Apple Pecan Feta Salad with Homemade Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

This apple pecan feta salad is crisp, sweet, and tangy all in one bowl, the kind of salad that steals the show at any meal. Crunchy apples, praline pecans, thinly sliced onions, and shredded carrots come together with creamy feta cheese, all tossed in a homemade creamy balsamic vinaigrette that ties every bite together. It has all the flavors of a classic harvest salad, sweet, savory, and a little tangy, making it just as at home on a holiday table as it is alongside a weeknight dinner. Whether you're serving it as a side dish or a light meal on its own, this salad comes together quickly and always gets requested again.

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Why this is the best Apple Pecan Feta Salad with Homemade Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette recipe

Despite the long name, this salad is so quick and easy. This apple pecan feta salad comes together in just a few minutes with very little prep. There is no cooking required, making it an easy choice when you need a fresh side dish without adding another pan to the stove.

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This apple pecan salad has an amazing combination of flavors and textures. Crisp, sweet apples, crunchy pecans, creamy feta cheese, and fresh greens give you a little bit of everything in every bite. The homemade creamy balsamic vinaigrette ties it all together with just the right balance of tangy, sweet, and savory flavors.

This harvest apple salad is made with simple ingredients. You don't need anything unusual or difficult to find to make this salad. The ingredients are available in most grocery stores, and you may already have most of them in your pantry.

Apple pecan feta salad is easy to customize. You can change the greens, nuts, cheese, or fruit depending on what you have on hand or what your family likes. If you want a light dinner, throw on some shredded chicken and call it the full meal. It's one of those salads that is very flexible, so you can easily make it your own.

This apple pecan salad is beautiful enough for a holiday but easy enough for a weeknight. The apples, pecans, feta, and greens make this salad look impressive on the table without requiring much work. It's a great choice for Thanksgiving, Christmas, fall dinners, potlucks, or an ordinary family meal.

The homemade balsamic dressing makes a big difference. Creamy balsamic vinaigrette gives the salad much more flavor than a plain bottled dressing and complements the sweet apples, salty feta, and toasted pecans beautifully.

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What you'll need to make the best Apple Pecan Feta Salad recipe

Equipment

• Mason jars - pint size - This is my suggested container for the homemade dressing because it's easy to seal up and shake shake shake til it's well blended.
• Parchment paper - This is for cooking the pecans. You're making them candied, and that sugar will be really hard to scrape off your baking sheet if you don't line it with parchment or aluminum foil.
• Baking sheet - You need a baking sheet to roast the pecans. If you buy candied pecans or praline pecans, you can skip this step.
• Egg separator - This is for the pecans.
• Salad-berry spinner - After you wash your greens, this is my favorite way to dry them. If you don't dry them, the excess water will make your salad runny and will also dilute your dressing.

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See the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page for all measurements and nutritional information.

Ingredients

For the creamy balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

• Balsamic vinegar - Buy the best imported balsamic vinegar you can afford.
• Low sodium soy sauce - This offsets the sweet flavor of the dressing.
• Dijon mustard - You could use a different kind of mustard if you prefer. Sometimes, I use horseradish mustard because it's my favorite.
• Honey - I like honey in this recipe, but you could also use hot honey or another sweetener if you prefer.
• Greek yogurt - This makes the dressing creamy, and it also gives it some body to help it stick to the greens.
• Extra virgin olive oil - Your body needs fats to digest certain vitamins. If you completely leave the oil out of the salad dressing, you will waste those nutrients as your body won't absorb them.
• Salt - Just a pinch to bring out the other flavors.

For the praline pecans

I like candied pecans in this salad recipe. You are welcome to buy candied or praline pecans in the grocery store. If you don't want to add sugar to your salad, it's okay to just toast the pecans or even to use them raw in your salad. If you want to toast them, roast them in a single layer at 350ºF for 5 to 8 minutes, until they're fragrant and darkening in color. Keep an eye on them because nuts go from perfect to burnt in under 30 seconds.

