Apple Walnut Salad – The Picky Eater

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If you love fall flavors, then you will absolutely adore this delicious apple walnut salad with dates and feta. Crisp mixed greens are tossed with tart Granny Smith apples, creamy feta, sweet cranberries, crunchy walnuts, and a tangy apple cider vinaigrette for the perfect side dish or light lunch! Ready in under 15 minutes!

Apples are a fruit that’s available year-round, so it’s easy to forget that they actually have a season. Apple season is late summer and fall, so I always love making apple recipes as the season changes, especially if I have some freshly picked apples.

This satisfying apple feta walnut salad with dates and dried cranberries will be a star at your dinner table or brighten up your lunchbox. The fall salad is topped with an easy-to-make apple cider vinaigrette, which has sweet notes of apple, fruity olive oil, tangy apple cider vinegar, and a dash of spicy cayenne.

It’s super easy to make, ready in minutes, and is great for the whole family or for feeding a crowd!

👩🏽‍🍳 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Versatile: This apple walnut cranberry salad is super versatile and satisfying, and has a nice balance of sweet and savory flavors to round out any meal. Perfect for potlucks, family dinners, Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas dinner, or really – whenever you’re craving a hearty & satisfying salad!
• Colorful: You’ll truly be eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables with this colorful apple and walnut salad. Brighten up any meal or table and you can add even more color with additional seasonal vegetables.
• Ready In Minutes: This easy salad recipe can be ready in under 15 minutes including washing and cutting the vegetables. The homemade vinaigrette whisks together beautifully and you can even make it ahead and store it in a mason jar in the refrigerator.
• Family-Friendly: While the flavors of this salad are sophisticated enough to serve for special occasions, the crisp apples, cheese, and zesty dressing make it inviting for kids and they’ll love the dried cranberries and crunchy walnuts too!

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🥘 Ingredients

This refreshing, crunchy apple walnut salad recipe combines leafy greens, apples, feta cheese, and a homemade apple dressing. For the full list of ingredients and directions, see the recipe card below.

Salad Ingredients

• Mixed Salad Greens: A mixed green salad blend offers vibrant color, is nutrient-dense, and adds lots of texture when roughly chopped.
• Green Apples: I prefer using a Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced, for this salad with walnuts and feta.
• Dates: For a sweet and chewy pop, pitted and chopped into bite-sized pieces.
• Dried Cranberries: Unsweetened dried cranberries are tart and slightly sweet and have a rich cranberry red color.
• Walnuts: For the most flavor, toast walnut halves and then chop them into small pieces so there are walnut bits in every bite of this apple cranberry walnut salad!
• Red Onion: Finely diced red onion gives a refreshing onion flavor to any salad. 
• Feta Cheese: Feta cheese has a crumbly and creamy texture and a little bit of tang which is a delightful complement to the sweet apples, chopped or crumbled.
• Salt and Pepper: Season this apple date salad to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients

• Apple Jelly, Maple Syrup, Or Honey: Using jelly carries the apple taste into the dressing and adds sweetness to balance the other dressing flavors. But you can also use maple syrup or honey for a delicious apple walnut salad dressing as well!
• Apple Cider Vinegar: An oil and vinegar-based dressing always pairs well with a fruity salad.
• Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil will give the most flavor.
• Dijon Mustard: Mustard adds a bit of thickness to this homemade dressing and a tangy mustard taste.
• Garlic: Freshly minced garlic works best.
• Cayenne Pepper: Just a pinch of cayenne pepper adds a bit of heat. But feel free to omit it if you’re making this salad with apples and walnuts for more sensitive palates!

