Autumn's Best Tossed Salad with Apple Butter Vinaigrette
A healthy holiday side dish or simple weeknight dinner, this tossed salad with apple butter vinaigrette boasts the best ingredients Autumn has to offer!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 388kcal
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup apple butter
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of garlic powder
- Pinch of pepper
For the Salad:
- ½ cup walnuts or pecans coarsely chopped
- 8 cups mixed greens
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup crumbled blue cheese or substitute with an equal amount of feta cheese or goat cheese
- 1 Granny Smith apple thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Place walnuts or pecans in a shallow pan and toast in the oven until fragrant (about 5-7 minutes), stirring halfway through. Set aside to cool.
To prepare the Apple Butter Vinaigrette:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a jar with a lid. Shake vigorously until completely combined. The dressing can be prepared up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- To assemble the salad, place mixed greens in a large serving bowl. Add cranberries, blue cheese, and apple. Pour dressing over top, to taste (you probably will not need all of the dressing in the jar). Toss to coat. Add nuts to the top of the salad just before serving.
Notes
Want to Serve this as a Main Dish? Just add some rotisserie chicken on top for extra protein, increase the amount of nuts and cheese to make it more filling, or just serve a nice loaf of Fresh bread on the side.
- While I used walnuts in this recipe you could also use hazelnut, cashew or pistachios
- The blue cheese goes so well and feels so festive but you could also use something like brie or feta
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of the salad with 2 Tablespoons of Vinaigrette | Calories: 388kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 12.7mg | Sodium: 465mg | Fiber: 5.1g | Sugar: 19g