Description
A cozy, crunchy Cranberry Pecan Salad with a simple homemade maple vinaigrette. This easy recipe is perfect for holidays, potlucks, or a quick weeknight meal!
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Salad Base:
- 5 oz mixed spring greens or spinach
- 1 crisp apple (like Honeycrisp or Gala), thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- For the Maple Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Toppings & Finishing Touches:
- 3/4 cup raw pecan halves
Instructions
- Toast Those Pecans!: First thing’s first, let’s get those pecans nice and toasty. I toss them into a dry skillet over medium heat. No oil needed! Now, this is the part where you can’t walk away. I learned that the hard way, trust me. Just hang out by the stove for 3-5 minutes, shaking the pan every so often. You’ll know they’re ready when they smell incredibly nutty and fragrant and have a few little golden-brown spots. The second you smell them, pull them off the heat and pour them onto a plate to cool. If you leave them in the hot pan, they’ll keep cooking and turn bitter. Disaster averted!
- Shake Up the Dressing: Now for my favorite part, the dressing! I grab a mason jar with a tight-fitting lid because shaking it is way more fun than whisking. I pour in the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, real maple syrup, and a little bit of Dijon mustard. Don’t forget a pinch of salt and pepper! Then, I screw the lid on tight—and I mean TIGHT, I once had an oily kitchen explosion—and shake it like a Polaroid picture. Shake it until it’s all creamy and combined. Give it a little taste. Does it need more maple? A bit more salt? You’re the boss here.
- Prep the Fresh Stuff: While the pecans are cooling, I get my other goodies ready. If I’m using an apple or a pear, I slice it up really thin. Nobody wants a giant chunk of apple in their salad. I just find it easier to eat this way! If I’m making this ahead of time, I’ll squeeze a tiny bit of lemon juice over the slices to keep them from turning that unappetizing brown color. It’s a simple trick but it makes all the difference when you’re trying to impress guests or, you know, just yourself. Then, I get the feta crumbled and ready for its grand entrance.
- Build Your Salad Base: Time to assemble! I grab my biggest, prettiest salad bowl. Seriously, a big bowl makes tossing so much easier and less messy. I dump all of my mixed greens right into the bowl. If I’m using apple slices, I’ll toss them in now. I give everything a gentle toss with my hands or some tongs to get it all mixed up. This is the beautiful green canvas for all the deliciousness we’re about to add. It feels so fresh and healthy at this stage, just waiting for the flavor party to begin. It’s all about the layers!
- Add the Toppings: Here comes the fun. I sprinkle the cooled, toasty pecans and the chewy dried cranberries all over the greens. I try to get an even distribution, but who am I kidding? I just dump them on. Then comes the feta. My recipe says half a cup, but my heart says a full cup. I usually listen to my heart. I love getting those little salty pockets of cheese in every bite. This is where the salad really starts to look like something special. The colors, the textures—it’s just so inviting and makes me so happy just looking at it.
- Dress It Up and Serve!: This is the final, crucial step! Do not, I repeat, do not dress the salad until you are literally about to serve it. Otherwise, you’ll have a sad, soggy mess. I give my dressing one last good shake in the jar, then I drizzle about half of it over the salad. I give it a gentle toss, coating everything lightly. Then I add a little more until it’s dressed to my liking. You want it coated, not swimming. And that’s it! It’s ready. Look at that gorgeous bowl! Time to dig in immediately and enjoy all that crunchy, sweet, tangy goodness.