Go Back

Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad

Apple cranberry pecan salad with baby spinach, crisp apple slices, and candied pecans tossed with a poppy seed vinaigrette. Quick assembly keeps the greens fresh and the apples tender-crisp.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad base
  • 6 cup baby spinach or spring mix
Toppings
  • 2 apples thinly sliced
  • 0.5 cup dried cranberries
  • 0.5 cup candied pecans
  • 0.5 cup blue cheese or feta, crumbled
  • 0.25 small red onion thinly sliced
Poppy seed dressing
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
  • 0.5 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 salt pinch

Method
 

Make the poppy seed dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, and salt in a bowl until smooth and combined. No heat is needed.
Assemble the salad
  1. Place baby spinach or spring mix in a large bowl as the base. Spread it out so it’s easy to toss later.
  2. Top with thinly sliced apples, dried cranberries, candied pecans, crumbled blue cheese or feta, and thinly sliced red onion. Distribute evenly across the surface.
  3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving to prevent soggy greens. Use all of the dressing for balanced flavor.
  4. Toss gently to coat everything without crushing the apples. Serve immediately after tossing.

Notes

Pro tip: slice apples right before assembling and keep the dressing separate until the last minute for crisp texture. Store assembled salad (without dressing if possible) in the fridge up to 1 day; dressing can be covered and refrigerated up to 3 days. Freezing isn’t recommended. For a dairy-light option, swap the blue cheese/feta for toasted pepitas or a small amount of dairy-free crumbles.