A perfect Fall salad recipe, this chopped apple salad combines butter lettuce with lots of diced Honeycrisp apples, quick-candied walnuts, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and feta cheese. It’s all tossed in a homemade maple mustard vinaigrette.
As the weather cools, the salad evolves. This chopped apple salad is chunky and hearty, with lots of chopped apples, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. It’s a feast of flavours and textures. I’ve used butter lettuce as a base and drizzled it all with an easy homemade maple mustard vinaigrette.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Apples – I’ve used Honeycrisp apples here, but any apple you have on hand will work just fine.
Lettuce – I love butter lettuce for a vibrant salad. You could also use leaf lettuce or romaine lettuce if you prefer.
Walnuts – I love the slightly bitter flavour of walnuts with the sweet apples and dried cranberries. Chopped pecans would also be nice.
Feta cheese – I love the salty note the feta brings to this salad, but goat cheese would also work well. If you’re adventurous, try a bit of Blue cheese!
How to make chopped apple salad: step-by-step
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Scroll down to the Recipe Card below for the complete list of ingredients and instructions.
Step 1: Start by placing the dried cranberries to a bowl of hot water to soak.
Step 2: Add the maple mustard vinaigrette ingredients to a small jar.
Step 3: Shake the vinaigrette vigorously to mix. Set aside.
Step 4: Place the walnuts, sugar and butter into a non-stick skillet and cook until the sugar melts and caramelizes.
Step 5: Remove the walnuts to a sheet of parchment paper and separate to cool and avoid clumping.
Step 6: Add the lettuce, apples, candied walnuts, pumpkin seeds, feta and drained dried cranberries to a large bowl and toss with the maple mustard vinaigrette.
Top tip!
While a large bowl is great for tossing a salad, I love to serve this type of chopped salad in a shallow bowl, such as the wooden bowl shown here. This avoids the dreaded all-the-good-stuff-is-at-the-bottom-of-the-bowl thing. A shallow bowl lets you take one spoonful and get the perfect combination of toppings and lettuce every time!
Variations
- Swap out the apples for chopped ripe pears.
- Add some sunflower seeds to the mix.
- Top with grilled chicken for a fabulous dinner salad.
Making ahead and storing
This salad is best enjoyed freshly made, though you can make the maple mustard vinaigrette ahead and refrigerate and also make the quick-candied walnuts ahead and store them in an airtight container until needed.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator where it will keep pretty well for up to 24 hours.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Get the Recipe: Chopped Apple Salad
Ingredients
For the quick-candied walnuts:
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon water
- 1/2 Tablespoon butter
For the maple mustard vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, preferably dark
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Pinch salt and freshly ground pepper
For the salad:
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 1 1/2-2 cups
- 4 oz butter lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, soaked in hot water to plump
- 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled
Instructions
- Place the 1/2 cup dried cranberries (soaked in hot water to plump) in a small bowl. Cover with hot water and let stand for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the salad.
For the quick-candied walnuts:
- Add the 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, 2 Tablespoons white granulated sugar, 1/2 Tablespoon water and 1/2 Tablespoon butter to a small, non-stick skillet. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar melts and caramelizes slightly, 3-4 minutes. *Watch carefully towards the end of cooking to avoid scorching! Immediately remove the walnuts to a sheet of parchment paper and use a spoon to separate the walnuts so they don't clump. Set aside to cool.
For the maple mustard vinaigrette:
- Add the 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (preferably dark), 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper to a small bowl or jar. Whisk or shake together until well combined. Set aside.
For the salad:
- Cut the 1 large Honeycrisp apple (cored and cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 1 1/2-2 cups) and set aside.
- Add the 4 oz butter lettuce (torn into bite-sized pieces) to a large bowl. Drain the soaking cranberries and add to the salad. Add the 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds and 1/3 cup feta cheese (crumbled) to the bowl. Drizzle with the maple mustard vinaigrette and toss to coat well.
- Use tongs to transfer to a shallow serving bowl or large platter. Serve immediately.
Notes
More Fall salad recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress-free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
