This Apple Pecan Salad is chock full of crunchy apples, candied pecans, creamy blue cheese, and a honey mustard dressing that’s simply amazing. This fall salad makes a tantalizing meal that truly satisfies. This Apple Pecan Salad has it all: it’s crispy, sweet, tangy, crunchy, and creamy all at once. In This Article Why This Recipe Stands OutKey Recipe IngredientsSubstitutions And VariationsStep-By-Step Recipe InstructionsHow To Prep AheadCommonly Asked QuestionsApple Pecan Salad RecipeMore to Cook And Eat View more This post may contain affiliate links, at no additional cost to you. Why This Recipe Stands Out We love a good salad, and this Apple Pecan Salad is one of the best we’ve tried. Here’s why it stands out: Loaded with Texture and Flavor: This chopped salad has it all: it’s crispy, sweet, tangy, crunchy, and creamy all at once, like our Beet Salad Recipe. Delicious Combination: The combination of the crisp apples, candied pecans, and creamy blue cheese is just heavenly, like our Chicken Caprese Salad. Versatile: You can keep it meatless or add chopped chicken for a heartier salad. In fact, if you have some leftover rotisserie, it’s an easy way to chicken-up your salad. Simple, Yet Impressive: The recipe uses simple ingredients that you can easily find at your local grocery store, but the flavors and presentation are restaurant-quality, as in our Baked Honey Ham. Homemade Dressing: The dressing for this salad is made from scratch, and it’s so simple to put together, just like this Poppyseed Dressing in our Strawberry Chicken Salad. Key Recipe Ingredients Romaine Lettuce – We chose Romaine lettuce for its sturdy and crisp texture, which provides a perfect base for the salad. Blue Cheese – This cheese is rich and creamy with a tangy kick, adding a depth of flavor to the salad. Apples – We prefer a sweet and tart apple, such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady, for a refreshing crunch. Coarse Ground Mustard – This adds a zesty kick to the vinaigrette, and the whole mustard seeds provide a nice texture. Honey – A touch of honey, not only adds sweetness but also helps to emulsify the vinaigrette for a smooth, well-combined dressing. Substitutions And Variations Here are some of our favorite variations and substitutions: Cheese: While we love the creaminess and tang of blue cheese, feta or goat cheese would also work beautifully in this salad, just like in our Strawberry Salad with Asparagus and Lemon Spinach Orzo Salad. Nuts: If you’re not a fan of candied pecans, try using almonds or walnuts instead, as we do in our Pomegranate Salad. You can also switch out the candied nuts for toasted ones if you prefer a less sweet option. Apples: We love the crunch and sweetness of apples in this salad, but pears would be a delicious substitute, especially in the winter months. Greens: If romaine isn’t your favorite, try using spinach or kale as the base of your salad. Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions In a bowl, whisk together olive oil, mustard, honey, vinegar, salt, and pepper to make the dressing. Chill in an airtight container. Combine lettuce, cranberries, pecans, blue cheese, and apples in a salad bowl. Drizzle some dressing, toss, and serve. For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below. How To Prep Ahead Take a look at our favorite prep-ahead strategies for this recipe: Make the Dressing: The dressing for this salad can be made ahead of time. Follow the instructions as stated and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give it a good shake before using it. Assemble Beforehand: You can assemble, excluding the dressing, the salad a couple of hours before serving. Make sure to toss chopped apples in lemon juice to prevent browning. When you’re ready to serve, drizzle the dressing, toss, and serve immediately. The crispy chopped apples, candied pecans, and creamy blue cheese go together beautifully in this salad. Commonly Asked Questions What type of apple is best to use for this salad? We recommend using a sweet and crisp apple for this salad, such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji. These varieties complement the tangy blue cheese and the sweet dressing. If you prefer a more tart flavor, you can also go for a Granny Smith apple. Can I use pre-made salad dressing? While you can use pre-made salad dressing for convenience, we highly recommend making the homemade dressing for this salad. The combination of coarse ground mustard, honey, and apple cider vinegar really brings out the flavors of the apples, pecans, and blue cheese. How do I keep the apples from turning brown? To prevent the apples from turning brown, you can toss them in a little bit of lemon juice. The acid in the lemon juice will help slow down the oxidation process. Alternatively, you can add the apples to the salad just before serving. What is the best way to store the leftover salad? If you happen to have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. However, it’s best to consume the salad on the same day it’s made, as the lettuce may become soggy and the apples may start to brown after a day. Print Apple Pecan Salad This scrumptious Apple Pecan Salad features crispy apples, crunchy candied pecans, and creamy blue cheese. The honey mustard dressing is so easy and tastes incredible. Course SaladCuisine AmericanDiet VegetarianMethod Assemble Prep Time 15 minutes minutesTotal Time 15 minutes minutes Servings 8 servings Calories 155kcal Author Amy Dong Ingredients6 oz romaine lettuce chopped¼ cup dried cranberries¼ cup candied pecans3 oz blue cheese crumbled, see notes1 whole apple chopped into 1/2 inch cubes4 TB extra virgin olive oil4 tsp coarse ground mustard with seeds1 TB pure honey + 2 tsp 1 tsp apple cider vinegar¼ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper InstructionsMake the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, honey, vinegar, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Whisk well to combine. Transfer to airtight container and keep chilled. Can be made ahead of time.When ready to serve, combine romaine lettuce, cranberries, candied pecans, crumbled blue cheese, and apples into a salad bowl. Drizzle a bit of dressing, toss, and repeat until desired amount of dressing is mixed in. Serve immediately. Notes Feel free to sub with gorgonzola, roquefort, goat, or feta cheeses.  Make sure to chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces. This will make it easier to eat and ensure that each bite is well-balanced with all the other ingredients. When making the dressing, whisk the ingredients well to ensure that the mustard seeds are evenly distributed, giving the dressing a nice texture and balanced flavor. To keep your apple pecan salad fresh and crisp, wait to chop and add the apples until you’re ready to serve. This will prevent them from browning and maintain their crunch. Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp to make it a complete meal. The salad is also a great side dish for your favorite protein.   If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and give it a rating. We hearing from you!  Join our Free Recipe Club and get our newest, best recipes each week! NutritionCalories: 155kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 239mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1947IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 0.4mg More to Cook And Eat Pomegranate Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese. For the holidays and any other day of the year; soooo yummy, it doesn’t feel like you’re eating something that good for you. Beet and Blue Cheese Salad with Pistachio. Got beets? It’s one of the best veggies for your health, and they taste awesome in a salad. Peaches and Honey Crostini with Melty Blue Cheese. The title says it all. Sweet, savory, all yum. Cabernet Burgers with Blue Cheese. Gotta throw in a burger into this summery mix. Burgers and Blue just go hand in hand. The post Apple Pecan Salad appeared first on Chew Out Loud.