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Homemade Apple Walnut Salad recipe photo

Apple Walnut Salad

A simple mixed greens salad with apples, walnuts, and a honey-balsamic vinaigrette; optional feta or blue cheese adds a creamy, tangy finish.
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Prep Time 23 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 1 minute
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Salad
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1/4 cupextra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoonsbalsamic vinegar see note
  • 2 tablespoonshoney
  • 1 teaspoonspicy brown mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoonfine sea salt
  • 6 cupsmixed greens
  • 1 mediumapple thinly sliced
  • 1/4 red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cupraw walnuts roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cupfeta or blue cheese crumbled (optional)

Equipment

  • Small Bowl
  • Whisk
  • large serving bowl or platter

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Make the balsamic vinaigrette: in a small bowl combine ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.
  2. Whisk the dressing vigorously until it comes together and looks slightly thicker and emulsified. Set the dressing aside.
  3. Place 6 cups mixed greens in a large serving bowl or on a large platter.
  4. Top the greens with 1 medium apple, thinly sliced, and ¼ red onion, thinly sliced, arranging them evenly.
  5. Sprinkle ½ cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped, over the salad. Add ¼ cup feta or blue cheese, crumbled, if using.
  6. Just before serving, drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently to coat, or serve the dressing on the side so guests can add more if they like.
  7. To store leftover dressing: keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If it thickens when chilled, run the jar under warm running tap water to thin it before using.

Notes

Notes
Nutrition information is for 1 of 6 servings, about 1 heaping cup of salad with dressing. This information is automatically calculated (using all of the dressing) and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
Balsamic Note:
I used a relatively cheap balsamic vinegar when testing this recipe. If you buy an aged one that is thicker, almost like a balsamic glaze, you should cut back on the honey, as the vinegar may already be sweet!
Make it Vegan:
Omit the cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make-Ahead Note:
You can make the dressing up to 5 days in advance if you’d like to plan ahead for a holiday. Don’t slice the apple and onion until shortly before you plan on serving the salad, for the best flavor and appearance.