Fresh crisp apples with sweet dried cranberries and crunchy walnuts complement this salad with a cinnamon honey vinegarette. You can make the dressing the day before and then toss your salad quickly for a quick dinner salad.
Jump to:
😋 Why make this recipe
If you want a fresh slightly sweet salad loaded with nuts and fruit then you need to try this salad. The dressing is my favorite part, with apple juice, honey and cinnamon accenting the apples and greens.
💭 Top tips
This is an easy salad to make but there are a few tips to make it even more flavorful.
What kind of greens are best?
Crisp Romaine is a good choice for this salad, however, spinach and arugula would be delicious.
What are the best apples to use in a salad?
For salads, you’ll want a nice crunchy apple that doesn’t brown too quickly when sliced or chopped. The best red apples for adding to salads are Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji or Empire. I like to use Granny Smith for my green apples, they are tart and crisp.
How to cut an apple for a salad
- Set the apple on a stable cutting board. Start by standing the apple up on the board with the stem face up.
- Use a sharp knife to cut the apple in half, slicing through the core to the bottom of the apple.
- Lay the apple on its sides and use a melon baller to scoop the seeds and core out with.
4. Place the apple on the cutting board skin side up. Cut the stem and blossom bud out, discard. Slice diagonally down from the top to the bottom to make thin slices.
Can cranberries be put in a salad?
Fresh cranberries might be to tart for a lettuce salad. They usually need to be cooked or have sugar added to them. It will be best to use dried organic cranberries for this salad recipe.
What is in the dressing?
Apples pair so well with cinnamon so this salad has a honey and cinnamon vinaigrette. It is made with apple juice, apple cider, cinnamon, and honey for a sweetener.
Protine options
To make this salad a main dish at any meal add a protein. Fire up the grill for this slightly spicy, exotic flavored Thai Grilled Chicken. It will go great with the cinnamon and honey dressing. It’s easy to prep ahead, which is perfect for a quick night dinner or a bbq on the patio.
Mix-in ideas
Here is where you can get really creative. This salad lends to the perfect backdrop for all kinds of yummy add-ins to create new flavors.
- Roasted pecans
- Feta cheese, parmesan, blue cheese, or gorgonzola
- Pears
- Quinoa
- Spicy Seed Salad Topping
- Leftover turkey
- fennel
- avocado
- broccoli
How to make the salad ahead of time to serve
To make this salad ahead for a party or busy day dinner buy a bag of precut and washed romaine. You can slice your apples and store them in an airtight container with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice mixed with one cup of water. This will prevent them from browning. Slice onions but keep them in a small ziplock bag.
Mix your salad dressing in a jar with a tight lid. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. When you are ready to eat mix all your salad ingredients together in a large bowl, drizzle dressing over, toss and serve.
More great salads to try
- Summer Farro Salad
- Festive Mexican Rice Salad
- Genesis 9:13 Rainbow Detox Salad
- Bread Salad
- Rainbow Cauliflower Salad
- Mexican Coleslaw Salad
Recipe
Apple Cranberry Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 apple red
- 1 apple green
- 1/4 onion medium, sweet
- 1/4 cup dried cranberry
- 1 cup walnuts roughly chopped
Dressing
- 1/2 cup apple juice
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Core and chop apples into slices
- Slice onion into small bite-size pieces
- Toss romaine, apples, onions, cranberries, walnuts in a bowl
Dressing
- Combine in a jar, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Seal with a tigh-fitting lid and shake well.
- Pour dressing over salad, toss, and serve. May top with feta cheese, croutons, or french fried onions.
Leave a Reply