Apple Pecan Salad
This apple pecan salad is so simple and quick to make, with the best combination of textures and flavors. It’s the perfect fall salad!
I don’t have a lot of salad recipes on the blog, but it’s not because we don’t ever eat salad. The truth is, every time I make a salad, it’s pretty much the exact same salad… this one! This apple pecan salad is so simple and so delicious. It has just a handful of ingredients, takes only a few minutes to make, and is made with ingredients I always have on hand. I love the combination of flavors and textures, and it’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner, but fancy enough for company. It really is the best salad!
I’ve made this salad with pretty much every kind of apple from the grocery store, and it’s definitely best with crisp, flavorful apples that are both sweet and tart. My current favorite apples are Cosmic Crisp, but Honeycrisp and Sweet Tango apples are good choices too. Gala apples will also work in a pinch, although they’re generally a little less flavorful, but I would avoid something like a Red Delicious, that has pretty much no flavor.
As far as salad greens go, I really love Spring Mix (and often add extra arugula to my own salad) but my husband hates it and only wants to eat romaine. Sometimes I do a combination, sometimes I use a mix of baby spinach and romaine, and sometimes I do all romaine. It works well any of those ways, although I really like the extra flavor and texture from the Spring Mix.
For the blue cheese, I am totally in love with gorgonzola, but really any kind of blue cheese will work. If you are an absolute blue cheese hater (like I was for the first 30+ years of my life – I get it!) you can use cubed white cheddar or Swiss cheese, and it will still be totally delicious. This salad is very adaptable (you can use pears in place of the apples, walnuts in place of the pecans, and use pretty much any kind of cheese) but the combination of sweet crisp fruit, crunchy nuts, and creamy cheese is always a winning combination!
When it comes to dressing this salad, my absolute favorite is poppy seed dressing. I really like the Brianna’s brand from the grocery store, but I also have a fantastic homemade version that I will be sharing on Monday. Stay tuned!
Apple Pecan Salad
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 cups Spring Mix salad
- 1 Cosmic Crisp apple cubed
- 1/4 cup gorgonzola crumbles or other blue cheese
- 1/4 cup pecan halves
- poppy seed salad dressing
Instructions
- Assemble the salad by adding the spring mix to a large platter or serving bowl. Sprinkle the apple cubes, gorgonzola crumbles, and pecan halves over the top. Toss with poppy seed dressing just before serving.
