.
- Fill a salad bowl with spring mix and add toppings: roasted squash, apple slices, avocado, red onion, walnuts and hemp seeds.
- Portion salad into two bowls and place cooked egg on top of each salad. Drizzle dressing over the salad and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- You’ll likely have leftover salad toppings (roasted butternut squash, apple slices, avocado, etc.). Simply save them to make another salad or use in another application.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Amazing idea!! As one who is trying to get more greens in, this is outstanding! Definitely going to give it a try!!
This is just delicious. I subbed pear for apple since that’s what I had. Used your creamy nutritional yeast dressing. My hubby loves this & we have leftovers for another round tomorrow. 😁
I see you’ve renamed this the Comforting Breakfast Salad in your Salad ebook. I do wish you’d write a complete cookbook!
Working on it!! 🙂 So glad this salad was a hit. As always, thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It means the world to me.
Wonderful recipe! I made my base with quinoa and greens to add some more protein and loooooved it!
Yay!! I’m so glad this salad was a hit. Thanks for making it + for coming back to leave a comment + star rating, Jason. I so appreciate it.
I’ve been wondering for years why breakfast salads aren’t more of a thing. I was so excited to google them (again) the other day and see your site pop up! Have been following ever since falling in love with your kale esquites salad. This was perfect and delicious and exactly what I was looking for. Used Brianna’s balsamic. Thank you for making breakfast salads a thing! Can’t wait to try more.
Yay!! So happy to hear you loved this breakfast salad, Valerie! Thanks so much for trying it out and coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!!
I agree with another reviewer-breakfast salads should be more of a thing. I love breakfast salads and use this as the idea and have also done with roasted delicata squash pistachio left over mushrooms that needed to be used tossed in, avocado if have some that needs to be used. I usually skip any dressing and maybe use a dab of roasted red pepper hummus–and reduced fat feta if have it…egg of course as shown. Thank you!
YUM! I am glad to hear you are loving salads for breakfast as well, Frances. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, I so appreciate it.