The Best Apple Walnut Salad

apple walnut salad served with wooden spork.

The Best Apple Walnut Salad

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple walnut salad

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 20

Servings:

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This Apple Walnut Salad is topped with crunchy walnuts and a delicious honey balsamic vinaigrette. It's the perfect dish to bring to a holiday party, and will make you crave your next salad.

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Ingredients

Balsamic Dressing

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (see note)
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Salad

6 cups mixed greens
1 medium apple , thinly sliced
¼ red onion , thinly sliced (about ½ cup)
½ cup raw walnuts , roughly chopped
¼ cup feta cheese , crumbled (optional)

Instructions

To prepare the balsamic vinaigrette, add the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, and salt to a small bowl. Whisk well, until the dressing looks thicker, then set it aside.
To assemble the salad, add the mixed greens to a large serving plate and top it with the sliced apples and red onion. Then sprinkle on the walnuts and feta, if using.
Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. You might not use all of the dressing right away, but I like to serve the extra on the side in case guests would like to add more. Leftover dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will thicken when chilled, so run the jar under warm running tap water to thin it out again.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 6 servings, about 1 heaping cup of salad with dressing. This information is automatically calculated (using all of the dressing) and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.

I used a relatively cheap balsamic vinegar when testing this recipe. If you buy an aged one that is thicker, almost like a balsamic glaze, you should cut-back on the honey, as the vinegar may already be sweet!

For a vegan recipe, omit the cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey.

You can make the dressing up to 5 days in advance if you'd like to plan ahead for a holiday, but I wouldn't slice the apple and onion until shortly before you plan on serving it, for the best flavor and appearance.

Nutrition