Description
Autumn Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette brings together the season’s best flavors in a crisp and vibrant dish. Featuring crunchy pecans, tart apples, and savory bacon atop fresh greens, this salad is both a feast for the eyes and the palate. Drizzled with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette that balances sweetness and tanginess, it’s the ideal addition to your Thanksgiving table or a refreshing choice for a light lunch. Quick to prepare in just 15 minutes, this versatile salad can be customized to fit your taste preferences. Whether served as a main course or alongside roasted meats, it’s sure to impress at any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 cups crisp Romaine or Green Leaf lettuce, chopped (approximately 1 head of lettuce)
- 2 medium tart red apples, cored and diced (do not peel) (recommended: Fuji or Honeycrisp)
- 1 cup dried cranberries (sub: fresh pomegranate seeds)
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (sub: Gorgonzola crumbles)
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (sub: honey)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by combining olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a jar. Seal tightly and shake until well mixed.
- In a large bowl, combine chopped lettuce, diced apples, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, crumbled bacon, and feta cheese.
- Drizzle about two-thirds of the dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to combine.
- Serve immediately with additional dressing on the side.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 20mg