Apple Walnut Salad – Detoxinista

This Apple Walnut Salad is the right technique to get pleasure from peak apple season. Carry it to a vacation occasion, or get pleasure from it as scrumptious lunch topped along with your favourite protein.

Why You’ll Love It

It’s straightforward to make. This salad requires minimal prep work, however it tastes spectacular! Simply stir collectively 5 easy substances to make the dressing and chop an apple and crimson onion earlier than you assemble all of it collectively. 

It’s scrumptious. Home made salad dressing tastes 100% higher than something you should buy on the retailer, and whenever you pair it with creamy feta cheese, crisp apples, and walnuts for crunch, this rapidly turns into a salad you’ll crave. 

It may be made forward of time. When you want a straightforward salad for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you may stir collectively the dressing as much as 5 days prematurely. Chop the apple and onion proper earlier than serving, and it’s prepared to put on the desk in lower than 10 minutes. 

It’s straightforward to customise. When you don’t have walnuts readily available, you may simply swap them for pecans or sliced almonds. You may also use one other cheese, equivalent to goat cheese or blue cheese, and some other salad greens you’re keen on, equivalent to romaine or crimson leaf lettuce. Prime it with baked hen for an entire meal, or baked tofu for a vegetarian choice.

Elements You’ll Want

What’s in an apple walnut salad? 

• Apples
• Lettuce
• Crimson onion
• Walnuts
• Feta cheese
• Balsamic French dressing (recipe under!)

You should use any sort of apples for this recipe, equivalent to Gala, Fuji, or inexperienced apple. (I used honeycrisp apples in these images.)

You may also add some other Fall toppings you’re keen on, like dried cranberries or sliced figs. 

The best way to Make the Greatest Apple Walnut Salad

1. Combine the dressing. 

In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, dijon mustard, and salt. Whisk effectively, till the dressing seems thicker and effectively combined. 

Be aware: You may make this dressing as much as 5 days prematurely, however remember the fact that it might thicken up within the fridge. Carry it to room temperature once more by operating the sealed jar beneath heat operating faucet water, or let it sit on the counter half-hour earlier than serving. I purposefully didn’t add garlic to this salad dressing recipe as a result of it may possibly develop into pungent because it sits within the fridge, however be at liberty so as to add some in the event you’d wish to.

2. Plate the salad. 

The one issues it’s essential slice for this recipe are the apples and crimson onion.

Thinly slice them for the perfect texture, then organize the apple slices and onion on a mattress of combined greens in a big bowl. (Use the store-bought combine that’s pre-washed for the quickest outcomes.)

3. Get pleasure from!

Add the walnuts and feta on high, then drizzle on the balsamic French dressing proper earlier than serving.

This salad is finest served immediately when you’ve added the apples and dressing. When you want the apples to last more, strive squeezing some lemon juice over them to forestall browning after they’re sliced.

Leftovers may be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge. The sliced apple and crimson onion needs to be used inside 24 hours for the perfect taste & texture, however the salad greens, feta cheese, and dressing may be saved in separate containers within the fridge for as much as 5 days, in the event you’d wish to make this prematurely.

Widespread Questions & Substitutions

Can I make this salad vegan? Sure, you may swap the honey for maple syrup within the salad dressing to make it vegan pleasant, and omit the cheese. (Or use a dairy-free choice, as an alternative.)

Can I take advantage of one other vinegar? Sure, you should use crimson wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar with related outcomes. 

The Greatest Apple Walnut Salad

This Apple Walnut Salad is topped with crunchy walnuts and a scrumptious honey balsamic French dressing. It is the right dish to convey to a vacation occasion, and can make you crave your subsequent salad.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook dinner Time: 0 minutes

Whole Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6

Elements

Balsamic Dressing

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (see notice)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
• ¼ teaspoon positive sea salt

Salad

• 6 cups combined greens
• 1 medium apple , thinly sliced
• ¼ crimson onion , thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
• ½ cup uncooked walnuts , roughly chopped
• ¼ cup feta cheese , crumbled (elective)

Directions 

• To arrange the balsamic French dressing, add the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt to a small bowl. Whisk effectively, till the dressing seems thicker, then set it apart.

• To assemble the salad, add the combined greens to a big serving plate and high it with the sliced apples and crimson onion. Then sprinkle on the walnuts and feta, if utilizing.

• Drizzle the dressing over the salad simply earlier than serving. You may not use the entire dressing immediately, however I wish to serve the additional on the facet in case friends want to add extra. Leftover dressing may be saved in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 5 days. It is going to thicken when chilled, so run the jar beneath heat operating faucet water to skinny it out once more.

Notes

Diet data is for 1 of 6 servings, about 1 heaping cup of salad with dressing. This data is routinely calculated (utilizing the entire dressing) and is simply an estimate, not a assure.
I used a comparatively low-cost balsamic vinegar when testing this recipe. When you purchase an aged one that’s thicker, nearly like a balsamic glaze, it’s best to cut-back on the honey, because the vinegar could already be candy!
For a vegan recipe, omit the cheese and use maple syrup as an alternative of honey.
You may make the dressing as much as 5 days prematurely in the event you’d wish to plan forward for a vacation, however I wouldn’t slice the apple and onion till shortly earlier than you propose on serving it, for the perfect taste and look.

Diet

Energy: 210kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 3g, Fats: 17g, Saturated Fats: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 6g, Monounsaturated Fats: 8g, Ldl cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium: 190mg, Potassium: 166mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 500IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 51mg, Iron: 1mg

Replace notice: This recipe was up to date in October 2022 with a slight tweak to the dressing, in case you don’t all the time hold costly balsamic vinegar readily available. The unique recipe known as for two teaspoons of honey, a 1/2 teaspoon of spicy brown mustard, and a pinch of salt, in the event you most popular that model. I feel this up to date recipe works even higher for the vacations, although!

When you do that apple walnut salad recipe, please go away a remark and star ranking under letting me understand how you prefer it!