This Apple Pecan Salad is a healthy side, topped with crisp apples, toasted pecans, salty feta, and a simple homemade dressing.
Why This Apple Pecan Salad Recipe is So Good
- Apples and grapes add a wonderful sweetness to fresh greens, making a regular salad extraordinary! You can also use other fruits in the recipe to get the perfect sweet and salty salad combo.
- Have this salad as a side dish, or enjoy it as a healthy lunch. Protein from the nuts and cheese will keep you satisfied all afternoon.
Try my Kale Apple Slaw recipe too! Apples are so tasty in salads.
Tips and Tricks for Making The Best Apple Pecan Salad
- Instead of (or in addition to!) grapes, try dried cranberries, raisins, or pomegranate seeds. You could also try this salad with fresh blueberries or strawberries if you have them, but grapes seem to be easier to find in the fall when apples are most delicious.
- The best apples for salads are sweet, flavorful, and firm. You also want to choose apples that won’t brown easily. I like Cortland, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples in this recipe.
- If you want it sweeter, consider Gala, Fuji, or Honey Crisp. For a tart and sweet mixture, consider: Jazz, Pink Lady, or Jonagold.
- The apples will eventually brown, though, so don’t stress too much about that! It’s just a reaction to air, and can’t be entirely avoided. However, you can rinse the apples in a lemon-water mixture to slow the process.
- Buy raw pecans and toast them yourself using the instructions here. They are so much more flavorful than nuts you buy that are pre-roasted, and it’s simple to do!
- Salty feta cheese is perfect here, but you can also substitute blue cheese or goat cheese if you prefer. I suggest buying a chunk of feta and crumbling it yourself for the best flavor and texture.
- For a vegan apple pecan salad, omit the cheese or substitute with your favorite dairy-free crumbly cheese alternative.
What to Serve With Apple Pecan Salad
Top this salad with your favorite protein and make it a filling meal! Try crispy tofu, a veggie burger, or grilled chicken for any meat eaters in your family.
This makes an excellent Thanksgiving side dish. Bring this along so you know you have a healthy, gluten-free, vegetarian option, along with my vegan stuffing and vegan sweet potato pie.
More Easy Salad Recipes
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Apple Pecan Salad
This Apple Pecan Salad is a healthy side, topped with crisp apples, toasted pecans, salty feta, and a simple homemade dressing.
Instructions
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Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Slice the grapes into halves and the apples into slices, discarding the cores.
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Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until fragrant and toasted.
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In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.
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Add the apples, grapes, arugula and spinach to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle over the dressing and toss well to coat.
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Sprinkle over the feta cheese and pecans to serve. If desired, save some of the sliced apples to use as a garnish.
Notes
- Feel free to substitute the grapes for dried cranberries, raisins, or pomegranate seeds. The arugula and spinach can also be substituted for any mixed salad leaves of your choice.
- To make this vegan, skip the feta or use a dairy-free alternative.
- To help the apples not turn brown, place them once cut into a bowl with 1 tsp of lemon juice to one cup of water. Make sure to cover the apples in the lemon-water mixture.
Nutrition
Calories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 6gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 254mgPotassium: 424mgFiber: 5gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 2638IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 180mgIron: 2mg