• Brown sugar
• White sugar
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Egg white
• Vanilla bean paste
• Water
• Pecans

For the salad

• Spring mix - Any form of greens will be fine. Baby lettuce and arugula is really nice too.
• Red onion - This is optional. If you don't love raw onions, leave it out.
• Carrots - You can buy pre-shredded carrots in the produce section of the grocery store.
• Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples - These are my favorite but any apple labeled "for eating" will be fine. (As opposed to "for baking" apples which would not be as nice in the salad.)
• Lemon juice - Fresh is always best.
• Cranberries - Dried cranberries are fine. You can get them all year round with the other dried fruit in the grocery store.
• Feta cheese crumbles - Feel free to use extra. I measure cheese with my heart not a measuring cup.

How to make this easy Apple Pecan Feta Salad recipe with Homemade Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

For the creamy balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

1. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small mason jar. Tighten the lid and shake vigorously until well blended. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator overnight for best flavor.

For the praline pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup.
2. Combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg white, vanilla bean paste, and water until frothy.
4. Add the chopped pecans to the egg white mixture and toss to coat.
5. Pour the sugar mixture over the wet pecans and toss to coat.
6. Pour the sugared pecans on the prepared baking sheet and flatten into a single layer.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Ensure the pecans are always in a single layer on the baking sheet.
8. When pecans are toasted and dry, remove the baking sheet from the oven. Allow the pecans to cool on the baking sheet for an hour and then transfer to a plate to fully cool. Do not move to an airtight container until completely cool or condensation will form and make them soggy.

For the apple pecan feta salad

1. Wash the spring mix and spin off the excess water.
2. Place greens, onions, and carrots in a large salad bowl and toss.
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3. Just before serving, thinly slice the apple and toss the slices in fresh lemon juice to prevent browning.
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4. Top the greens mixture with apple slices, cooled praline pecans, feta crumbles, and cranberries.
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5. Serve with homemade creamy balsamic vinaigrette on the side.

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Substitutions & variations

You can use almost any crisp apple in this salad. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Fuji, or Gala apples will give you a sweeter salad, while Granny Smith apples add a tart flavor that works especially well with the creamy balsamic vinaigrette. You can also use a combination of sweet and tart apples.

Firm pears can be substituted for apples.

If you don't have pecans, substitute walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or sunflower seeds. Toasting the nuts before adding them to the salad brings out their flavor and gives them an even better crunch.

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Feta cheese gives the salad a salty, tangy flavor, but you can substitute goat cheese, blue cheese, or gorgonzola. For a milder salad, try shaved Parmesan or small pieces of mozzarella.

You can change the greens to suit what you have on hand. Baby spinach, spring mix, arugula, romaine, or a combination of several greens will all work well.

For even more fall flavor, dried cherries, sliced pears, pomegranate arils, or grapes.

Turn this side salad into a main dish by adding grilled or rotisserie chicken, turkey, salmon, or another favorite protein. It's also a great way to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey.

Storing leftover apple pecan feta salad

I prefer to serve the dressing on the side so that leftovers can be stored without dressing. If you plan to eat all the salad in one serving, it is fine to toss the dressing on the salad.

Praline pecans can be stored on the counter in an airtight container for up to 10 days.

Salad dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Undressed salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Dressed salad can also be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, but it needs to be consumed within 24 hours of adding the dressing.

This recipe does not freeze well.

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Check out more delicious Apple recipes

• Copycat Cracker Barrel Fried Apples
• Apple Butter Thumbprint Cookies
• Apple Crisp Shortbread Bars
• Apple Pie Ice Cream
• Apple Crisp Without Oats
• Apple Strudel with Puff Pastry
• Easy Apple Crisp with Oats
• Caramel Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Fresh Apples
• Classic Apple Cake Recipe
• Leftover Ham and Rice with Apples

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