This apple salad combines candy tart apples, crunchy pecans, creamy feta, and a zingy maple French dressing for the right fall facet dish. It’s prepared in simply 20 minutes and nice for simple weeknight meals or events!
Right here’s a easy technique to flip apples into an unbelievable facet dish: my favourite apple salad recipe! If I might eat one salad for the remainder of time, this one is it. I’ve made this recipe extra occasions than I can depend.
It’s acquired all the flavour and texture contrasts: crisp tart apple slices, pops of pomegranate seeds, creamy cheese, and cinnamon-spiced pecans. Topped with a zingy maple dressing, and it’s salad perfection in my e book. I serve it for dinner events and holidays, and in addition as a straightforward weeknight facet dish!
Elements on this apple salad
This apple salad recipe is all about minimal components with most impression. It’s fancy sufficient for entertaining, but easy sufficient to pair with a straightforward weeknight meal. The flavors make it an excellent fall salad or winter salad (excellent for Thanksgiving or Christmas), but it surely works in any season. Right here’s what you’ll want for this tasty inexperienced salad:
Selecting the right apples for salad
I’ve tried this recipe with totally different apple varieties, and a few work higher than others. Pink Girl apples are my best choice: they’ve an unbelievable sweet-tart taste and crisp crunch that holds up properly in salads. The brilliant pink coloration additionally seems to be lovely!
Honeycrisp apples are one other glorious choice, barely sweeter than Pink Girl however with the identical crunch. Varieties you could find at apple orchards that work properly are Jonathon and Jonagold.
Granny Smith apples work properly in case you desire extra tartness: it’s additionally enjoyable to combine them with a sweeter pink selection for visible attraction. No matter you do: all the time keep away from Pink Scrumptious apples on this salad!
Choices for the nuts
The candied pecans add a kick of candy, cinnamon-spiced goodness to this salad. Retailer-bought work in a pinch, however I desire to make my very own home made candied pecans. It takes solely 5 minutes of prep time! I make an enormous batch and retailer them at room temperature: they preserve for as much as two weeks.
Should you’re brief on time or need much less sugar, you possibly can substitute with toasted pecans for a less complicated however nonetheless scrumptious crunch.
You may also use different nuts like candied walnuts or toasted walnuts, toasted almondspistachios, or hazelnuts.
Inventive variations and serving concepts
This apple salad is considered one of my high 5 favourite salad recipes of all time! I most frequently make it the basic approach, however listed here are some variations I’ve tried and liked:
- For a heartier meal: Add grilled rooster or seared roosterand even some baked tofu to make it into a lightweight lunch or dinner.
- Cheese substitutions: Goat cheese creates a creamier texture, whereas gorgonzola provides a pointy, tangy aspect. Different concepts are gouda, smoked gouda, or Manchego.
- Seasonal swaps: In summer time, I substitute recent berries for the pomegranate seeds. Winter requires dried cranberries and even some sliced pear. Spring is ideal for including recent strawberries.
- Dressing alternate options: Whereas the maple French dressing is my go-to, this salad can be nice with balsamic French dressing or perhaps a honey French dressing, poppy seed dressingor Dijon mustard dressing.
Make-ahead suggestions and storage
This salad is nice for entertaining as a result of most parts may be prepped forward. I wash and dry the greens as much as two days upfront, make the candied pecans at any time when handy, and blend the French dressing per week forward.
The one factor to keep away from prepping forward is slicing the apples: add them proper earlier than serving to stop browning.
Dietary notes
This crisp apple salad recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan and dairy free, omit the cheese (and for vegan, use toasted nuts).
Straightforward Apple Salad
This straightforward apple salad recipe is a delight, starring crisp fruit, greens, cheese crumbles, and a zingy maple French dressing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook dinner Time: 0 minutes
- Complete Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Class: Salad
- Technique: No Cook dinner
- Delicacies: Salad
- Food regimen: Vegetarian
For the salad
For the maple French dressing dressing (use 6 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider or white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- Contemporary floor black pepper (non-compulsory)
- If utilizing, put together the candied pecans upfront (or use bought).
- Make the dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup, vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper. Whisk within the olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time till a creamy dressing varieties. (If desired, make upfront and refrigerate as much as 2 weeks; carry to room temperature previous to serving).
- Thinly slice the apple.
- Place the greens on a big platter or particular person plates. Prime with apple slices, candied pecans, goat cheese or feta crumbles, and pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries. Prime with about 6 tablespoons of the dressing (or extra as desired) and serve instantly. (To make forward, preserve all parts separate with recent components and dressing refrigerated. Toss the apples with lemon juice to stop browning. Deliver dressing to room temperature and add all components collectively straight earlier than serving.)
Different salad recipes to attempt
This apple salad is a favourite inexperienced salad recipe of ours that works for holidays simply in addition to a laid-back weeknight.
Should you love this apple salad as a lot as I do, you’ll need to attempt these comparable recipes: Pear Salad with Pecans or Beet Salad with Goat Cheese.
For extra salad inspiration, don’t miss my Good Spinach Salad, Greatest Kale Salador Favourite Chopped Salad: all reader favourite recipes!
