This Apple Cranberry Salad is sweet and crunchy, crisp and tart! It’s simple enough for a weekday lunch yet fancy enough for holiday dinners!
I’m a huge fan of fruit on salad and this one has diced apples and dried cranberries. Plus, anything with freshly shaved parmesan and glazed pecans is going to be good, right?!!
Apple Cranberry Salad Ingredients
The crunchy apples and crispy croutons work perfectly with the chewy dried cranberries and sweet glazed pecans to make this an outstanding salad! I’ve been eating this salad, with slight variations, on repeat for months now. Scroll down for the complete recipe with ingredient measurements.
- Lettuce: We used organic spring mix lettuce for this salad because it is a great combinations of flavors, textures, and colors. You can use whatever your favorite lettuce is.
- Apples: Diced Granny Smith apples are what we chose when making this salad but any crunchy apple variety would work too.
- Parmesan: Shaved parmesan is fantastic on this salad. You can shave it yourself or you can find shaved parmesan in the deli area at your local grocery store.
- Croutons: For the croutons we crumbled rosemary and olive oil bruschetta toasts. Any croutons would work or you can use parmesan crisps as well.
- Cranberries: The dried cranberries add a little sweet, a little tart and some chewiness to this apple cranberry salad.
- Pecans: We chopped up a few glazed pecans for the salad and you only need a few to really make the salad something special.
- Lemon Vinaigrette: Homemade lemon vinaigrette (find my recipe here) is the perfect dressing to serve with this salad!
How To Make Apple Cranberry Salad
To make this apple cranberry salad, simply layer the ingredients, add the dressing and enjoy! Feel free to add extra ingredients or swap things out as you see fit. Scroll down for the printable recipe card and complete instructions.
- Arrange the lettuce in one large bowl or in several individual bowls depending on the occasion.
- Next layer on the toppings in any order you want. This could be served buffet style so each person can add what they want. I keep the toppings together in my pantry and fridge so they are easy to pull out every time I want another salad.
- Drizzle with salad dressing. Whether you use one large bowl or not it is a good idea to leave the dressing on the side to let everyone add the amount of dressing they prefer.
Apple Cranberry Salad Frequently Asked Questions
I would suggest preparing the ingredients (chopping the pecans, shredding the parmesan, making the vinaigrette, etc.) ahead of time but waiting until the last minute to assemble everything.
When you serve a salad a main dish, it often includes protein and larger portions. I would suggest adding diced turkey or chicken to this salad.
You can add more veggies such as diced cucumbers or sliced onions. Or add more fruit like diced pears, sliced grapes or pomegranate seeds. Toasted walnuts and walnuts could be added too!
Want more salad recipes? Try these next:
This Corn Salad recipe is a creamy combination of fresh sweet corn, colorful peppers, and ripe tomatoes! It is the perfect summer salad for potlucks, picnics, and barbecues.
This Cranberry Pecan Pretzel Salad recipe with cranberry sauce, sugared pecans, and pretzels is perfect for holiday dinners from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
Always a crowd favorite, this Taco Salad recipe is topped with tomatoes, corn, beans, taco meat, onions, cheese, and easy-to-make creamy salsa dressing.
Raspberry Parmesan Chicken Salad is my favorite salad recipe! It has baby spring mix, chicken, Parmesan, olives, raspberries, and raspberry vinaigrette.
Apple Cranberry Salad
This Apple Cranberry Salad is sweet and crunchy, crisp and tart! It's simple enough for a weekday lunch yet fancy enough for holiday dinners!
Ingredients
- 4 cups spring mix lettuce
- 1/2 cup diced green apples
- 1/2 cup shaved parmesan
- 1/2 cup croutons
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup glazed pecans
- 1/2 cup lemon vinaigrette
Instructions
- Arrange the spring mix lettuce in a large serve bowl or divide it between individual bowls.
- Top the lettuce with diced green apples, shaved parmesan, croutons, dried cranberries, and candied pecans.
- Serve with homemade lemon vinaigrette (see recipe here).
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1/4 of saladAmount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 547mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 9gProtein: 5g
Nutrition data is calculated automatically by Nutritionix and isn't always accurate. I am not a certified nutritionist and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual’s dietary needs and restrictions are unique to the individual. You are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health.
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