Description
Crisp autumn winds whisper through this delightful Apple Cranberry Salad, blending sweet and tart flavors into a refreshing medley. Maple-kissed dressing and crunchy pecans elevate each forkful, offering you a perfect balance of seasonal ingredients that dance across your palate.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 5 ounces (141 grams) mixed baby greens
- 2 medium honeycrisp apples, sliced or chopped
- 1 cup (150 grams) raw pecans (or walnuts)
Dried Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup (75 grams) dried cranberries
Cheese Ingredient:
- 1/2 cup (60 grams) crumbled gorgonzola
Instructions
- Craft a vibrant vinaigrette by whisking together olive oil, maple syrup, vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a sealed jar until ingredients form a smooth, integrated dressing.
- Select a spacious serving vessel and generously layer crisp mixed greens as the foundational base for the salad.
- Slice fresh apples into delicate, uniform wedges and scatter them across the greens for a burst of crisp texture and natural sweetness.
- Sprinkle tart dried cranberries throughout the salad, ensuring an even distribution of their rich, jewel-like color and tangy flavor profile.
- Gently cascade roughly chopped pecans over the salad, providing a rich, nutty crunch that complements the softer ingredients.
- Crumble gorgonzola cheese across the surface, allowing its creamy, pungent notes to create depth and complexity.
- Vigorously reshake the prepared dressing to reincorporate any separated ingredients, then delicately drizzle over the composed salad.
- Using light, careful motions, toss the salad to ensure each ingredient receives a harmonious coating of the vibrant vinaigrette.
- Present the salad immediately to maintain peak freshness, offering additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste for personalized seasoning.
Notes
- Choose crisp, firm apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith for maximum crunch and tartness in the salad.
- Toast pecans briefly in a dry skillet to enhance their nutty flavor and add deeper complexity to the dish.
- Use fresh cranberries when in season for a brighter, more vibrant taste, or opt for dried cranberries for year-round convenience.
- Swap gorgonzola with feta or goat cheese for a milder flavor profile or to accommodate different dietary preferences.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Appetizer, Snacks
- Method: Shaking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg