This Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette features candied pecans, apples, cheese, and dried cranberries combined with a delicious, zesty vinaigrette.
This post is sponsored by my friends at Riveridge Produce, but the opinions expressed are all mine, just as always. Thanks so much for supporting the brands that support me.
We love salads at our house. They’re a relatively quick and easy way to put a delicious side on the table and can make a seriously delicious main dish some nights too! And while Jack could eat lettuce and ranch every night, we like to mix things up a bit.
Years back we started adding apples, blue cheese, and a tangy dressing to our salad recipes and really loved the sweet and sour combo. That’s why you will often find that kind of salad on our table these days.
In this delicious Apple Pecan Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette, the sweet and zesty dressing is the perfect complement to the mild lettuces and the sharp blue cheese. And of course, I had to throw some pecans in there.
Y’all are going to seriously love this salad and all the delicious flavor packed in it. And you’re going to love those apples, too!
Why I Recommend Evercrisp Apples in this Salad:
Now in case y’all haven’t bought apples in the grocery store lately, there are quite a few options these days. I’ll admit that my most recent favorite was the Honeycrisp. It’s so bright, tangy, and crisp. But man can they be expensive! They’re also pretty delicate and don’t last very long. And then I found the EverCrisp. ~cue the angelic sounds~
The EverCrisp is a newer apple that’s a cross between a Honeycrisp and a Fuji. It’s got the crispness and effervescent flavor of the Honeycrisp, but the sturdiness of the Fuji. It’s perfect to be eaten fresh, all by itself, or to be put into fresh applications like this salad.
It is 100% our new favorite apple. And my entire family agrees. In fact, every single person I’ve shared them with has been super impressed with the flavor and texture.
And, they’re available right now at your local Publix. Just be sure to grab enough for this salad and a few extra for snacking. You’ll thank me later.
Ingredients & Prep FAQs
Make plenty of dressing! Making the vinaigrette is as simple as whisking the ingredients together. This dressing recipe might have a few more ingredients than you typically see in my work, but I promise you it is 100% worth the extra little effort. Plus, this is going to make enough dressing for more than one salad. So, you can store it in the fridge for another one, or just use it to dip more of those delicious EverCrisp apples in as a snack like I do.
Don’t skip the candied pecans! The candied pecans are an extra step, too. But I’ve made them as easy as possible. You’ll have these ready in less than 15 minutes. You can certainly buy some candied pecans at the grocery store to save a little time, too.
Make the pecans & dressing in advance! Both the dressing and the pecans can be made in advance if you’re pressed for time. Simply store the pecans at room temp in an airtight container. The dressing will keep in the fridge in a jar, or another airtight container, for a week or so.
Ingredients
- 1 (11-ounce) package spring mix
- 3 EverCrisp Apples, cored and thinly sliced
- 4 to 6-ounces blue or gorgonzola cheese crumbles
- â…” cup dried cranberries
For the Candied Pecans:
- 2 teaspoons butter
- ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 cup pecan halves
- â…› teaspoon cinnamon
For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
- â…” cup olive oil
- â…“ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons pineapple juice
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
To make the candied pecans:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, add the butter, brown sugar, salt, and water. Stir until the butter and sugar has melted. Add the pecans and cook, stirring very frequently, for about 3 minutes – being cautious not to allow the mixture to scorch.
- Remove from the heat and add the cinnamon. Stir to combine. Spread the pecans on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Allow to cool completely before using on salad.
To make the dressing:
- Whisk the oil, apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, lime juice, and pineapple juice together. Add the honey, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder and whisk to combine. Set aside.
For the salad:
- Add the spring mix to a large bowl and top with the apples, blue cheese, candied pecans, and cranberries. Drizzle with the desired dressing amount, then toss and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
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This was awesome! I added a little bit of chopped red onion too. I would make this again 😃
Sounds great! So glad you enjoyed it!
Is there a substitute for the pineapple juice? I developed an allergy to pineapple and now carry an epi pen. Love your recipes!
I’m sure you could use another juice in its place – orange, apple, etc. Just keep in mind the flavor will be a bit different.
What a great salad! I made this a few days ago to go with some potato soup, and my family loved it so much that they asked me to make it again yesterday. Even my husband who is not much of a salad eater ate 2 bowls. Absolutely a recipe I will make again and again!
Note: My family isn’t big on blue cheese even though I love it, so I used feta instead and it was fantastic!
Feta is a great swap! I’m tickled to hear everyone loved it so much!
I would really like to use some of your recipes. I cannot get up right that minute and go do it though so whenever I find I love to Pin recipes. But I cannot Pin your recipes. I wonder why not. Do you know? I had time this afternoon to actually attempt to use all your Pin logos. No go. LMK if you know what I should do!
What happens when you click the pin buttons? Have you tried using a different browser?