Light, healthy and packed full of fiber and protein, this apple harvest salad is perfect for lunch or dinner. Fall has never tasted so fresh!
A crisp, juicy apple makes all the difference in a salad like this! That sweet bite combined with leafy greens is so refreshing. If you feel the same way, you’ll enjoy my Chicken Apple Walnut Salad or Cranberry Apple Pecan Kale Salad as well!
A Fall Inspired Salad
While we were strolling though the produce section, these gorgeous Utah akane apples caught my eye. They’re one of our favorite fall fruits along with local peaches and pears. I grabbed a bunch to snack on, bake with, and use in this apple harvest salad.
After grabbing the apples, I headed to the salad bar and picked up a few other things to make this fall inspired salad. When I got home I gathered every thing up, put it on a plate and then tossed a handful of the Georgia pecans my mother-in-law brought us on top.
It was perfect! I loved the crunch of the pecans and pepitas and the sweet and tart combo of the apples and dried cranberries. For added protein and fiber, I added some quinoa which helped make it feel a little more filling.
Homemade Vinaigrette
Since I’m a sucker for a vinaigrette, I whipped up a homemade dressing using a few simple ingredients: high quality balsamic vinegar & extra-virgin olive oil, minced shallot and salt and pepper. It pairs perfectly with the flavors of the salad and is a lot healthier then most store-bought dressings.
Storing dressing? It’s best to store a homemade dressing in a jar or another container with a tight fitting lid. This is important because vinaigrettes typically separate and a container with a tight lid like a mason jar allows for you to easily shake the ingredients back together.
Tips for the Perfect Salad
What apples are best? For a salad, you want to use a crisp apple that doesn’t brown quickly. I used akane apples, but you could also use honey crisp, fuji, pink lady, or jazz.
This salad is great on its own for a light lunch! But if you’re planning on eating this for dinner, I’d highly suggest adding slices of chicken breast seasoned with herbes de provence! It’ll taste amazing. You could also pair it with a soup or a side of bread. Here are some of our favorites:
- Chicken Wild Rice Soup
- Pumpkin Soup
- No Knead Artisan Bread
- Cornbread Muffins
- Buttery Pull Apart Rolls
Tools & Ingredients You Will Need For This Recipe:
Apple Harvest Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cup spinach - OR spring mix, lightly packed
- 1/4 cup quinoa - cooked
- 1 small apple - cut into chunks
- 2 tbsp pepitas - pumpkin seeds
- 3 tbsp dried cranberries
- 3 tbsp pecans - halves or chopped
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 tsp shallot - minced
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Add greens to a large dinner plate or salad bowl. Top with the cooked (and cooled) quinoa, apple chunks, pepitas, dried cranberries and pecans.
- To make the vinaigrette, combine the shallot and vinegar in a small mixing bowl, whisk to combine. Slowly add the olive oil by pouring in a steady stream, whisking vigorously until emulsified. Drizzle the salad with the dressing and serve immediately.
NOTES
- If you plan on making this salad for dinner, try adding slices of chicken seasoned with herbes de provence or if you're vegetarian try adding cubes of roasted butternut squash!
This salad was totally amazing. I tried it with cosmic crisp apples! The pumpkin seeds were the best part.
So many yummy apple varities to try and so little time, right?
I made this last night and everyone loved it! I really love this crunch of the apples!
Good crunch in a salad is everything!
I loved this salad, all of the ingredients scream fall and it pairs beautifully with any dinner recipe! I will be using this recipe over and over this fall!
So glad you found a recipe to have on repeat!