My Favorite Apple Walnut Salad

This flavorful salad is topped with sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, and is tossed with an easy balsamic vinaigrette. It makes a great salad for holiday gatherings, and I love how it comes together in just minutes!

How to Make Apple Walnut Salad

Making this salad couldn’t be easier. The dressing can be whisked, or shaken together in a sealed jar, and then all you have to do is a little chopping and assembling. I like the chop the apples shortly before serving, so that they look as fresh as possible.

If you need to make this salad earlier in the day you could squeeze some lemon juice on the slices to help prevent browning.

What dressing goes with Apple Walnut Salad?

I chose an easy balsamic dressing for this salad because I feel like it’s always a hit. However, if you don’t have balsamic on hand, you could also opt for my favorite Apple Cider Vinaigrette or Honey Dijon Dressing. As long as you love the flavor of the dressing, I think you’ll love this salad!

Make it Ahead:

You can prepare this dressing up to a week in advance, if you’re preparing for a big holiday meal. I use store-bought mixed green lettuces so I can avoid chopping the greens. Then all you have to do is chop an apple and some onion shortly before assembling and serving!

My Favorite Apple Walnut Salad

5 from 6 votes

This easy salad is topped with sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, and tossed with a flavorful balsamic dressing. It's perfect for holiday gatherings!

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Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 20 mins

Servings: 6

Ingredients

Balsamic Dressing

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (see note)
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
• pinch of salt

Salad

• 6 cups mixed greens
• 1 medium granny smith apple , chopped
• 1/4 red onion , finely chopped
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts , roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup feta , crumbled (optional)

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Instructions 

• To prepare the dressing, use a whisk to combine the oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt.
  
• To assemble the salad, fill a large bowl with the mixed greens, then top them with the apple, onion, walnuts, and feta, if using.
  
• Just before serving, generously drizzle some of the dressing over the salad and toss well so that everything gets evenly coated. You can save any leftover dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
  

Video

Notes

I like to use a balsamic vinegar that has been aged for at least 3 years for best flavor. (It's a little more expensive than the cheapest balsamic options at the grocery store.) If you use one that hasn't been aged as long, you might want to add a little more sweetener to balance out the acidity.

Nutrition

Calories: 201kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 110mg, Potassium: 156mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 505IU, Vitamin C: 11.1mg, Calcium: 58mg, Iron: 0.7mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: apple, balsamic, holiday, salad, walnut

Per serving: Calories: 201, Fat: 17g, Carbohydrates: 10g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 3g

Recipe Notes:

• Salads are easy to customize to your taste, so feel free to get creative with what you love! You could use chopped green onions instead of red, for a more mild onion flavor, or add in any other salad toppings you like.
• To make this salad vegan, omit the cheese and use maple syrup instead of honey.
• This salad would be great for Thanksgiving leftovers; top it with leftover turkey for a post-holiday meal!

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Reader Feedback: Do you have a favorite holiday salad? I always make this Holiday Salad for Thanksgiving