Fall Harvest Salad

A low FODMAP fall harvest salad with baby spinach, arugula, roasted parsnips, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, feta, and a maple Dijon vinaigrette.

Prep 15 min

Cook 25 min

Serves 6

Gluten-freeVegetarian

Ingredients

Roasted parsnips

• 3 medium parsnips (about 400g), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt

Vinaigrette

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (check for no garlic or onion)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Salad

• 5 cups (150g) baby spinach
• 3 cups (60g) baby arugula
• 6 tbsp (45g) dried cranberries
• 6 tbsp (50g) pumpkin seeds (pepitas), toasted
• 2/3 cup (100g) crumbled feta

Per serving this is 1 tablespoon of dried cranberries and 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds. Keep the cranberries at that amount; they are the ingredient with the tightest serve here.

Instructions

Roast the parsnips

1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
2. Toss the parsnips with the olive oil and salt on a sheet pan and spread them out.
3. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until browned at the edges. Let them cool for 10 minutes.

Make the vinaigrette

1. Shake both oils, the vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small jar until combined.

Assemble

1. Toss the spinach and arugula with about two-thirds of the vinaigrette in a large bowl.
2. Scatter the parsnips, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and feta over the top.
3. Drizzle with the rest of the vinaigrette just before serving.

Tips & Substitutions

• Toast the seeds. Two to three minutes in a dry skillet, until they start to pop.
• Swap the cheese. Goat cheese is not a match for feta here; use shaved Parmesan instead, which is naturally lactose-free.
• Make it ahead. Roast the parsnips and mix the dressing a day early; dress the greens only when serving.
• Add protein. Top with sliced roast turkey or grilled chicken for a full meal.
• Go easy on apple and pomegranate. Both show up in harvest salads, but only small amounts are low FODMAP, so this salad leaves them out.

Why This Works

• Parsnips for sweetness. Parsnips are low FODMAP and roast into the sweet, caramelized bite that squash usually brings.
• Measured cranberries. Dried cranberries are low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon, so they are counted per plate.
• Garlic flavor in the oil. Strained garlic-infused oil is low FODMAP, so the dressing gets garlic flavor with no garlic pieces.

Storage

Store undressed greens, parsnips, toppings, and dressing separately in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once dressed, the salad wilts within a few hours. Shake the dressing before using, since it separates in the fridge.