Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
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This delicious Autumn Chopped Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette will quickly become your go-to fall apple salad. It’s so good that it was featured in this news story. It’s a great recipe for large groups or compliments a weeknight meal at home. Enjoy!
Why This Recipe Works
I’ve been serving this simple, fall-inspired chopped salad at my weeknight and my holiday table for years. It never sticks around long. The combo of sweet, tart apples and dried cranberries, baked bacon, tangy feta, and crunchy pecans creates a flavor experience in your mouth!
This is also the perfect fall potluck dish for your next gathering!
The homemade apple cider dressing accents the bacon with the perfect mix of sweet and savory. This might be my favorite homemade salad dressing to date. It’s a little sweet, a little tangy, and a beautiful golden color.
Ingredients
The ingredients are simple, and fresh, and provide a contrast of textures and flavors. Here’s what you’ll need to gather…
Ingredient Notes:
- Bacon – To save time on this salad, be sure to cook the bacon in the oven ahead of time. It reduces the stovetop mess and is an easy way to cook bacon in bulk.
- Apple Cider Vinaigrette – Don’t skip this dressing. It really does make the salad. You’ll need olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, Kosher salt, and pepper.
Note: Find our full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and directions at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Autumn Chopped Salad
Make Salad Dressing
You can whisk the dressing in a bowl or add the ingredients to a jar with a lid, seal, and shake. (You can make it ahead and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.)
Make the Salad
Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Right before serving, lightly drizzle about 2/3rds of the dressing over the top and toss. Serve with the extra dressing on the side.
Tip: Layer Individual Portion in Mason Jar
Here’s a fun idea! If you make a big salad, set aside a portion for lunch the next day.
Layer it in a Mason jar in this order: 1-2 tablespoons dressing, apples (toss in the dressing to prevent browning), dried cranberries, feta cheese, 1 1/2 cups lettuce, chopped pecans.
Use the jar of salad within 12-24 hours. When ready to serve, shake it up well and enjoy.
What to Serve with This Fall Salad
Be sure to serve this Autumn Chopped Salad alongside one our favorite holiday side dishes, Bacon and Cheddar Twice-Baked Potatoes or Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole.
This salad also pairs well with a main dish like Slow Cooker Balsamic Shredded Beef or Roasted Turkey Breast.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can prepare several of the components of an autumn salad ahead of time. Wash and chop the lettuce, roast the pecans, cook the bacon, and mix up the dressing. Wait until right before serving to chop up the apple. Assemble the salad just before serving to maintain freshness and prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
Get creative with your autumn salad by adding toppings like roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds, cooked barley or farro for a chewy element, crispy fried shallots for crunch, or roasted sweet potato or butternut squash for sweetness.
Leftover autumn salad can be stored in the refrigerator, but it’s best to keep the dressing separate and only mix it in when you’re ready to eat. The salad will lose its freshness and crispness and the apples will brown eventually, so it’s best to eat leftovers within a day or two.
More Amazing Salads to Try
- Strawberry Spinach Salad with Lemon Honey Vinaigrette
- Summer Strawberry Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing
- Mandarin Orange Salad with Citrus Salad Dressing
- Southwest Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- My Favorite Cobb Salad
- Wilted Lettuce Salad – Delicious, easy way to use up garden greens!
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Autumn Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Crisp greens are topped with tart apples, sweet dried cranberries, feta cheese, toasted pecans, and crispy bacon in this Autumn Salad. Finish off with our sweet and tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup (sub: honey)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Autumn Salad Ingredients:
- 8 cups crisp Romaine or Green Leaf lettuce, chopped (approximately 1 head of lettuce)
- 2 medium tart red apples, cored and diced (do not peel) (recommended: Fuji or Honeycrisp)
- 1 cup dried cranberries (sub: fresh pomegranate seeds)
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (see Cooking Notes)
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (try baking it ahead of time)
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese (sub: Gorgonzola crumbles)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar with a lid, seal, and shake. (You can make ahead and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.)
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl, lightly drizzle about 2/3rds of the dressing over the top and toss. Serve with the extra dressing on the side.
Notes/Tips
- Bacon Tip: To save time on this salad, be sure to cook the bacon in the oven. It reduces the stovetop mess and is an easy way to cook bacon in bulk.
- How to Roast Pecans: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pecans on a rimmed sheet pan. Bake for 5-10 minutes, shaking halfway through. You’ll know they are ready when you can smell them. Watch closely so they don’t burn! Remove immediately from the pan to a bowl to cool off when done.
