Apple Pecan Salad
Apple Pecan Salad is a healthy and delicious side, topped with toasted pecans, crisp apples, salty feta, and a simple homemade dressing. The sweet and salty flavor combinations make this salad incredibly tasty, and it’s easy to throw together!
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.
- Top it with your favorite protein. One of our favorites is blackened chicken.
Try my Kale Apple Slaw recipe too! Apples are so tasty in salads. This arugula salad is also delicious and uses similar ingredients. 7 layer salad is also simple to make.
Tips and Tricks for Making A Delicious 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 those that are sweet, flavorful, and firm when making salads. You also want to choose apples that won’t brown easily. I like Cortland, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples in this recipe.
- 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 fully avoided.
- 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 or fried chicken.
Apple salad also makes a wonderful Thanksgiving side dish. Enjoy it with your roast turkey and other tasty sides like ranch mashed potatoes and green bean casserole.
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Mizeria Cucumber Salad
- Mexican Macaroni Salad
- Amish Potato Salad
- Thanksgiving Fruit Salad
- Cold Green Bean Salad
- Watermelon Basil Salad
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Your comment and/or rating helps other readers!
Apple Pecan Salad
Ingredients
- 2 red apples I like Cortland, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala apples.
- ½ heaping cup red grapes
- 3 oz arugula
- 3 oz baby spinach
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- ¾ cup pecan halves raw
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Slice the grapes into halves and the apples into segments, discarding the cores.
- Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes until toasted.
- Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, lemon juice and some salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the apples, grapes, arugula and spinach to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle over the dressing and toss well to coat.
- Sprinkle over the feta cheese and pecans to serve.
