The combination of sweet apples, tart cranberries, and crunchy pecans, all tossed in a tangy dressing, make this holiday salad recipe one you’ll crave. To prepare it, all you have to do is stir together the dressing and chop 2 ingredients. When you use pre-washed mixed greens as the base for your salad, the assembly is a breeze! The flavors in this salad are the perfect companion for other popular sides, like mashed potatoes, gravy, and stuffing.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This salad is super-flexible, so feel free to add any seasonal extras you love, such as roasted beets or roasted butternut squash. You could also add pomegranate seeds for color, or some sliced oranges if you like. Walnuts, sliced almonds, or pistachios also make a great swap for the pecans. If you’re not a fan of blue cheese, try using goat cheese or feta, instead. (Or leave it off for a dairy-free salad, and offer the option on the side.)
How to Make the Best Holiday Salad
In a 12-ounce mason jar with a lid, combine the apple cider vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, spicy brown mustard, garlic, honey, salt, and black pepper. Use a small whisk or spoon to stir well, until the dressing looks smooth. Taste the salad dressing and make any adjustments, as needed. If the dressing is too sweet for you, try adding a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice and stir again. Or you can add more sweetener if the dressing tastes too tart. Once the dressing tastes good to you, set it aside while you assemble the salad. Make-Ahead Tip: You can prepare this salad dressing up to 3 days in advance if you want to plan ahead! Just keep it stored in the fridge until you’re ready to serve it, and let it sit on the counter for 1 hour prior to your holiday meal, so it can come back to room temperature again. (This makes it easier to pour.) To assemble this salad, you only need to slice two things for this recipe: apples and red onion. I like to keep the pieces small, so they are easy to pick up on a fork. You can cut the apples into matchsticks (as pictured here), dice them into small chunks, or thinly slice them and fan them out over the salad. (You can see an example of fanned apples in my Apple Walnut Salad recipe.) When you are ready to serve the salad, arrange the pre-washed greens on a large platter, or in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle the apple and onion over the top, then add in the dried cranberries and pecans. Add the crumbled cheese, if using, then generously drizzle on the dressing. (It’s okay if you don’t use all of the dressing at once; it will keep well in the fridge for several more days.) Toss well, and then the salad is ready to serve right away. Looking for more holiday salads? Try this amazing Brussels Sprouts Salad, Greek Cauliflower Salad, Kale Salad with Caesar Dressing, or Wild Rice Salad with Orange Vinaigrette. Update Note: This recipe was updated in November 2022 with minor changes. If you prefer the original version, simply use 2 tablespoons of honey (instead of 3) and reduce the mustard by 1 teaspoon. I also added salt & pepper to this new version, and stir it together in a jar instead of blending it in a blender. For the salad, you can use 3 chopped romaine hearts as the base, and use 4 cups of shredded purple cabbage instead of the apple. (Print the old recipe here.) If you try this holiday salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
