Description
A crisp and refreshing salad made with crunchy apples, toasted walnuts, creamy blue cheese, and mixed greens. Tossed with a simple vinaigrette, it’s perfect as a side or light main dish.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 4 cups mixed greens (spring mix, arugula, or spinach)
- 2 apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), thinly sliced
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ½ cup toasted walnuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (optional)
- ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced
For the Dressing:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a small skillet, toast walnuts over medium heat until fragrant, about 3–4 minutes. Let cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper until emulsified.
- In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, apple slices, blue cheese, walnuts, cranberries, and red onion.
- Drizzle with dressing and toss gently to combine.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Swap walnuts for pecans for a sweeter crunch.
- Use pears instead of apples for a variation.
- Best served right after assembling to keep apples crisp—toss slices in lemon juice if prepping ahead.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (to toast nuts)
- Category: Salad / Side Dish
- Method: Tossed / Assembled
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 300mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 6g
- Cholesterol: 10mg
