Vacation Salad with Apple Cider Dressing

This Vacation Salad is the proper dish so as to add to your vacation menu. It’s tossed with a flavorful apple cider French dressing, and takes simply 10 minutes to assemble from begin to end!

Why You’ll Love It

It’s scrumptious. That is a kind of recipes that has everybody licking their salad bowl. The mix of candy apples, tart cranberries, and crunchy pecans, all tossed in a tangy dressing, make it a salad you’ll crave. Creamy Gorgonzola takes the flavour excessive, however you can too swap the blue cheese for feta crumbles, in the event you favor. (Or serve the cheese on the facet, to provide your company the choice.)

It’s quick. All it’s a must to do is stir collectively the dressing, and chop 2 substances. Whenever you use pre-washed combined greens as the bottom on your salad, the meeting is a breeze. 

You may make it forward of time. You may put together the dressing as much as 3 days upfront, and preserve it saved within the fridge for a better vacation meal. Simply chop the onion and apple shortly earlier than serving, and toss all of it along with the dressing. 

It pairs completely with different facet dishes. The flavors on this salad are the proper companion for different fashionable sides, like mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing.

Elements You’ll Want

What salad substances will you want?

• Lettuce
• Apple (or pear)
• Purple onion
• Dried Cranberries
• Pecans
• Blue cheese crumbles
• Apple cider French dressing (recipe beneath!)

This salad is super-flexible, so be happy so as to add any seasonal extras you like, resembling roasted beets or roasted butternut squash. You would additionally add pomegranate seeds for colour, or some sliced oranges, in the event you like. Walnuts, sliced almonds, or pistachios additionally make an amazing swap for the pecans.

Should you’re not a fan of blue cheese, attempt utilizing goat cheese or feta, as a substitute. (Or go away it off for a dairy-free salad, and supply the choice on the facet.)

Methods to Make the Finest Vacation Salad

1. Make the salad dressing.

In a 12-ounce mason jar with a lid, mix the apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, spicy brown mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and black pepper. Use a small whisk or spoon to stir properly, till the dressing seems clean. 

Style and make any changes, as wanted. If the dressing is simply too candy for you, attempt including a tablespoon of recent lemon juice and stir once more. Or you may add extra sweetener, if the dressing tastes too tart. As soon as the dressing tastes good to you, set it apart whilst you assemble the salad.

Make-Forward Tip: You may put together this salad dressing as much as 3 days upfront, if you wish to plan forward! Simply preserve it saved within the fridge till you’re able to serve it, and let it sit on the counter for 1 hour previous to your vacation meal, so it might probably come again to room temperature once more. (This makes it simpler to pour.)

2. Chop. 

You solely must slice two issues for this recipe: apples and pink onion. I prefer to preserve the items small, so they’re simple to select up on a fork! 

You may reduce the apples into matchsticks (as pictured right here), cube them into small chunks, or thinly slice them and fan them out over the salad. (You may see an instance of this in my Apple Walnut Salad recipe.)

3. Assemble. 

If you end up able to serve the salad, organize the pre-washed greens on a big platter, or in a big serving bowl. Sprinkle the apple and onion excessive, then add within the dried cranberries and pecans. 

Add the crumbled cheese, if utilizing, then generously drizzle on the dressing. (It’s okay in the event you don’t use the entire dressing directly; it’ll preserve properly within the fridge for a number of extra days.) 

Toss properly, after which the salad is able to serve instantly.

​Ceaselessly Requested Questions

Which sort of lettuce works greatest? I are likely to depend on the bagged combined greens on the retailer, since they arrive pre-washed for a busy vacation meal, however you can too use spicy arugula as the bottom, or finely chop a head of romaine lettuce. (Romaine is my favourite, in the event you don’t thoughts taking the additional time to finely chop it. Giant items are too troublesome on your company!)

Can I exploit a distinct sweetener? Sure, after all! You should use maple syrup as a substitute of honey, in the event you want a vegan salad dressing. And be happy to make use of much less sweetener, in the event you favor a extra tart dressing.

In search of extra vacation salads? Do that wonderful Brussels Sprouts Salad, Greek Cauliflower Salad, Kale Salad with Caesar Dressing, or Wild Rice Salad with Orange Vinaigrette.

Vacation Salad with Apple Cider Dressing

This Vacation Salad is the proper dish to convey to your subsequent vacation occasion. It is tossed with a flavorful apple cider French dressing, and takes simply 10 minutes to assemble!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Prepare dinner Time: 0 minutes

Complete Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 8 folks

Elements

Apple Cider Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons uncooked apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon spicy brown (or Dijon) mustard
• 1 clove garlic , minced
• 2 to three tablespoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon effective sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon floor black pepper

Salad Meeting:

• 1 pound combined greens*
• 1 giant apple , thinly sliced
• ¼ giant pink onion , thinly sliced
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• ½ cup pecans
• ½ cup crumbled gorgonzola

Directions 

• To organize the dressing, mix the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and pepper in a 12-ounce glass jar with a lid. Begin with simply 2 tablespoons of honey, and add the opposite tablespoon if you would like the dressing to be sweeter. (My household prefers utilizing all 3 tablespoons.) Stir properly, till the dressing seems properly combined, and set it apart.

• To assemble the salad, add the leafy greens to a big salad bowl, and prime them with the sliced apples, onions, dried cranberries, and pecans. You may add the blue cheese on prime, too, or serve it on the facet with a spoon, for company who may not take pleasure in cheese.

• Pour the dressing generously over the salad, simply earlier than serving, and toss properly to ensure all the pieces is properly coated. You may not want to make use of the entire dressing, however any leftovers will preserve properly within the fridge for as much as 5 days in an hermetic container. (This dressing may also be made upfront, for a better vacation meal. Chop the apple and onion, and assemble the salad shortly earlier than serving, so the apple will not brown.)

Notes

Diet data is for 1 of 8 servings, assuming you employ the entire dressing and toppings. This data is mechanically calculated utilizing generic substances, and is simply an estimate, not a assure.
*I purchase an enormous field of combined greens from the shop, since they already come triple-washed and save time for the vacations. It’s also possible to use a big head (or two) of romaine lettuce, and finely chop it so it’s simple to serve on your company.

Diet

Energy: 213kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 3g, Fats: 16g, Saturated Fats: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g, Monounsaturated Fats: 10g, Ldl cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 170mg, Potassium: 189mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 717IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 54mg, Iron: 1mg

Replace Be aware: This recipe was up to date in November 2022 with minor adjustments. Should you favor the unique model, merely use 2 tablespoons of honey (as a substitute of three) and cut back the mustard by 1 teaspoon. I additionally added salt & pepper to this new model, and stir it collectively in a jar as a substitute of mixing it in a blender. For the salad, you need to use chopped romaine as the bottom, and use shredded purple cabbage as a substitute of the apple.

Should you do that vacation salad recipe, please go away a remark and star score beneath letting me understand how you prefer it!