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Easy Fall Harvest Salad with Apples & Goat Cheese

fall harvest salad with apples and goat cheese - featured image
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A quick and delicious fall salad with arugula, apples, goat cheese, candied pecans, and dried cranberries, tossed in a maple-balsamic dressing. Perfect for gatherings and ready in 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 oz (140g) baby arugula or mixed greens
  • 2 medium Honeycrisp or Fuji apples, thinly sliced
  • 4 oz (115g) crumbled goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup (60g) candied pecans, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup (50g) dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup (30g) shaved Parmesan or Manchego (optional)
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Make the dressing: In a small bowl or mason jar, combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk or shake until emulsified. Set aside.
  2. Prepare the apples: Wash apples, leave skin on, cut in half, remove core, and slice into thin half-moons. Toss with lemon juice if prepping ahead.
  3. Prepare the pecans (if making from scratch): In a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, combine pecan halves, maple syrup, and salt. Stir constantly for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and glossy. Spread on parchment to cool, then chop.
  4. Assemble the salad: In a large salad bowl, combine arugula, sliced apples, crumbled goat cheese, chopped candied pecans, dried cranberries, and optional Parmesan.
  5. Dress and toss: Drizzle about 3/4 of the dressing over the salad. Using clean hands or tongs, toss gently but thoroughly until evenly coated. Add more dressing if needed.
  6. Finish and serve: Taste and adjust seasoning with flaky salt if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Don’t overdress the salad; start with less dressing and add more as needed. Let goat cheese and dressing come to room temperature for best results. Slice apples just before serving to prevent browning. For a crowd, multiply ingredients but don’t double the dressing automatically.

Nutrition

Keywords: fall harvest salad, apple goat cheese salad, easy salad recipe, Thanksgiving salad, arugula salad, maple balsamic dressing

Find it online: https://bitesienna.com/easy-fall-harvest-salad-with-apples-and-goat-cheese/