Go Back

Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad

Apple cranberry pecan salad with crisp apples, sweet-tart dried cranberries, crunchy candied pecans, and blue cheese. Tossed with a honey poppy seed dressing for a bright, lightly tangy finish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad
  • 6 cup baby spinach or spring mix
  • 2 apples, thinly sliced Thinly sliced for crisp bites.
  • 0.5 cup dried cranberries
  • 0.5 cup candied pecans
  • 0.5 cup crumbled blue cheese or feta Blue cheese or feta both work; crumble just before assembling if possible.
  • 0.25 small red onion, thinly sliced Thin slices distribute mild bite throughout.
Honey Poppy Seed Dressing
  • 0.25 cup olive oil
  • 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp poppy seeds
  • 0.5 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 salt Pinch of salt.

Method
 

Make the dressing
  1. Whisk olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, Dijon mustard, and salt until smooth and glossy, with no honey streaks remaining.
Assemble the salad
  1. Place baby spinach or spring mix in a large bowl so it spreads evenly for toppings.
  2. Top with thinly sliced apples, then scatter dried cranberries and candied pecans over the greens in an even layer.
  3. Add crumbled blue cheese or feta and then sprinkle thinly sliced red onion for color and bite.
  4. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving, using a light back-and-forth motion so it coats rather than pools.
  5. Toss gently until the greens are lightly coated, and serve immediately for the best crunch.

Notes

For the freshest texture, slice apples right before assembling and drizzle dressing only moments before serving so the greens don’t soften. Store assembled salad (without dressing) in the fridge up to 1 day; add dressing when ready to eat. Freezing is not recommended for salads. Dietary swap: use feta instead of blue cheese to make it slightly milder while keeping the creamy crumble.