There’s a few components to make this Apple Salad – and it’s worth it! With candied walnuts or pecans, plumped cranberries, thinly sliced apple and leafy greens, this is a salad that’s worthy of festive gatherings.
This Apple Salad is tossed with a simple vinaigrette – because with all the fabulous textures and flavours going on here, we don’t want the dressing to steal the show!!
A SHOW-OFFY APPLE SALAD
There’s 3 types of salads in my world:
1. quick and easy salads for midweek meals;
2. giant meal salads; and
3. show-offy salads.
In my world, the definition of “show-offy salads” are those that require a bit more effort, reserved for gatherings, lunch with friends, and for family dinners where I’m sulking because everybody else “bagsed” the “fun” courses – starters, main and dessert, leaving me with “just” salad.
“You want me to bring salad? I’ll show you a salad!!” I fume silently to myself.
And thus, I embark on a mission to make a great salad. Tasty, pretty and interesting – but still fresh enough to be a side dish.
This Apple Salad with Walnuts and Cranberries is one such salad.
This recipe centres around apples, the crisp, juicy sweetness and pairing it with leafy greens and an assortment of other ingredients to create a salad that’s loaded with great textures.
Well, actually, just one apple. That’s all you need for this recipe. Once sliced thinly, one apple stretches quite far.
I like to use red apples for this, mainly for colour and also because I prefer the sweet with a bit of tart that is inherent with most varieties of red apples here in Australia. But feel free to use any apple you want!
HOW TO MAKE MY APPLE SALAD
I did say upfront that there’s a few components to this apple salad, and I think it’s worth it if you’re going all out! BUT you can absolutely simplify it – note the significant use of the words “optional step”in the following section:
Candied walnuts (or pecans or other nuts) – Super quick, 5 minutes on the stove for crunchy toffee coated nuts. This is an optional step for show-off purposes;
Plump cranberries – Just a 5 minute soak in hot water is all that’s required to transform shrivelled up dried cranberries (or any berries) into plump little balls that burst in your mouth when you bite into them. Again, optional!
Sliced apple drizzled with lemon to stop them from browning – optional if serving immediately;
Simple dressing made with vinegar, oil, mustard and sugar. Keep it simple to let everything else shine!
Leafy greens, onion for a fresh bite and the teeniest crumble of feta or goats cheese mainly for garnish.
As I always do out of interest, I did a quick search on the internet to see how others do Apple Salad. I was somewhat bemused to see an astonishing array of mayo-laden salads made with apple.
Suffice to say, this is pretty much on the opposite end of the spectrum. I’d describe this salad as fresh and bright with the zingy dressing, the crisp sweet juiciness of apple, and the leafy greens, with added pops of flavour and textures from the sweet-tart (plumped!) cranberries and the crunch of the candied walnuts.
It really is a terrific combination! – Nagi x
MORE GREAT SALADS FOR GATHERINGS
- Wild Rice Salad – the vibrant colours in this are amazing!
- Israeli Couscous Salad
- Roast Pumpkin, Spinach and Feta Salad
- Cowboy Rice Salad
- Brussels Sprout Salad
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Apple Salad with Candied Walnuts and Cranberries
Ingredients
- 1 red apple , quartered, seeds remove, finely sliced
- Squeeze of lemon juice (to stop apple browning)
- 120 g/4 oz mixed salad leaves (4 to 5 big handfuls)
- 1/2 red onion , finely sliced (wedge way, not half moon)
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp feta or goats cheese , crumbled (garnish, optional)
Candied Walnuts (or other nuts):
- 1 tbsp butter , salted
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 cup walnuts or pecans
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1.5 tsp white sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
Candied Nuts:
- Place butter in a small non stick skillet over medium heat. When melted, add sugar. Stir briefly, then leave until the sugar mostly melts.
- When it starts bubbling a bit, add nuts.
- Stir 2 minutes. Pour out on parchment paper lined tray.
- Spread nuts out, allow to cool. Roughly chop half, leave some whole.
Plump Cranberries:
- Place in a bowl, pour over freshly boiled water. Leave to soak 10 minutes then drain.
