Apple Pecan Salad will be your easy go-to salad during autumn, juicy, crisp apples, greens smothered in a decadently creamy orange poppy seed dressing and voila, you will have magic on a plate!
Such an easy salad to put together and more than likely you will have most of the ingredients in your autumn pantry already- greens, apples, pecans and red onions.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Apples – You can use any apples that take your fancy. I have used crisp tart Granny smith apples and oh so sweet red delicious.
- Greens – Use anything from baby spinach, peppery rocket, shredded silverbeet, or massaged kale instead of the mixed salad greens that I have used here.
- Pecans – add a nice buttery crunch to this salad. But feel free to use any nuts that you have to hand, such as walnuts, almonds, or even some hazelnuts, which would be good here.
- Red Onion – for its colour and sweetness in this salad, you can leave it out completely or use a small French shallot instead.
- The Dressing – This salad is brought together with this creamy, crunchy poppy seed dressing made healthy by the use of Greek yoghurt instead of mayonnaise. It is thin so if you prefer it a little thicker just add another 2 tbsps of Greek yoghurt just add the dressing gradually so that you don’t drown your salad.
- For a Simpler Dressing try – try maple dressing, in a glass jar add 3 tbsps oil, 3 tbsps apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar or white balsamic) 1 tbsps maple syrup, season and shake until combined.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1 – Prepare Ingredients
Wash your apples and remove the core with an apple corer.
Slice you apples thinly into half-moons either with a v-slicer or sharp knife.
To prevent your apples from browning place them in salted water using one teaspoon of salt for every two cups of water for 10 minutes. You will be amazed at what a huge difference this will make.
Wash the salad leaves under cold running water, remove any damaged or wilted leaves then, either pat or spin dry in a salad spinner to remove excess water.
Remove the papery skin, tops and bottoms from your onion, rinse then cut into half-moons.
Then strain your apples and pat dry.
Step 2 – Whisk Your Dresssing
Place the yoghurt, orange juice and zest, apple cider vinegar, oil and poppy seeds in a small mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper and stir until the poppy seeds and zest are evenly distributed throughout.
Step 3 – Assemble Your Salad
Place all your ingredients in a large mixing bowl (reserve 1-2 tbsps of pecans to use as a garnish), season with sea salt and cracked black pepper.
Pour over your dressing and toss until everything has been well coated with the dressing. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the reserved pecans on top and serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
We served ours with crackled pork rack but would also be great with roast chicken or turkey.
Tips and Questions
Can I Use a Different Type of Nut Instead of Pecans?
Yes, you can substitute pecans with walnuts, almonds, or macadamias all work well in this salad.
Can You Make Apple Pecan Salad in Advance?
- While you can prepare this salad an hour or two (at the most) ahead do not pour the dressing over your salad until you are ready to serve otherwise it will become soggy.
- You can easily make your dressing a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge or why not make a double batch to use in other salads such as a kale salad or even coleslaw.
How Do I Store Leftover Salad?
Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Even though the leaves would have wilted it will still taste fine for 2-3 days.
Can I Add Protein to Make It a Complete Meal?
Yes, consider adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or even tofu to the salad to make it a more substantial and protein-packed meal.
Some More Leaf Salad Recipes
Recipe Card
Equipment
- Apple corer
- Salad Spinner
Ingredients
- 120 grams mixed leaves approximately 4 cups
- 2 apples 1 used a granny smith and a red delicious
- ½ red onion
- ½ cup Pecans
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- ¼ cup Greek yoghurt
- 2 tbsps apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsps orange juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 tsps poppy seeds
Instructions
- Wash and core the apples, cut them into half-moons, place in a bowl of salted water (1 teaspoon for every 2 cups of water).
- Wash your salad greens and either pat dry or spin in a salad spinner to remove the excess water.
- Add all the dressing ingredients to a small bowl, season and mix to combine.
- Drain your apples and pat dry then place all your ingredients in a large mixing bowl (reserve 1-2 tbsps of pecans for a garnish), season, pour over the dressing and toss until well combined.
- Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter the reserved pecans on top to garnish and serve immediately.
