Fall Apple Salad
This crisp fall salad with fresh apples, crunchy greens, and a sweet-tangy maple dijon dressing is the perfect way to celebrate your favorite autumn flavors. It’s a light, flavorful, and wholesome recipe you will love all season long.
Nothing says autumn quite like a crisp fall salad filled with fresh apples, crunchy pecans, crisp bacon, and vibrant greens, all tossed in a sweet and tangy maple dijon dressing. This easy fall salad with apples is a fresh, colorful way to showcase seasonal produce! It makes the perfect light meal or side dish for weeknight dinners, Thanksgiving, or holiday gatherings. With its balance of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors, it’s a healthy fall salad recipe you’ll want to make again and again.
The combination of juicy fruit, earthy nuts, and a silky maple vinaigrette creates a perfect harvest salad that pairs beautifully with roasted chicken, pork tenderloin, or smooth butternut squash soup. You can have this apple pecan salad with sweet and tangy dressing on the table in minutes, making it an easy Thanksgiving salad or a light lunch packed with fresh autumn flavor. Serve it alongside your favorite cozy main dishes for a meal that celebrates the very best of fall.
Fall Salad Ingredients
Here is a quick overview of what you will need for this easy apple salad recipe. Find exact measurements in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Mixed Greens – Any salad mix works. I like to use a mix that includes some radicchio to break up the green with some purple leaves.
- Sliced apples and Dried Cranberries – We get a great crunch from juicy red apple and chewy, tangy flavor from the cranberries. Feel free to swap the cranberries for dried blueberries or apples for pear if you prefer.
- Chopped pecans, Feta cheese, and Crumbled bacon – These provide an amazing combination of texture and flavor! The pecans could be swapped for almonds or pistachios if you like those better.
- Olive oil, Maple syrup, Apple cider vinegar, White wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, Salt, and Pepper – These are mixed together to make the most amazing salad dressing with both tangy and sweet flavor!
How to Make the Best Fall Salad with Apples
This recipe is so simple, you will have it ready in no time! Start by adding your greens to a large bowl or serving platter, then top them with your apples, pecans, cranberries, feta, and bacon crumbles. In a jar or small bowl, mix together your oil, syrup, vinegars, mustard, salt, and pepper. Once it’s well mixed and you are ready to eat, pour the dressing over the salad, toss, and serve!
What to Serve with Salad in Fall
This delicious salad is wonderful on its own, but you can easily bulk it up for more protein! It would be fantastic with chicken (honey mustard chicken would be great with the dressing or these buttermilk chicken strips would add more crunch) or roasted turkey breast! The flavors would also be great with pork, so try with ribs, some bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin, or pork chops. For a lighter meal, enjoy with creamy butternut squash soup or a caprese sandwich.
Storage Instructions
This fall apple salad is best served immediately as the dressing can wilt the greens and the apple slices can start to brown. If you want to enjoy this later, simply keep the dressing in a separate container and refrain from slicing the apple until you are ready. The salad will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge, and the dressing can keep in the jar for about a week.
Tips and Suggestions
- This salad can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. It makes 2 medium-sized salads or 4 small side salads.
- Pears work as a wonderful substitute if you do not like or have any apples. If you don’t like cranberries, you could use dried blueberries. Pistachios, almonds, or walnuts would be perfect to replace the pecans.
- If you like crunchier salads, mixes with iceberg or romaine lettuces will have a crisper texture. Kale or spinach mixes would have the most vitamins and nutrients. If using kale, I recommend massaging it with a tablespoon of the dressing before topping it with the mix-ins.
More Fall Recipes
- Butter Pecan Cheesecake
- French Onion Chicken Soup
- Instant Pot Pot Roast
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Easy Stuffed Baked Apples
Get the Recipe: Fall Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups mixed greens
- 1 large red apple, sliced
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup feta cheese
- 2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
Maple Dijon Dressing:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- Add your mixed greens to a serving platter or large bowl. Top with apples, pecans, cranberries, feta, and crumbled bacon.
- Make the dressing by whisking together the dressing ingredients in a bowl or mason jar. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve immediately!
Notes
- This salad can easily be doubled or tripled for a crowd. It makes 2 medium-sized salads or 4 small side salads.
- You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, but store dressing separate from the salad ingredients.
- For heartier salads, top with grilled honey mustard chicken, roasted turkey breast, or sliced pork chops.
- Nutrition values below are for 2 large main course salads. If serving as 4 smaller side salads, each one would have 282 calories, 19.7 g fat, 14 mg cholesterol, 548.6 mg sodium, 25 total carbohydrates, 2.9 g fiber, 20 g sugar, and 4.5 g protein.