Apple:
- Drizzle with lemon juice and toss (stops apple from browning).
Dressing:
- Place Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Adjust to taste – more oil to make it creamier, sugar for sweet, vinegar for tart.
Assemble:
- Place salad in a large bowl with half the apple slices and all the onion. Drizzle with half the dressing then toss.
- Scatter over the cranberries, desired amount of walnuts, remaining apple slices and feta. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Serve immediately!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
I seriously think he’d make kids cry with this Halloween mask!! 👺👺👺
I made this salad for a Christmas dinner gathering to go with pizza and crispy fried chicken and it was a hit! Everyone loved it! Thanks Nagi for sharing such an amazing recipe.
Thank you so much for such a fantastic recipe. I got so many compliments on this salad at my church. I forgot the feta but honestly I didn’t even need it. That dressing was so delicious especially paired with the candied walnuts. Your recipes have never disappointed me.
Fantastic, Nagi! The candied walnuts, soo good. Thank you.
Subbed with massaged kale and pomegranate for the cranberries cause that’s what we had. So full of flavor for such a simple salad!
I could not stop eating this salad and had nearly finished all the candied nuts before i even assembled it! I used the mix of spinach and rocket leaves as i think the peppery rocket goes well with the sweet and the tart of the rest. Can’t wait to bring this for Xmas parties .
This was a hit! Will make again for Christmas dinner. Plumped cranberries for the win, can’t believe how much better they are.
Made this salad with a few alterations to save money (freeze-dried apple slices) and to make things work (added water to my candied nuts to make a syrup that would stick). But overall, this salad is delicious! I can see myself adding some shredded chicken to make a non-vegetarian option in the future. Thanks for the recipe!
Loved this salad. Thank you.
Thank you Sandra!! I do too!! N x
“2 tbsp feta or goats cheese , crumbled (garnish, optional)”
Cheese is never optional. It is always a must :):)
Loved this salad – made exactly to recipe for a Christmas lunch and everyone loved it.
I am happy it was a success Arpana! N x
Favorite salad of all time
Christmas lunch salad, yum! Someone said leave out the walnuts, don’t they are delicious!
Fantastic! Had a diabetic at our dinner party so used a monkfruit sugar sub in the dressing and it was delicious. Forgot the nuts at the end and I didn’t miss them. The apples gave excellent crunch. Highly recommend!
Merry X’mas Nagi! Again never disappointed with your recipe! Made the salad & it was a hit. Every mouthful was delicious 🤩. Thanks for sharing this wonderful salad 🥰
Merry Christmas Nagi, Dozer and crew! You’re still my go to for all my favorite recipes and ideas!! Like this salad!! Happy New Year too!!
Though the dressing is fairly basic the whole thing works. It’s a very tasty salad, it looks attractive and doesn’t take too long to make.
I was worried the salad dressing wouldn’t be sweet enough so added quite a bit more sugar. Guests loved it so much, it was the only thing people were asking the recipe for 😅.
That apple salad with candied walnuts is going to be part of my Christmas spread! Oh, and Dozer is too cute to be Halloween scary! Good try, though!
Great salad for Christmas lunch to pair with prawns and ham; looking forward to finishing off leftovers tonight. Family loved it!
Y’all, I just made this for the first time today to pair with savory pizzas, and it was gone before the pizzas!
I was looking for a copycat recipe for Panera’s apple salad, and holy moly, this was better than Panera’s! (I liked the fresh apples here but you could always dry your own apple slices for apple chips in advance, or buy them at your local grocery store if you wanted it just like Panera’s.)
Our friend really liked the candied walnuts because she noticed it was made from scratch, being a chef herself (yay!). We also used our own mixed salad greens from our garden. It was delicious. I’ll be saving this recipe!
Thanks, Nagi! I’ve made a handful of your recipes and they always satisfy!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Stacy! N x
Great recommendation from another reader. Easy, delicious, spectacular. I know have a supply of candied walnuts in the freezer.
I am a big fan and have made many of your recipes. I plan to make your salmon quiche and apple salad recipe for my gourmet cookbook group in May
I need an appetizer to go with this meal. Do you have a recipe for a light one?
Thank you….
Stephanie