Apple Walnut Salad

Peak produce season comes during the hottest days of summer, with every meal bursting with fresh stone fruits, sweet corn, and juicy tomatoes. But don’t think for a minute that the arrival of autumn is any less bountiful. Now’s the time to celebrate this shoulder season with a light and fresh salad featuring fall’s favorite fruit — the apple. 

This recipe for apple walnut salad is crisp and refreshing. It starts with tender salad greens dressed with an apple cider vinegar and maple syrup vinaigrette, then it’s decked out with crisp apple slices, toasted walnuts, creamy cheese, crunchy and salty pumpkin seeds, and sweet-tart dried fruit. Apple walnut salad is best served family-style, so make sure to build this salad in a shallow, wide bowl to showcase every ingredient. 

• It’s everything you love about fall. This salad is packed with the absolute best autumnal flavors, including apples, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries. 
• The dressing alone is worth it. The homemade dressing made with apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and cinnamon is the only recipe you need for fall. It’s sweet, savory, tangy, and delicious. 

• Apples: Crisp, sweet-tart apples are the star of this fall salad. 
• Walnuts: Toast the walnuts to bring out their flavor and aroma. Coarsely chop the nuts before toasting for even browning.
• Salad greens: Use tender, flavorful greens like arugula, baby spinach, or mixed greens as the base of this salad. 
• Salad toppings: Toppings add flavor and texture to the salad. Add chewy dried cranberries or cherries, creamy fresh goat cheese, and salty pumpkin seeds on top.
• Apple cider vinegar: Use apple cider vinegar in the salad dressing to bring out the fruit flavor. Sweeten the dressing with maple syrup and add ground cinnamon for warmth.

1. Make the salad dressing. Combine the apple cider vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, and seasonings in a small jar, seal the lid, and shake until emulsified. You can also whisk the dressing together in a small bowl instead.
2. Toss salad greens with the dressing. Toss the greens with half of the dressing to make sure every bite is full of flavor. 
3. Arrange the toppings. Finish building the salad by arranging the apple slices, goat cheese crumbles, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and pumpkin seeds over the salad greens. Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the top.

• Instead of choosing Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples for the salad, add slices of your favorite variety. Use this chart to help you determine which apples are sweet and which are tart.
• Walnuts pair well with the fall flavors in this salad, but you can use other nuts in their place like pecans, almonds, and even pistachios.
• Crumble mild blue cheese or add cubes of aged cheddar to the salad instead of soft goat cheese. 

• Make the dressing up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Shake or whisk to emulsify it again before tossing with the salad. 
• This salad is best served immediately. The tender greens can wilt quickly after adding the dressing. 

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