Fall Harvest Salad with Apples and Pears
User Reviews
4.8
15 reviews
Excellent
Fall Harvest Salad with Apples and Pears
Report
Complete with crisp apples, tender juicy pears, pomegranate seeds, nuts, crumbled feta, and a tangy homemade honey maple balsamic vinaigrette! 🍎🍐🥗Note that the ingredients are very flexible. Please read through the notes for various swaps, substitutions, and tips.
Share:
Ingredients
Salad
- 12 to 16 ounces "spring mix" lettuce or salad greens
- 2 medium to large Gala Fuji, or Honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced (I do not peel)
- 2 ripe Bartlett pears thinly sliced (I do not peel)
- ¾ cup pomegranate arils dried cranberries may be substituted
- ⅓ cup feta cheese crumbles fat free okay, or goat cheese may be substituted
- ¼ cup walnuts finely chopped (chopped pecans or slivered almonds may be substituted)
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup olive oil
- 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey or to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
Instructions
Salad
- To a large bowl or salad platter, add the greens.
- After slicing the apples, fan out the slices in little piles over the top of the greens. Do the same with the pears.
- Evenly sprinkle the pomegranate airls, cheese, and nuts over the top; set aside momentarily. Note - Use a vegan cheese product to keep salad vegan.
Vinaigrette
- To a small bowl, add the olive oil, and while whisking, drizzle the balsamic, honey, maple syrup slowly. Tip - If you have a small glass jar with a lid, add all the ingredients (including salt and pepper), seal, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. This is my preferred method rather than a bowl + whisk. Note - If you're making this as a strictly vegan recipe, use maple syrup in place of the honey.
- Add the salt, pepper, and whisk to combine. Taste the vinaigrette and make any necessary flavor adjustments including more honey or maple syrup for sweetness. And/or more salt and pepper. Tip - If the vinaigrette is at all flat or boring, it likely needs more salt. Don't be afraid to add it because you're flavoring a large quantity of fruits and vegetables and so don't be shy about adding salt if it needs it.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad, toss, and serve. Alternatively, you can plate the salad and people can drizzle vinaigrette over their individual portions. Although I find that it works and tasted better if you toss the whole thing together in a big bowl.
- Salad is best served fresh, especially after being dressed. Extra undressed salad + fruit may keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2-3 days potentially. Extra vinaigrette will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
- Salad greens - I like to use a "spring mix". Ironically that this is more of a fall themed salad, but they're nice "easy-going" greens that aren't too bitter or tough, nor boring. Normally you'll find a bit of spinach, arugula, radicchio, and more. A bit of kale is also nice. I wouldn't use iceberg lettuce or solely spinach either, but do as you wish.
- Apples - I used Gala and Fuji. Honeycrisp are also great for a sweet-tart apple. If you want it more on the tart side, Granny Smith apples are nice. Mix-and-match based on what you like and have on hand.
- Pears - I use Bartlett pears which are one of the most common types of pears. Anjou pears are also easy to find and great. If you're using 'fancy pears' like Bosc or Asian pears, they're also fine but I suggest peeling them. The skin is too tough for my liking.
- Cheese - I used crumbled feta (you can use fat free to save calories and fat if that's important), but goat cheese would be amazing too. If you want to keep this salad as a totally vegan option if you're serving it for Thanksgiving or a Christmas celebration, you can usually find crumbled vegan cheeses with ease these days.
- Pomegranate arils - Did you know the seeds are actually called arils? Yes they are. A huge tip here is to buy a pomegranate that's already been cleaned and the seeds are sold in a clear plastic container in Trader Joe's and most well stocked grocery stores in the produce section. If you're making this for the holidays especially, don't bother cleaning your own pomegranate. It's a messy job with red juice that runs everywhere and stains like crazy. Splurge and buy them for your salad with pomegranate seeds.
- Dried cranberries - If you're not into pomegranate seeds in salad (and some people aren't - they can be bitter and they are very crunchy at times), opt for dried cranberries instead. Lower sugar varieties are fine.
- Nuts - I used chopped walnuts but pecans or slivered almonds are also good options. Also if you'd like to make a batch of Candied Pecans and use those, go for it. Homemade candies nuts of any kind are over-the-top delish, but store bought versions are of course fine. Not a nut person or someone is allergic? Just omit!
- Balsamic vinegar - It will be a totally different flavor, but apple cider vinegar will work as the dressing for pear salad. Fall salad with pomegranate dressing is also an option by looking for a infused olive oils or pomegranate infused vinegars.
- Honey + Maple Syrup - Both add necessary sweetness to the vinaigrette but if for some reason you only want to use one or the other, and not both, that's fine - again due to allergies or wanting to keep the salad vegan. Maple syrup adds more fall flavor than honey.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1
Calories
487kcal
(24%)
Carbohydrates
71g
(24%)
Protein
17g
(34%)
Fat
20g
(31%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
15g
Cholesterol
6mg
(2%)
Sodium
576mg
(24%)
Fiber
18g
(72%)
Sugar
33g
(66%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 487 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 487kcal | 24% |
| Carbohydrates | 71g | 24% |
| Protein | 17g | 34% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 15g | 88% |
| Cholesterol | 6mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 576mg | 24% |
| Fiber | 18g | 72% |
| Sugar | 33g | 66% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.8
15 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
