Fall Apple Salad

Celebrate the flavors of fall with this delicious Autumn Apple Salad. Apples, cranberries, pecans, bacon and spinach combined with a delicious and easy dressing.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 0

Total Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 429kcal

Author Leigh Anne Wilkes

Ingredients

6 oz. baby spinach
6 oz. romaine lettuce torn or chopped
1/2 cups Craisinets
1 cup chopped pecans
1 apple diced
6 slices bacon fried and crumbled
1/2 cup poppy seed dressing
1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette

Instructions

Mix dressings together.
Combine all other ingredients and then drizzle dressing. Enjoy!

Notes

Choose a crisp apple. A firm, crunchy apple works best in this salad. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji or Granny Smith are all great choices. I especially like using an apple that has a little tartness to balance the sweeter ingredients.
Keep your apples from browning. If you are slicing the apples ahead of time, place sliced apples in a bowl of water, make sure apples are covered. Mix in 1/2 tsp of salt and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Drain and pat dry. It works!
Toast the pecans. Toasting the pecans for a few minutes brings out their flavor and makes them even crunchier. Just keep an eye on them because nuts can go from toasted to burned quickly!
Cook the bacon until crisp. Crispy bacon gives you the best texture and is a nice contrast to the juicy apples and chewy dried cranberries.
Wait to add the dressing. Toss the salad with the dressing right before serving so the greens stay fresh and crisp.
Make it your own. Substitute pears or mandarin oranges for the apples, or try walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts in place of the pecans. A little crumbled feta, goat cheese or blue cheese would also be delicious.
Add some protein. Turn it into a main dish by adding sliced grilled chicken or turkey.

Nutrition