An easy fall salad, this Apple Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette with sweet red apples, crunchy candied pecans, feta cheese, and a quick maple vinaigrette dressing is a salad everyone will love!
This. This right here. This is Fall in it’s truest, most wonderfully salad-y form. It combines so many of my favorite Fall-time flavors in one place.
sweet red apples + tangy cranberries + crunchy candied cinnamon pecans + sharp feta cheese + seriously the best maple vinaigrette dressing this world has to offer
= FALL GOODNESS.
Can we talk about other amazing Fall things? Like the fact that I wore long leggings with waffle-knit cardigans twice this week? My sister in law also gave me a pumpkin-cream-something candle for my birthday and after three days of it existing in my house it’s now half gone.
I’ll burn a candle all. day. long. if my husband doesn’t extinguish it while my back is turned. In his defense, I have left a candle burning when I left the house one or five times before. So he’s really just looking out for our safety I guess.
But back to the best Fall salad you’ll ever eat. There are two things about this salad that really put it over the top on the flavor scale. The nuts, and the dressing.
The pecans are candied. Don’t let that scare you off because it takes about 5 minutes and three ingredients to candy your pecans —> BEYOND worth it. Stop it. I know what you’re going to ask – can’t I just throw some un-candied pecans into the salad?? Yesssssss, you can. Technically. But it’ll break my heart a little bit.
And the dressing. THE DRESSING. It’s a maple vinaigrette. Does that sound weird? It did to me the first time I ordered a salad from one of my favorite soup-n’-sandwich shops boasting a sweet maple vinaigrette. But, I instantly became a huge fan and this is my little homemade re-creation of it. You will go crazy for this stuff, I can almost guarantee it. Unless you’re allergic to maple or something like that. Then all bets are off.
What people are saying about this Apple Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
“I made this salad last week and it was excellent. I didn’t wait until the fall, I just had it in the winter. The combinations of flavors was outstanding. This is a keeper for us. I loved the sweetness of the dressing, and the candied pecans and onions were really tasty…big hit.” – Snibb
“Oh my goodness! Maple vinaigrette does not have me saying weird. In fact, it has me saying YES, YES, YES! (think Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally). I am kicking myself for not ever using maple syrup. I have been a slave to honey for far too long. Great recipe and inspiration!” – Karin
“I made this over the weekend and it was delicious! It was so easy to make and so pretty. It was a big hit with my company. Thanks!” – Mia
Apple Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 6-8 cups mixed greens
- 2 small-medium fuji or gala apples - chopped
- ½ red onion - thinly sliced
- ½ cup shelled pecan halves - or chopped pecans
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries - (optional)
Dressing
- ½ cup oil
- 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar - (may sub white vinegar)
- 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add pecans, sugar, and cinnamon to a small-medium pan or skillet. Stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until sugar melts and nuts are coated. Transfer to a plate or foil-lined baking pan to cool.
- Stir together all salad dressing ingredients and chill until ready to serve.
- In a large serving bowl toss together greens, apples, onions, candied pecans, feta cheese, and cranberries. When ready to serve, toss with dressing.
Make this 5 years ago and still come back to it!
So thrilled to hear that, Alissa!
We love this salad! Have been making it for years and it is my go to salad for all occasions in the fall and winter months! Add some grilled chicken for a full meal.
Love this recipe – easy and delicious!
This was sooo good!! Definitely a do over.
This is one of my all-time favorite salads that I make all the time! Thank you for such a delicious recipe!