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Home » Recipes » Salads

Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

September 25, 2019 By Katya 31 Comments

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easy fall salad in white bowl
apple walnut salad with balsamic vinaigrette

Autumn inspired apple walnut salad that comes together super quickly. It’s tossed in a delicious tangy balsamic vinaigrette and you can serve it with just about any of your favorite weeknight dinners!

This is also a great salad to pair with a cozy soup, such as Sicilian Chicken Soup . The soup and salad combo is so comforting.

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Apple Walnut Salad

I have an easy weeknight salad for you all today! This apple walnut salad is the perfect combo of sweet and savory. Made with crisp fall apples and the most delicious tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

Bonus…it’s made with few staple ingredients. So you can easily whip it up for simple weeknight side or bring a bowl to your next holiday gathering.

So this apple and walnut salad is definition of easy! Made with sweet crisp apples that are tossed with crunchy walnuts and salty feta. I went with Gala apples for their mild and sweet flavor.

Feta adds the right amount of saltiness. Feel free to substitute goat cheese or even blue cheese. For the base, I used red leaf lettuce. It’s insanely beautiful and the colors remind me of fall.

As far as the balsamic vinaigrette, it’s only four ingredients: olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. It’s creamy, SO full of flavor, and pairs amazing with this apple walnut salad.  

side view apple feta salad recipe

What Kind of Apples are Best for Salads?

To be honest, just about any variety of apples are going to work in this salad but certain varieties are more crunchy and don’t brown too quickly.

I personally love Gala apples for their crisp sweet taste but Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, Piñata, Jazz, Envy, and Empire are all great for adding to salads.

How Do You Easily Cut Apples?

My go-to-method for cutting apples is incredibly easy, quick, and does NOT involve an apple corer. All you need is a sharp knife, cutting board, and of course the apples.

  • Place the apple in an upright position on a cutting board.
  • Starting on one side of the apple, slice down as close to the core as possible. Continue to slice through all the sides of the apple until only the core remains. Discard the core.

cut up apples on a board

  • Place the flat side of each large slice face down and then cut into thin slices.

sliced apples on brown board

Ingredients for Apple Walnut Salad Recipe

  • Lettuce – I love red leaf lettuce in this salad. It’s soft, yet slightly crunchy. But green leaf lettuce, spinach or romaine are all good substitutes.
  • Apples – you can use your favorite type of apples. I love Gala apples for their crunch and mild flavor. Make sure to slice them right before serving so they don’t brown. 
  • Red Onions – shallots is a good substitute. They’re a little milder in taste but still work.
  • Walnuts – don’t like walnuts? Try pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.
  • Feta – buy feta in a block and crumble it yourself. It’s so much tastier. Also goat cheese is a great swap for feta.
  • Balsamic Vinaigrette – olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey.

Ingredients for Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

How to Make Apple Walnut Feta Salad

This apple feta salad is best when served immediately. The balsamic vinaigrette can be prepared in advance and refrigerated.

Step 1: Prepare the vinaigrette – in a small bowl combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey. Whisk until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can also do this in a mason jar. 

Balsamic vinaigrette in white bowl

Step 2: Assemble the salad – make sure all of your salad ingredients are ready to be assembled (chopped, sliced, etc). In a large bowl, layer the lettuce, apples, red onions, walnuts, and feta. Drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette and serve immediately. 

Apple feta salad in white bowl

More Fall Salads with Apples:

  • Chopped Autumn Salad – amazing salad to take to work or school.
  • Apple Crunch Salad – another easy + simple salad.
  • Avocado and Apple Brussels Sprout Salad – I love the addition of Brussels sprouts in this salad.
  • Kale, Butternut Squash, and Apple Salad – add this salad to your next holiday table. It’s so festive looking.

close up walnut salad with apples

If you try Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, don’t forget to leave feedback and a rating.

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apple walnut salad recipe

Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

★★★★★ 5 from 12 reviews
  • Author: Katya
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: Chop
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

Autumn inspired apple walnut salad that comes together super quickly. It’s tossed in the most delicious tangy balsamic vinaigrette! 

 

 


Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 cups chopped red leaf lettuce, about 1 large head
  • 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced (I used Gala apple)
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions
  • 3/4 cup walnut halves, toasted + roughly  chopped
  • 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Vinaigrette

  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsp. honey or maple syrup
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Prepare the vinaigrette: in a small bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey. Whisk until blended. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  2. Assemble the salad: in a large bowl combine the lettuce, apples, red onions, walnuts, and feta. Drizzle with desired amount of vinaigrette and serve immediately. You’ll have leftover vinaigrette, which can be refrigerated in an airtight container for at least one week, if not more.

Notes

  • Lettuce: Red leaf, green leaf, romaine, or spinach are all good greens to use in this salad.
  • Apples: I used Gala apple for this salad but pretty much any crunchy variety of apples work.
  • Walnuts: don’t like walnuts? Try pecans, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds.
  • Make Ahead: prepare the vinaigrette and assemble the salad without the apples. Refrigerate separately and right before serving, add the apples and vinaigrette. Once the salad has been drizzled with the vinaigrette it does not hold up well in the fridge. 

Keywords: apple salad, fall apple salad, easy Thanksgiving salad

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @littlebrokenblog on Instagram and hashtag it #littlebrokenblog

 

Originally published October 2016, updated September 2019 with new photos, rewritten post, and additional information. No change to the recipe.

Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette - delicious autumn salad with pantry ingredients

Filed Under: Recipes, Salads Tagged With: apples, autumn, balsamic, balsamic vinaigrette, fall, feta, salad, side, vegetable

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Comments

  1. Karen M. says

    September 14, 2020 at 8:56 AM

    Easy and delicious

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  2. Annette says

    September 6, 2020 at 5:37 PM

    I just made this, and it’s delicious!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      September 6, 2020 at 9:14 PM

      Thank you! I’m so happy to hear that.

      Reply
  3. Julia says

    July 23, 2020 at 12:35 AM

    This is SOO good! I replaced feta with blue cheese crumbles and used candied walnuts. This will become a staple- so delicious and easy

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      July 23, 2020 at 11:41 AM

      That sounds delicious! Thank you for your feedback.

      Reply
  4. Stephanie Kinnison says

    July 6, 2020 at 5:29 PM

    This is amazing! I make this for company and they rave over it. So simple, so good!!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      July 7, 2020 at 7:55 AM

      That’s so great! Thank you Stephanie.

      Reply
  5. Luana says

    June 8, 2020 at 10:21 AM

    Beautifully fresh and rich salad

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      June 9, 2020 at 8:08 PM

      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Arantxa says

    April 24, 2020 at 8:26 AM

    OMG can’t wait to have this AGAIN. Had an abundance of apples and stumbled upon this recipe. Thank you so much! Both hubby and I wanted more after we finished a whole head of lettuce between us two. I’ve sent this recipe to so many people. Used one Cortland apple, sliced it really thin and halfway into slithers of squares, and used a shallot instead of red onion. Easily prepared beforehand, just slice apples and toss before serving. Toasted the walnuts on a frying pan drizzled with a little olive oil for a couple of minutes, makes a difference! This is definitely giving me something to look forward to.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      April 24, 2020 at 1:12 PM

      Thank you! So happy to hear you enjoy the salad.

      Reply
  7. Maret says

    December 27, 2019 at 10:02 AM

    Delicious salad! The vinaigrette was exceptional. My husband and I actually made single serving portions of this salad and your Apple Crunch Salad to compare flavors since both the salads and dressings are very similar. We liked the Apple Crunch Salad dressing which was sweeter in taste, but the balsamic dressing brought more overall flavor (and not as sweet) to the salad. A keeper for sure! Also the salad itself can certainly handle substitutions like you suggested: sunflower seeds, blue cheese, romaine lettuce, dried cherries, etc.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      December 29, 2019 at 2:04 PM

      So happy to hear you enjoyed the salad! Thank you for the feedback.

      Reply
  8. Giants Fan says

    October 15, 2019 at 12:24 AM

    I made this for my mom and myself. It was incredible. It was quite decadent, as I went overboard with the olive oil and the feta, but this is a great filling salad and could go with a light vegetable soup or just plain broth like I like it.

    Thanks for the sweet recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      October 16, 2019 at 9:56 AM

      Thank you !

      Reply
  9. Kristin D. says

    January 7, 2019 at 10:01 AM

    Delicious! I made this for my family’s Christmas get together because their is always a lack of “green stuff” and everyone really enjoyed it! I enjoyed it so much that I made it again another day and plan to make it again tonight for dinner. The dressing is so easy to assemble as well! I added some halved grapes in it the last time and that was also a tasty addition! Thanks!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      January 7, 2019 at 1:43 PM

      Thank you Kristin! So glad you enjoyed the salad.

      Reply
  10. Brenda says

    December 11, 2017 at 2:39 PM

    Hi. I just recently discovered your website and recipes. I am so glad I did. I made this salad using red onions that I pickled and mixed salad nuts. Yummy. I will be making this for Christmas. I am going to try it with spinach instead of the lettuce next time. So easy, so good.

    Reply
    • Katya says

      December 11, 2017 at 4:05 PM

      Thank you Brenda and welcome! So glad you’re loving this salad and I think it will be delicious with spinach.

      Reply
  11. tanvi says

    July 15, 2017 at 11:41 PM

    hi, can we substitute mustard with anything else!!

    Reply
    • Katya says

      July 17, 2017 at 12:36 AM

      Hi Tanvi: you could try some horseradish but honestly it’s so hard to say how it will taste without giving it a try first.

      Reply
  12. Rebecca says

    May 1, 2017 at 3:57 PM

    Can you add quinoa to this?

    Reply
    • Katya says

      May 2, 2017 at 12:20 PM

      Hi Rebecca: You can give it a try! It’s hard for me to say without trying it out first but I would add chilled quinoa or it will soak up all of the dressing and salad will be dry. Let me know how it turns out.

      Reply
  13. Gary says

    February 11, 2017 at 3:13 PM

    I made this tonight to go with pizza and it was my favourite salad ever.I can’t really cook but the recipe was so easy to follow.My partner said it was the best salad she’s ever had,going to check the rest of your recipes out now ????

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      February 12, 2017 at 9:18 AM

      That’s so great Gary! Thank you so much. I’m glad you guys loved the salad.

      Reply
  14. Natalie says

    October 15, 2016 at 5:19 PM

    Could you use almonds or sunflower seeds instead of walnuts?

    Reply
    • Katya says

      October 15, 2016 at 9:01 PM

      You definitely can!

      Reply
  15. alexa.al says

    October 8, 2016 at 10:34 AM

    I’m saving this one to make later. 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Katya says

      October 8, 2016 at 9:32 PM

      Hope you enjoy it! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julie says

        December 30, 2018 at 4:48 PM

        So good! I added chicken and dried cranberries too!

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Katya says

          December 30, 2018 at 8:43 PM

          Thank you!

          Reply

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Hello and Welcome! I’m Katya. I believe life is too short to eat bad food and wear boring shoes. I'm glad you're here! Learn more...

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