Apple Walnut Salad Bright Refreshing Wellplated Com

Salads at big holiday meals are easy to pass over. Not this one. The varied flavors, textures, and an unexpected, absolutely delectable cinnamon dressing make it memorable and something your guests will thank you for preparing. Crisp, sweet apple slices are a natural pairing with rich, toasty walnuts and creamy blue cheese (yes, you can swap goat cheese or make it an apple walnut feta salad if you prefer). A handful of cranberries give it festive color and pops of tangy sweetness. For the greens, I chose a mix of arugula and endive, a slightly bitter green that is in prime season right now. It’s important that the greens are strong enough to stand up to the other bold flavors in this salad; they give it the backbone it needs. The crowning touch that makes this salad unforgettable is a vibrant maple dressing with a touch of cinnamon. The cinnamon tastes fantastic with the apples. The overall effect will lead you to believe the walnuts are candied (even though all we need to do is toast them in the oven. So much easier!).

The Best Apple Walnut Salad

This memorable, beautiful salad might feel fancy, but it’s actually super easy to prepare! You can fully assemble it up to 1 day in advance, then dress and toss it just before serving (see more in Storage & Make Ahead Tips below).

The Ingredients

Arugula. A member of the Brassica family, arugula is a delicious green with its own unique flavor. It’s tender and has a slightly peppery taste that adds wonderful flavor to salads like this one. Belgian Endive. While there are a few varieties of endive, you’ll want to use Belgian endive specifically for this recipe. It resembles a small head of lettuce with light yellow leaves. Refreshingly crisp and mildly bitter, it is a welcome counterpart to both the apples and arugula.

Apples. The apples soak up the scrumptious dressing flavor and add a wonderful juicy crunch to the salad. Honeycrisp apples are a great option, just like in Grape Salad.Dried Cranberries. With their chewy texture, sweet flavor, and festive color, dried cranberries are an exceptional addition for both elegance and taste. Blue Cheese. A classic pairing with apple and walnut, blue cheese is a perfect fit here. For something mild, use gorgonzola; for something stronger, look for Cabrales (a Spanish blue cheese) or Roquefort (which is French). Not into blue cheese? Feta and goat cheese both work well.Nuts. Freshly toasted walnuts make all the difference in the world.Maple Cinnamon Dressing. A little sweet, a little tangy, and a lot delicious (especially with the apples!). Be sure to add it gradually so that you don’t accidentally overdress the salad.

The Directions

Storage Tips

To Store. This tastes best the day it is made, but I also enjoyed it leftover, adding some fresh greens and a drizzle of extra dressing to liven it back up. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight storage container for up to 2 days.

What to Serve with Apple Walnut Salad

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe. A comfort food classic.Salmon Wellington. An elegant seafood pairing.Grilled Chicken Tenders. An easy option for summertime.

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Mixing Bowls. Multiple sizes for preparing all the components of this salad. Small Whisk. No more splashing salad dressing all over the counter. Apple Corer. Makes light work of cutting apples.

Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.