This fall themed Apple Walnut Salad is quite simply delicious tossed with a cranberry vinaigrette, and it’s so easy to prepare.
Grab your favorite mixed greens to make this salad. I prefer to use a head of red leaf and a head of green leaf, trim and wash those and combine them to make my favorite green salad mix. To make things easier, you can use the greens found in the tub. Apples and walnuts are the other two main ingredients in this Apple Walnut Salad. And you can add cheese if you like cheese on your salad!
Ingredients needed:
- fresh or frozen cranberries
- balsamic vinegar
- red onion
- white sugar
- Dijon mustard
- olive oil
- mixed greens
- apples
- walnuts
- goat cheese (optional)
How to make Apple Walnut Salad:
The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.
Make the vinaigrette:
Puree the cranberries in a food processor until smooth. Add the vinegar, onion, sugar and mustard and process until well blended. With the processor running, gradually add the oil and process until well blended.
Transfer the vinaigrette to a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature and whisk before using).
Assemble the salad:
In a large bowl, combine the greens and apples. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts.
Serve, passing the remaining dressing separately.
Sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese (or feta cheese), if you’d like.
What kind of apples are best to use in a fall salad?
Use an apple that has sweetness to it. I prefer Fuji or Honeycrisp. Those will pair nicely with the lightly sweetened cranberry balsamic vinaigrette.
Make this simple fall salad to go with a delicious fall dinner. Enjoy!
The Best Fall Salad Recipes:
- Mixed Green Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- Cranberry Spinach Salad with Gorgonzola
- Fall Cobb Salad
- Maple Roasted Pumpkin Salad
- Autumn Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette
If you happen to be following the Weight Watchers WW plan, you’ll find a link to the WW Points on the recipe card below.
Apple Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
VINAIGRETTE:
- ¼ cup fresh or frozen cranberries (thawed)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
SALAD:
- 10 cups mixed baby greens
- 2 medium Fuji or Honeycrisp apples, cored & thinly sliced
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
- crumbled goat cheese, optional
Instructions
MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE:
- Puree the cranberries in a food processor until smooth. Add the vinegar, onion, sugar and mustard and process until well blended. With the processor running, gradually add the oil and process until well blended.
- Transfer the vinaigrette to a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature and whisk before using).
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD:
- In a large bowl, combine the greens and apples. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts. Add goat cheese, if using.
- Serve, passing remaining dressing separately.
Notes
- You will only need about half the vinaigrette for the salad. Save the rest for another day.
- WW Points are calculated using half the vinaigrette and none of the optional cheese.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this salad for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! I did not bring any salad home! I was told later that this salad was awesome and that I could make it anytime!
We made the salad as written, but altered the dressing. First time we made the dressing in a food processor using fresh cranberries, and cut the oil to 3/4 cup. Then we tried making it in a blender. The blender worked so much better-it was faster, blended better, and easier cleanup. Reducing the oil makes the dressing thicker but it was very good. A little dressing goes a long way. I made carmelized walnuts and added a few dried cranberries to the salad. It was a hit at our Thanksgiving dinner-even the picky eaters liked it!
I used several substitutions when I made this recipe. Blueberries for the cranberries, white wine vinegar for the balsamic, pecans for the walnuts, fugi instead of delicious apples. It turned out fantastic!