Description
Seasonal warmth fills this apple pecan fall salad with rich autumn flavors. Crisp apple slices, toasted pecans, and tangy goat cheese create a delightful blend that invites you to savor harvest’s essence.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups mixed greens
- 1 apple (Jonathan, Fuji, or Gala), diced
- 1 pear, diced
- ½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
- ½ cup salted pecans
- ⅓ cup craisins (dried cranberries)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsps honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Vinaigrette Preparation: Combine lime juice, honey, Dijon mustard, olive oil, and seasonings in a sealed mason jar, shaking vigorously until ingredients form a smooth, well-integrated emulsion.
- Salad Assembly: Create a lush base of mixed greens in a spacious serving bowl, then strategically layer cubed apple and pear to establish a vibrant, textural foundation.
- Flavor Layering: Disperse craisins and crumbled blue cheese across the salad, introducing sweet-tart bursts and creamy depth while maintaining a balanced visual composition.
- Nutty Accent: Generously distribute salted pecans over the salad, providing a satisfying crunch and rich, complementary flavor profile.
- Final Touches: Gently toss the ingredients to ensure even distribution, then serve with the prepared vinaigrette on the side, allowing diners to customize their dressing application according to individual taste preferences.
Notes
- Prevent Browning Hack: Toss apple and pear cubes in lime juice immediately after cutting to maintain fresh, vibrant color and prevent oxidation.
- Cheese Selection Tip: Choose high-quality blue cheese with creamy texture for maximum flavor depth and smooth integration into the salad.
- Pecan Toasting Technique: Lightly toast pecans in dry skillet for 2-3 minutes before adding to enhance nutty flavor and increase crunchiness.
- Dressing Emulsion Secret: Shake vinaigrette vigorously in sealed jar for 15-20 seconds to create stable, well-blended dressing that coats ingredients evenly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 15 mg