Pecan and Apple Fall Harvest Salad

Is there anything better in the fall than a fresh, crisp, just picked apple? I don’t think so! Especially the ones I get straight from the farm. They are so good! And then, when I’m done eating them out of hand, I love to combine those amazing apples with glazed pecans, pungent blue cheese, crunchy celery, and dried cranberries to make a fall harvest salad. Because a girl can’t live on apples alone. Sometimes she needs salad!

Hello, all!

This is a salad I started making several years ago when I had apples and celery in the fridge, but not much else.

Fall Harvest Salad

Luckily, I always have some interesting cheeses in my cheese bin, and dried cranberries and pecans in my pantry. It can be fun having days when I have no idea what we are going to eat, but there is no way I’m going to the store. Those days get the creative juices flowing.

Not only did I come up with this great fall harvest apple salad, but that was also the day I first made my Maple Glazed Pecans.

I know this because I wrote it down, not because I have this awesome memory for everything I ever ate. 🙂 However, I have periodically made notes of our dinners and recipes I’ve tried over the years and I love that this blogging journey has inspired me to go through all those old notes. It’s a bit like being archeologist or a geologist. All those layers of recipes to dig through in search of knowledge!

Or treasure. Or pecan, blue cheese, and apple salad.

And then I bring the treasure (or salad) to you, so you can enjoy it too!

And it’s great timing that I uncovered that particular layer to pull out this salad now, because I’m all about fall salads lately! Cold Sweet Potato Salad, Cauliflower and Green Olive Salad, and here my Apple Salad. Three great fall salads I’ve posted recently, all of which are wonderful sides for any weeknight and would be welcome on a holiday or Thanksgiving table.

So, grab some fresh apples and some crisp celery and make this easy side salad which tastes just like fall.

Tip: Not sure which apples to use? Here is a list of apples which don’t brown easily. These are all good apples for salads!

If you try my recipe for Fall Harvest Salad, I would love to hear from you in the comments with your experience and rating! And I’m happy to answer any questions you might have.

– Happy Eating, Annemarie

Print Recipe

5 from 7 votes

Pecan, Blue Cheese and Apple Salad

Maple glazed pecans, blue cheese, and diced apples combine with dried cranberries and sliced celery in this fall harvest salad. It's great for weeknight dinners and a wonderful side for Thanksgiving.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Just a Little Bit of Bacon

Ingredients

Apple Salad

• 3 medium apples diced
• 6 stalks celery diced
• 3 oz blue cheese crumbled
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup Maple Glazed Pecans

Cider Vinaigrette

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

• Add all salad ingredients to a large serving bowl.
• Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Notes

You can substitute goat cheese for the blue cheese. It's tasty either way.

Crisp, firm apples are best for this salad.

Use the recipe for Maple Glazed Pecans.