Apple Salad

It’s apple harvest season here! A trip to the orchard gave me a bushel of a variety of favorites. Batches of apple jam, applesauce and caramel apple cake were made. But, this apple salad was too great not to share. Added to the pages of the Vue…it needed to be given an appearance here, too. The brightness of the apples is captured in this one that contains no sugar as a stand alone ingredient. The dried cranberries, apples, honey, and grapes provide the sweetness and over the top delicious flavor.

Now apple salad hadn’t been made here before…

But inspiration from an old and favorite cookbook piqued my interest. A few tweaks later and I was truly happy with this version.

Then when you prep the apples, add them directly to the dressing and stir to coat. That’s the genius step in this recipe. The lemon juice in the dressing stops the enzymatic browning on the apples keeping them bright for days after you make the salad. Keep that in mind when you make this. The most important step in keeping the salad bright and beautiful.

Next, just add in the salad ingredients and mix together. If you want it as a single salad lunch, add lettuce greens beneath a scoop for the perfect option.

A great side to take to picnics, potlucks and outings, too.

It’s unexpected. Bright. Delicious.

Have you made an apple salad like this before?

If not, I hope you will give this recipe a try. Today I’ll make it again to share with friends who need a little love and “happy” delivered.

Apple Salad

The brightness of freshly harvested apples mixed with a great dressing and pecans, celery, dried cranberries, and grapes added offers an unexpected delicious salad.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Cups, approx

Equipment

• 1 knife and cutting board
• 1 serving/mixing bowl
• 1 set Measuring cups/spoons
• 1 Whisk

Ingredients

  

• 1 honeycrisp apple, cored and diced feel free to select your favorite apples
• 1 green apple, cored and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 C red grapes, sliced in half
• 1/2 C pecans pieces feel free to toast for extra flavor
• 1/2 C dried cranberries

Dressing Ingredients

• 1/4 C mayonnaise
• 1 T lemon juice
• 2 T honey
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper

Instructions

 

• Whisk together all dressing ingredients. Set aside.
  
• Prep and measure celery, grapes, pecans, and dried cranberries.
  
• Wash, core and cut apples in bite sized pieces and add to the dressing. Stir to coat.

  NOTE: Leaving the peelings on offers brightness, color and crunch.
• Add all other ingredients into bowl and mix to coat with dressing.
  
• Add to serving bowl and serve!
  
• If serving individual salads, add lettuce to a bowl and add a scoop on top of the lettuce.
• Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of days. Coating the apples in the dressing helps keep the brightness and crunch for serving for several days, making this a great make ahead dish.

Notes

A perfect salad that brings in all the bright flavor of apples with the crunch of added celery and nuts mixed with a wonderful dressing that keeps all the colors and flavors bright. Grapes, honey, and dried cranberries add sweetness and texture that makes the perfect dish.

Keyword apple salad, fall apple salad, harvested apple salad

This was such a delicious surprise! And I was amazed at how well the dressing kept the colors of the apples so bright and crunchy! That makes this a great recipe to prep a day before serving, too. Anything that adds convenience and is a great “make ahead” dish is a winner for me!

Hope you love this one! This is now a new favorite…especially for guest lunches, book clubs, ladies luncheons and a bright take out to friends who need a little “extra” brightness.

Thank you so much for joining me! I’d love to hear your comments if you try this one. Makes my heart so happy.

Happy apple harvesting, friends,