This apple cranberry walnut salad is my to-go salad year-round! The sweet apples compliment the tart cranberries so well. Toss in my delicious homemade balsamic vinaigrette. YUM!!
Everybody needs a go-to salad to have in their bag of tricks, and this one is mine. The next time your friends ask you to bring a salad to the party, make my apple cranberry walnut salad!
A good friend owns a catering company in San Diego, CA. Toast Catering, check them out if you are in the area. This is one of their most popular types of salads, and I have adopted it into my life as well.
Mixed greens are mixed with apples, endive, cranberries, blue cheese, candied walnuts, and tossed with balsamic dressing. If you love salad recipes, check out my harvest chicken salad, and pickled red onions.
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Why apple cranberry walnut salad is so good
- Belgan Endive. This green has a slight bitter flavor to is a classic combination with apples. Endive adds a nice texture and crunch to this salad.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette. My yummy homeade dressing is better than any store-bought brand and ties everything togeather.
- Makes the perfect side salad. If you are taking a mixed green salad to a party or enjoying at home, it doesn't get any better than this simple green salad.
Ingredients
- mixed greens - layer with damp paper towels to extend the life of your salad greens
- candied walnuts - make my paleo candied walnuts , they are delicious
- blue cheese
- dried cranberries - buy sugar-free for Whole30 and Paleo followers
- endive - have a slightly bitter flavor that goes amazingly well with apples
- apple - Fuji, Honeycrisp, and Pink Laddies are the best options
- balsamic dressing - make my homemade balsamic dressing,it's better than store-bought options.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make apple cranberry walnut salad
Making this salad is so easy, here's how to make it:
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine mixed greens, apples, endive, blue cheese, candied walnuts, and dried cranberries.
Step 2: Toss this salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I like to use about ¼ cup of dressing. Enjoy!
Substitutions
Greens - Arugula, spinach, and romaine are great, especially if you mix them all.
Pears - Swap out apples for pears. Asian, Bosc, and D'Anjou pears are all great choices.
Dried Cherries - I have made this recipe with dried cherries before and it's just as delicious.
Whole30 - Remove the blue cheese and make sure to use no sugar added dried cranberries.
Dressing - You might want to try my white balsamic dressing for a different variation.
Equipment
The best way to keep your salad greens fresh
Do you ever buy salad greens from the store to find out they go bad before you make the salad? I am here to show you some tips to keep those greens crisp and fresh.
- Open the plastic salad container that your mixed greens came in.
- Transfer the greens to a bowl and rinse and dry the plastic container.
- Layer mixed greens with a damp paper towel. Do this three or four times. The damp paper towels wtih keep salad greens fresh for 7 days.
Pro Tips
- Store mixed greens layered with damp paper towels to keep this looking fresh.
- For a lightly tossed salad, add 2 tablespoons of dressing. I use about ¼ cup of dressing on my salads.
- Season salad with a pinch of salt and some cracked black pepper. This tip will make your salad taste so much better.
- Slice endive and apples right before tossing with dressing. They will oxidize and turn brown very quickly. If you want to prep the veggies ahead of time, you can submerge them in acidulated water.
- Bring this salad to any party or buffet. When your family or friends say, "can you bring a nice green salad." MAKE THIS RECIPE!
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few ways to give life to any salad: Different dressing, nuts and seeds, cheese, herbs, edible flowers, and season with salt and pepper.
Here are a few dressings to try: Poppyseed dressing, apple-cider vinaigrette, and balsamic dressing.
They are sold in plastic clamshell containers consisting of different greens. Baby romaine, swiss chard, spinach, mizuna, arugula, and radicchio are commonly used.
For salads, you want an apple that is crisp and crunchy. Jazz, Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Pink Ladies are all great choices.
More Salad Recipes...
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📖 Recipe
Apple Cranberry Walnut Salad
Ingredients
- 5 ounces of spring mix
- 1 large Fuji apple sliced
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup candied walnuts
- 1 head Belgian endive sliced
- 2 ounces blue cheese crumbles
- ¼ cup balsamic dressing
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine spring mix, sliced apple, cranberries, candied walnuts, sliced endive, and blue cheese crumbles.
- Pour ¼ cup of balsamic dressing over greens. Toss using kitchen tongs to coat.
- Serve in salad bowls and top with candied walnuts and blue cheese crumbles.
mikecleavenger
This salad is so easy and delicious to make! The flavor combinations of apples, endive, blue cheese, and cranberries are amazing. The next time you bring a salad to a party you must try this recipe.