Apple Cheddar Fall Salad with Candied Pecans
This easy apple cheddar salad combines spinach, arugula, crisp apples, sharp white cheddar and candied pecans with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette.
Creator: Leslie Stokes
This Apple Cheddar Fall Salad is one of those salads that feels special enough to serve when you’re hosting but takes about 10 minutes to throw together. It’s made with a blend of baby spinach and arugula, crisp sliced apples, sharp white cheddar and sweet candied pecans, then tossed in a simple homemade apple cider vinaigrette.
I made this salad for The September Table, the first dinner in my new goal of hosting one dinner at our house every month. I knew I wanted the menu to feel seasonal, but September is always a funny month for me. I’m ready for fall, but it’s still warm outside and I’m not quite ready for really heavy fall food.
This salad ended up being exactly what I wanted.
The apples and candied pecans give it that first little taste of fall, while the spinach and peppery arugula keep everything really fresh. And the sharp white cheddar might be my favorite part. It gives the salad a salty, savory bite that balances the sweet apples and pecans so well.
I served it alongside my maple mustard pecan salmon, and the whole meal felt special enough for having friends over without requiring me to spend the night cooking instead of actually enjoying everyone.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Cheddar Salad
This is the kind of salad I come back to because there’s really nothing complicated about it. It’s all about combining a few really good ingredients.
You get crisp + creamy + sweet + salty + peppery all in one bite.
It’s also:
- Ready in about 10 minutes
- Easy to make for a crowd
- Perfect for September and fall entertaining
- Beautiful enough for a holiday table
- Easy to prep ahead
- Made with a simple homemade vinaigrette
- A great side for salmon, chicken, pork or a cozy pasta
And unlike some fall salads that end up having about 15 toppings, this one is intentionally simple.
The Best Apples for a Fall Salad
The apple is one of the stars here, so texture matters.
My first choice is Honeycrisp. They’re crisp enough to hold up against the greens and have a nice balance of sweetness and acidity.
Other good options include:
- Pink Lady
- Cosmic Crisp
- Fuji
- Gala
- Granny Smith for a more tart salad
You could even use one sweet apple and one Granny Smith if you want more contrast.
I would avoid softer apple varieties because you really want that crunch.
Why Sharp White Cheddar Works So Well
There are plenty of apple salads made with goat cheese, feta or blue cheese, but I specifically wanted sharp white cheddar for this one.
Apple and cheddar are such a classic combination, and the cheddar makes this salad feel a little different from the typical fall salad.
The sharper the cheese, the better it balances the honey in the vinaigrette and sweetness from the candied pecans.
For presentation, use a vegetable peeler to shave pieces from a block of cheddar or slice it very thinly with a knife. I prefer that over shredded cheese for this salad.
Can I Make This Salad Ahead?
You can prep almost everything ahead, but don’t completely assemble and dress the salad until you’re ready to eat.
That’s exactly what I did when I made it for our September dinner.
Up to 2 days ahead
Make the apple cider vinaigrette and keep it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Earlier that day
Wash and completely dry your greens if necessary.
Shave the cheddar.
Measure out the candied pecans.
Right before dinner
Slice the apples, assemble everything and toss with the vinaigrette.
If you absolutely need to slice the apples earlier, toss them with a very small amount of lemon juice to slow browning. But for the best texture and appearance, I prefer slicing them right before assembling.
What to Serve with Apple Cheddar Salad
This is an especially good side salad for richer fall dinners because the apple cider vinegar and arugula give it plenty of freshness.
Try it alongside:
- Maple or Dijon salmon
- Roasted chicken
- Pork tenderloin
- Grilled steak
- Roast turkey
- Baked pasta
- Soup and crusty bread
For The September Table, I served it with maple mustard pecan salmon. The maple and pecans in the salmon tied into the salad without making everything taste exactly the same.
Easy Substitutions
This salad is really forgiving.
Instead of Honeycrisp: use Pink Lady, Cosmic Crisp or Granny Smith.
Instead of candied pecans: toasted pecans or walnuts work.
Instead of white cheddar: aged cheddar, Parmesan or manchego would be delicious.
Instead of spinach and arugula: use all arugula or your favorite spring mix.
For a less-sweet salad: use toasted pecans instead of candied pecans.
A Simple Salad for Fall Entertaining
One thing I’m trying to get better about when I host is choosing recipes that let me actually enjoy the night.
I don’t want friends sitting around our table while I’m stuck at the stove trying to finish five different things.
That’s why this salad worked so well for The September Table. I made the dressing ahead, had all of my ingredients ready, and once dinner was almost ready, I sliced the apples and tossed everything together.
It took minutes.
And between the red apples, greens, white cheddar and pecans, it’s also one of those salads that looks beautiful in a big serving bowl without needing a lot of extra effort.
I’ll definitely be making this one again throughout fall.
Apple Cheddar Fall Salad with Candied Pecans
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 oz baby spinach
- 5 oz baby arugula
- 2 large Honeycrisp apples thinly sliced
- 5-6 oz sharp white cheddar shaved or thinly sliced
- ¾ cup candied pecans
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice optional
Let's Make It
- Add olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon, salt, pepper and optional lemon juice to a jar. Cover and shake until emulsified.
- Add spinach and arugula to a large serving bowl.
- Top with sliced apples, sharp white cheddar and candied pecans.
- Shake the vinaigrette again and drizzle over the salad just before serving.
- Gently toss and serve immediately.
Make-Ahead Instructions
- Prepare the vinaigrette up to 2 days ahead and refrigerate. Prep the cheese and pecans ahead as well. Assemble the salad and slice the apples shortly before serving.
Meal Prep in 1 Hour
You can use any two of the meals in this series to get your meal prep done in just about and hour, give or take!
Having your breakfast and lunch ready for the week helps you stay on track with your nutriton, saves you time and money! I truly beleive that meal prep does not need to be over complicated, take too much time or be boring!
I always get asked- “do you ever get tired of eating the same thing all week?” and the answer is, no! Not when the food taste good! I give plenty of variety in these preps and keep it simple!
As always, thanks for being here and remember, don’t over complicate the process! Take a deep breath, you got this!
