Autumn Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
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This delicious Autumn Salad will quickly become your go-to chopped salad any time of year. It’s so good that it was featured in this news story. It’s a great recipe for large group gatherings or compliments a weeknight meal at home. Enjoy!
Ready to up your fall salad game? We’ve got you covered.
What Ingredients Do I Need for This Autumn Salad?
I’ve been serving this simple, fall-inspired chopped salad at my weeknight and my holiday tables for years. It never sticks around long. The combo of sweet tart apples and dried cranberries, bacon, tangy feta, and crunchy pecans creates a flavor experience in your mouth!
The homemade apple cider dressing perfectly accents the bacon with the perfect mix of sweet and savory. To save time, be sure to make your bacon in the oven!
Salad Dressing Cheat Sheet
Our best homemade salad dressings all in one place!
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The Perfect Dressing for a Fall Salad: Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Now, let’s talk salad dressing. Friends, I’m just going to say it: I wanted to drink this vinaigrette right from the bottle! This might be my favorite homemade dressing to date. It’s a little sweet and a little tangy and a beautiful golden color.
How to Make Autumn Chopped Salad
Check out this short tutorial and see for yourself just how easy it is to make this fall salad..
Note: We have updated this recipe since making the video. It used to include 2-3 tablespoons of Apple Wine in place of some of the apple cider vinegar. We found it wasn’t necessary and is hard to find. The recipe works great “as is” now.
What to Serve with a Fall Salad
Be sure to serve this salad alongside our favorite holiday side, Ultimate Bacon and Cheddar Twice-Stuffed Baked Potatoes…
Or our Holiday Ham Recipe!
More Salads You’ll Love
- Strawberry Avocado Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing
- My Favorite Cobb Salad
- Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
- Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Fiesta Chopped Salad
We hope you enjoy this delicious autumn salad for lunch or with your next meal.
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. Finish off with our delicious Apple Cider dressing.
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
- 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled (try baking it ahead of time)
- 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
*Note: We have updated this recipe since making the video, but it used to include 2-3 tablespoons of Apple Wine in place of some of the apple cider vinegar. We found it wasn’t necessary and is hard to find. The recipe works great “as is” now.
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 the dressing over the top (add less than you think you need), and toss. Serve with extra dressing on the side.
I make this salad for family and friends. Everyone loves it! So good!
★★★★
Wonderful to hear! Thanks, Fran.
Just made this for my lunch. It’s really tasty! I added some grilled chicken, shredded carrots, and diced mini cucumbers. I did find the salad dressing to be way too oily! Next time I’ll decrease the EVOO
★★★★
Thanks for the feedback! Although I’ve made this salad and dressing many, many times, I wanted to recheck the vinaigrette after your comment.
I testing it with 2 tablespoons less oil and found it to personally be too acidic/strong. So if you cut back on the oil, I’d suggest cutting back some on the acid too.
Then, I made it again according to the recipe, shook it really well (that’s important), and found it to be just right for my palate. But I know everyone is different. Thanks again for your feedback.
This was another Thriving Home holiday winner! I took this to Thanksgiving and the whole fam loved it! I candied the pecans which was incredibly delicious. Spot on perfect!
★★★★★
Wonderful!! So happy to hear you enjoyed it. I took it to our feast, as well.
If I make the salad without the dressing ahead of time. Will the apples turn brown?
Yes, they will brown if they sit out too long without being tossed in the dressing. I often make everything else ahead of time and add the apples in at the very last moment.
Bookmarked!
I love this salad recipe!!! The dressing needs a little tweaking for me ….not quite sweet enough. All in all a wonderful tasting salad!
★★★★
Glad you enjoy it. Tweak away for your needs. 🙂
May sound weird, but I added a splash of OJ. And it was delicious
Thanks for the tip!
Love salads and this one looks fantastic. I think Hubby will even eat this one 🙂
This will be perfect for Easter!
Oh yes, this would be wonderful for Easter.
Yum! Pretty sure this is a permanent on our Thanksgiving menu now.
★★★★★
Agreed. I’ve made it the last two years for Thanksgiving.
This is possibly the best salad I’ve ever made, superb ingredients! And the homemade dressing is delicious. My husband and I love it and so do friends I’ve made it for.
★★★★★
Yay! Really glad to hear you enjoyed it, Kathy. Thanks for the review and feedback.