Lighten Up With Autumn Salad Recipes

Making soup is one of the many reasons we love fall. But as much as we enjoy a warm, comforting bowl of soup, we still like to pair it with a light, crisp salad. Several fruits and vegetables are currently in season, including broccolini, celery root and persimmons. We rounded up a few creative fall salads featuring these unusual ingredients and more. Consider adding them to your autumn lineup.

Autumn Salad Recipes: Pear and Fennel Salad

This recipe from Love & Lemons calls for fennel and pears, which are both in season now. Look for smaller fennel bulbs which are younger and more tender. Jeanine also lets the fennel marinate briefly in olive oil, lemon and salt before tossing with the other ingredients.

Slice the fennel with a  mandoline to get it as paper-thin as possible. You can also peel the pears or slice them with the skin on. Your mandoline will come in handy here too.

Autumn Salad Recipes: Broccolini Salad With Burrata Cheese

This salad from Pickled Plum is quite elegant, which means it's probably best suited to a lunch gathering or dinner party with adult guests. It includes a wide range of tastes and textures, from creamy burrata to sharp red onions. Wild mushrooms are in season along with broccolini.

Like the pear and fennel salad, the dressing for this salad includes sherry vinegar. If you don't have it on hand, be sure to pick some up. You can never have too many different varieties of vinegar.

Autumn Salad Recipes: Celery Root and Apple Salad

We agree that celery root doesn't look appetizing in the produce section, but this recipe from Gourmande in the Kitchen shows just how good it can look when peeled and sliced. Get out your mandoline once again: ultra-thin slices of celery, celery root and apple keep the flavor and texture light. We might also add pomegranate jewels for bursts of color and sweetness.

Note that Sylvie tossed the julienned celery root with lemon juice, just like Jeanine did with the fennel in the first recipe above. A quick citrus soak can help tenderize tough vegetables like these.

Autumn Salad Recipes: Spinach Salad With Persimmons, Goat Cheese and Walnuts

Have you ever tried a persimmon? If not, this recipe from Martha Rose Shulman in the New York Times recipe box could provide the perfect opportunity. It's a simple recipe, but the flavor combinations are striking. We're especially intrigued by the walnut oil and lime juice dressing. This salad is one that's simple enough to serve at a family dinner and elegant enough for special guests.