Name: Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Dressing
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar ((see note)); 2 tablespoons honey; 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard; ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt; 6 cups mixed greens; 1 medium apple (, thinly sliced); ¼ red onion (, thinly sliced ); ½ cup raw walnuts (, roughly chopped); ¼ cup feta or blue cheese (, crumbled (optional))

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If you have apples on hand, make this salad ASAP. It has the perfect combination of flavors and textures, and once you taste it, you’ll want to make it again and again.

I originally developed this apple walnut salad recipe as a holiday idea, because sliced apples look so beautiful when added to a pile of greens. It makes an impressive-looking side dish to bring to a party, and tastes amazing all at the same time.

Since the dressing is fast to prepare, it also makes the perfect meal prep idea for your week ahead. Add your favorite protein for a complete meal!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“This is such a great recipe! Found this when I needed some inspiration and couldn’t figure out what to put together as a side salad for dinner – THIS RECIPE was great even my 3 year old ate it all up! Wouldn’t change a thing.” -Ashley

apple walnut salad served with gold tongs and blue cheese.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Walnut Salad

It requires minimal prep work. The dressing is fast to stir together, and then you only need to chop two things to assemble. It’s ready to serve in 10 minutes or less!

It’s beautiful. This is the salad I bring to holiday gatherings because it looks so pretty with thinly sliced red apples on top.

It pairs well with almost everything. I can’t think of a meal that these flavors wouldn’t work with. Serve it with roasted turkey, ham, pasta, or your favorite veggie meatloaf.

It’s easy to customize. While I think blue cheese is best on this salad, I realize it’s not a hit with everyone. You can use feta, goat cheese, or leave it off entirely for a dairy-free salad.

Apple Walnut Salad Ingredients

Mixed Greens. I like to use a container of pre-washed Spring mix (or similar) from the store to make assembly a breeze. But any lettuce you have on hand will work.
Apple. Depending on the number of people you are serving, you may want to slice one or two apples as a topping. Apples are in season from late summer to late fall, so that’s the best time to make this salad.
Red Onion. This adds the perfect layer of flavor to contrast with the sweet apples and savory crumbled cheese. Shallots or green onions could be used in a pinch, too.
Walnuts. These crunchy nuts have a buttery texture that is ideal for a salad topping. If you have pecans, instead, they could be a substitute.
Balsamic Dressing. A simple combination of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper creates a flavorful dressing in just minutes.

Top this salad with baked chicken for a complete meal or baked tofu for a vegetarian option.

mixed greens, apples, walnuts, crumbled cheese and dressing labeled on a white surface.

How to Make Apple and Walnut Salad

Step 1:

Prepare the dressing by adding olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, mustard, salt, and black pepper to a small jar or bowl. Stir well to mix the dressing, or secure the lid on the jar and shake well. (I think shaking mixes it best!)

Honey tends to settle to the bottom of the container, so be sure to stir it well until the honey dissolves. Set this aside as you prepare the salad. If you’d like to prepare this dressing in advance for a holiday meal, store it in the fridge with a lid for up to 5 days.

balsamic dressing mixed with a spoon in a glass jar.

Step 2:

When you’re ready to assemble the salad, arrange the mixed greens in a large serving bowl. Thinly slice the apple and red onion, and place them on top of the greens.

You can use as many apples as you’d like, depending on the number of people you plan on serving. (I only used one medium apple in these photos.)

mixed greens added to a bowl and thinly sliced apple.

Step 3:

Sprinkle the walnuts and cheese over the top, then drizzle with the dressing and gently toss it all together.

Serve the extra dressing on the side with a spoon, so your guests can add more dressing to taste, as needed.

salad finished with dressing, walnuts, and blue cheese.

Serving & Storage Tips

This salad is best served immediately after you’ve added the apples and dressing. If you need the apples to last longer, try squeezing some lemon juice over them to prevent browning after slicing them. (Or use an apple variety that may not brown as quickly, like Opal apples.)

You may not use all of the dressing at once, but it can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. It makes eating salad easier for the rest of the week! The dressing may thicken when chilled, so stir well before serving it again.

Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Dressing

4.94 from 15 votes

If you signed up to bring the salad to a holiday meal, you're in luck, because this apple walnut salad recipe is always a huge hit. It's made with an easy balsamic salad dressing, and tastes so delicious that you may find yourself licking your plate clean. Everyone will ask you for the recipe!

prep20 mins cook0 mins total20 mins

Servings:6

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Ingredients

Balsamic Dressing

¼ 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
½ cup raw walnuts , roughly chopped
¼ cup feta or blue 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 crumbled cheese, 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.

Balsamic Note: 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!

Make it Vegan: Omit the cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey.

Make-Ahead Note: You can make the dressing up to 5 days in advance if you’d like to plan ahead for a holiday. Don’t slice the apple and onion until shortly before you plan on serving the salad, for the best flavor and appearance.

Nutrition

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple walnut salad

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