🍲 Ingredient Substitutions

• Apples: While I used Granny Smith apples in this healthy apple salad recipe, you can use any type of apples you like!
• Nuts: Instead of toasted walnuts, try candied walnuts! Or try a different nut altogether – slivered almonds, or even pecans would taste great in this recipe.
• Cheese: Instead of feta, try a different soft cheese. Brie, creamy goat cheese, gorgonzola cheese, or even blue cheese would all work.
• Dates: Can’t find dates at your grocery store? No problem! Regular raisins or golden raisins would also taste great in this walnut and apple salad.
• Vinegar: Don’t have apple cider vinegar for the salad dressing? Lemon juice should also work!
• Greens: While we used a spring mix, any type of greens will work in this dish. Use baby spinach for an apple spinach walnut salad, or make a kale apple walnut salad instead! Other greens that will also work are arugula, or even romaine.

🔪 How to Make Apple Walnut Salad

This dish is ready in just 15 minutes! Here’s how to make this apple walnut feta salad:

Whisk the Apple Dressing: In a small bowl combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until well incorporated, set aside.

Combine Salad Ingredients: Combine mixed salad greens, sliced apples, dates, cranberries, walnuts, onion, and feta in a large salad bowl.

Dress the Salad: Toss the salad with the dressing until coated as desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve this green apple walnut salad immediately!

💭 Expert Tips

• Wash And Dry Greens: Gently wash the fresh greens in cool water and then pat them dry with a tea towel or use a salad spinner to remove excess water. Freshly washed greens will have the best flavor and washing will remove any small dirt particles.
• Toast The Walnuts: Toasting the walnuts will deepen their flavor. Place walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast for 7-9 minutes in a preheated 350° Fahrenheit oven. Watch the walnuts carefully so they don’t burn and remove them from the oven once their color has darkened. You can also toast walnuts on the stove-top in a medium-sized skillet on medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
• Reserve Some Of The Dressing: Allow guests to personalize their cranberry apple walnut salad by reserving some of the dressing and serving it on the side.
• Make It Seasonal: The flavors of apple, feta, and the sweet and slightly zesty dressing blend well with so many vegetables. Add your favorite sliced, diced, or roasted seasonal vegetables, or change up the greens for a salad that reflects the season.

📖 Variations

• Lower-Carb: For a lower-carb salad, omit the dates and use sugar-free apple jelly or sugar free maple syrup.
• Apple Walnut Sandwich: Use this cranberry walnut apple salad as a healthy and delicious pita filling or sandwich filling. Spread some of the vinaigrette on two slices of sprouted wheat bread, add a slice of your favorite cheese, and top with this salad. 
• Apple Walnut Coleslaw: Use shredded cabbage or a coleslaw blend in place of the mixed greens. Serve as a main course or side dish. A delicious and crunchy potluck or picnic dish!
• Extra Colorful Vegetables: Add sliced radishes, carrots, and green onions for an extra serving of vegetables and additional color.
• Extra Crunchy: Sprinkle the top of the salad with 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for an extra crunch.

🍽 Serving Suggestions

This delicious walnut apple salad recipe works well as a side of any main dish – and pairs well with all of these vegetarian entree recipes. It also works as a light lunch with some crusty bread or with this vegan garlic bread on the side.. It also goes well with any potluck or holiday meal spread. If you’d like to add some protein pair it with air fryer tofu nuggets or air fryer tempeh, either of which can be served on the side or on top of the salad.

🙌 Dietary Adaptions

This easy recipe is already gluten free and vegetarian! For a vegan or dairy free option – see below.

• Vegan Or Dairy-Free: To make this wonderful salad vegan and/or dairy-free, omit the feta cheese or use a vegan feta cheese.

🫙 Storage Directions

In The Fridge: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Greens tend to wilt once they have been dressed, so if you plan to use this walnut apple cranberry salad as leftovers, I’d recommend tossing the dressing with all of the ingredients except the greens and cheese. Then when you’re ready to enjoy it, add the greens and cheese to the prepared mixture and toss. Adding the dressing to the apples ahead of time will slow them from oxidizing in your fridge! I don’t recommend trying to freeze this recipe as it will not defrost well!

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