Apple Cranberry Salad

Apple Cranberry Salad is the perfect salad for the fall! It is made with crisp apples and dried cranberries that are combined with spring mix lettuce and topped off with a touch of parmesan cheese. A zesty apple cider vinaigrette rounds out the salad. The combination of flavors is amazing! Make it tonight for dinner! It will be a family favorite.

Why you need to make Apple Cranberry salad!

• The flavors and textures are amazing!
• The salad is colorful!
• It takes less than 15 minutes to prepare.
• The salad pairs well with chicken, beef, or pork.
• Eat it for dinner or lunch.
• It is the perfect salad to make in the fall when apples are in season and fresh.

Ingredients for Apple Cranberry Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• Apples-use a crisp sweet apple such as Gala, Jonagold, Honey Crisp or Fuji apples. Do not use canned apples because they would be mushy.
• Dried Cranberries-Use any dried cranberries. Cranberries made with less added sugar are best.
• Parmesean Cheese-Grate the parmesan cheese yourself. It tastes better! However, if you are in a hurry, pre-grated parmesan cheese will work.
• Spring Mix Greens-Use spring mix greens or use mixed greens that contain half spinach.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• Apple Cider Vinegar-I would recommend Bragg raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar because of the great flavor.
• Olive oil-use light olive oil because it will not impact the taste of the vinaigrette.
• Dijon mustard-works best in this salad.
• Honey-any honey will do.
• Salt and Pepper-Coarse grind are best!

Substitutions

Apple Salad Substitutions

• Substitute firm (not hard) sweet pears for apples.
• You can substitute feta cheese in place of the Parmesan Cheese.
• Substitute spinach or baby kale for the spring mix lettuce blend. Romaine or Iceberg would not be a good choice for this salad because they are too crunchy.

Apple Cider Vinaigrette Substitutions

• Apple Cider Vinegar-I would recommend Bragg raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar because of the great flavor. However, other brands of apple cider vinegar will work.
• Olive oil- Canola oil or any other mild tasting oil can be substituted for the olive oil in the dressing.
• Dijon mustard-You can use any brown mustard, however, do not use yellow mustard because it is not similar to Dijon mustard and will significantly change the taste of the vinaigrette.
• Honey-any honey will do.
• Salt and Pepper-Fine grind salt and pepper can be used but cut the amounts in half.

Tips for the salad and vinaigrette

• Use a box grater to grate the parmesan cheese so that you have a coarser shred.
• I recommend rewashing the lettuce before you use it. Be sure to remove excess water. The best way to do this is to use a salad spinner. Removing the excess water, allows the vinaigrette to adhere to the lettuce. If there is too much water on the lettuce, the vinaigrette will not stick to the lettuce.
• Prepare the salad ingredients and vinaigrette can be made earlier in the day. Refrigerate and then toss the vinaigrette with the salad right before serving.
• Use 1-2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss with the salad ingredients.   If additional vinaigrette is needed, add it 1 tablespoon at a time. 

How to make the Apple Cranberry Salad

First, prepare the salad ingredients

Grate the Parmesan cheese using the large grate on a box grater (affiliate link).

Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core. Slice apple quarters into thirds and then slice them into chunks.

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Place all ingredients in a salad bowl.

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Second, prepare the Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Combine all the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar. Put a secure lid on top and shake until it is well mixed.

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Last step

Right before you serve the salad, add the vinaigrette to the salad and toss. It is best to start with 1-2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and if you feel it needs more, then add 1 tablespoon at a time and toss after each addition. Do not add too much vinaigrette otherwise the lettuce will be limp.

Leftovers

Unfortunately, this salad is not as tasty as a leftover. If you do not use all the dressing, you can store it in the refrigerator and use it within seven days.

Serving Suggestions for Apple Cranberry Salad

Apple cranberry salad can be served with just about any meat. It goes especially well with entrees that are made with chicken or pork. I love it with Fast Roast Chicken. However, it would also be great with pork chops or pork tenderloin.

I hope you try this recipe! Please give it a rating and comment below. I love to hear from you!

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Nutrition label above is for the salad without dressing. The Nutrition label below is for the dressing.

Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavored to be as accurate as possible.