- How to Make Ahead: To prep ahead, wash and chop the lettuce, roast the pecans, cook the bacon, and mix up the dressing. Wait until right before serving to chop up the apple. Assemble the salad just before serving to maintain freshness and prevent the salad from becoming soggy.
- How to Store Leftovers: Store leftovers in the refrigerator, but keep the dressing separate and only mix it in when you’re ready to eat. It’s best to eat leftovers within a day or two.
- Make Individual Mason Jar Salad: To take this salad to take in your lunch, layer it in a Mason jar in this order: 1-2 tablespoons dressing, apples, dried cranberries, feta cheese, 1 1/2 cups lettuce, chopped pecans. Use the jar of salad within 24 hours. When ready to serve, shake it up well and enjoy.
- Be sure to check out all our best Fall Potluck Dishes.
Photos and video by Whitney Reist of Sweet Cayenne.
Someone made this salad for a church potluck! It was Delicious!
Glad you enjoyed it Pamela! Thanks for leaving a review.
This was the perfect thing to take to a late summer/early fall barbecue! And my family loved it. We are making it with grilled chicken breasts every couple of weeks.
So glad your family loved this. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review!
One of my favorite fall (okay, any season) salads to serve family and friends. Always delish and a hit! 5 stars!
I agree Jen – it’s a great salad any time of year! Thanks so much or leaving a review.
Awesome
Glad you enjoyed it Janel. Thanks for leaving a review.
Delicious
Glad you liked it Jackie!
Very good. I added Salmon to make it an entree salad.
That sounds delicious Lisa! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
We thought this salad was amazing! As fall approaches we tend to stop making salad but we will definitely keep it in the rotation now we’ve found this recipe! Also take the time to toast the pecans- they were so much more flavorful that way.
Hi Grace! I find that toasting just about any nut takes salads and things to the next level! Glad you took the time to do it and to write a review recommending it! Thank you!
Fantastic recipe. I made it for Thanksgiving and everyone including grandchildren and great nephews kept coming back for more. I made it for a large luncheon, Christmas, and will be serving it to 25 pastors in a couple of weeks. The lack of croutons makes it tasty and edible the next day (if there is any left.) Never want to lose this recipe!
Hi Carolyn. Looks like you’ve tested this recipe on a variety of groups! So glad you’ve found success. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Made this salad for a big family dinner and it was the first thing gone! Love it! My granddaughters actually had thirds.
Wow, thirds! 🙂 Love to hear it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review Michelle.
I made this salad for a baby shower. Everyone commented on how delicious and beautiful it was. I tripled the recipe and there wasn’t any left. So many questions on what was in the dressing! So I’m sending them the link.
That’s awesome Jennifer! Thanks for sharing the link and for taking the time to leave a review.
I left out the bacon but added quinoa (to accommodate a guests dietary restrictions when making it) and it was SUPERB. The dressing is the best I’ve ever made and now I get requests to make this at gatherings. So simple and truly tastes next level. Thank you!!
Ooh interesting Steph. I wouldn’t have thought to add quinoa. Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and let others know about your substitution and how it turned out.
Loved this salad and guests loved it too! I substituted plum vinager for apple cider vinager and it was really good!
You have me intrigued with plum vinegar. I’ve never heard of it, but it sounds wonderful! So glad you and your guests loved this recipe. Thanks for leaving a review.
so good and flavorful! my go to salad right now that always impresses too!
Hi Cecilia. So good to have those recipes that always impress! Glad you found it. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review.
Do you refrigerate salad dressing after making it?
I wouldn’t put it in the fridge if you’re serving right away. The oil will harden a bit at the top in the fridge (I sometimes microwave it just a little to loosen it up). For storing, I would suggest refrigerating it so it lasts longer.
This is my favorite salad. Made it for some friends and they couldn’t stop raving over it. I use honeycrisp apples and extra-sharp white cheddar as I like how it tastes with the apples. Yum yum yum!
Oh yes, I love both honeycrisp apples and extra-sharp cheddar on this salad… though I haven’t tried extra-sharp white cheddar. I will have to do that. Thanks so much for taking the time to let others know what you use!
Made this for Thanksgiving. NEVER had so many compliments & requests for the recipe! So simple but SO good.
Aww, man that makes me so happy to know your family enjoyed it. 🙂 Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave a review.