Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad
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A bright, refreshing fall salad with apples, bacon + the most amazing candied pecans. Perfect for the holidays!
Featured Comment
It was my first time making candied nuts and I was surprised by how simple and quick it was! They added a really lovely texture and flavour with the salad. I saved some for snacking later and they went very quickly!
Hello, Fall. We have crisp leaves, football tailgating, chunky sweaters, apple cider donuts everything, and my most favorited seasonal salad.
Maybe it’s the candied pecans. The perfectly massaged kale tossed with the sweet and tangy dressing. The oh-so-crisp bacon bits with the chunks of fresh apples. Maybe it’s all of the above.
Nonetheless, I will be diving head first into this salad until the end of the year. And I will be bringing it to all of our holiday gatherings.
P.S. The pecan recipe makes more than you need but trust me when I say they will not stick around for long. Plus, they store very well!
tips and tricks for success
- Prep ahead of time. Save time by making the dressing up to 1 week in advance, and prepping and dicing the vegetables 1-2 days prior and storing them in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Cut in uniform size. Cut all of the salad ingredients in similar size pieces for a consistent bite.
- Use extra virgin olive oil. High quality extra virgin olive oil is ideal for salad dressings.
- Massage the kale. Massaging the kale softens the leaves, making them more tender and flavorful.
- Store the candied pecans. The candied pecans can be made in advance and stored at room temperature or the freezer to extend shelf life even further.
what to serve with apple cranberry pecan salad
Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad: Frequently Asked Questions
Gala or honey crisp apples would work beautifully in this recipe.
Halloumi, ricotta, goat cheese, or cotija cheese are all great substitutes for feta.
Yes! The dressing can be made 1 week in advance and stored in an airtight container (such as a mason jar) and placed in the fridge, letting it come to room temperature for about 15 minutes and shaking well before using.
Candied pecans can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week, in the fridge up to 3 weeks and in the freezer up to 3 months.
Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and leaves shredded
- 1 medium apple, diced
- ½ cup sliced celery
- ½ cup dried sweetened cranberries
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
for the candied pecans
- 1 large egg white
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
- 2 cups pecan halves
Instructions
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Drain excess fat; transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, shallot and Dijon; let stand 5 minutes. Whisk in olive oil and honey; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in kale and massage for 1 minute.
- Top with bacon, apple, celery, cranberries, feta cheese and candied pecans, and gently toss to combine.
for the candied pecans
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until frothy, about 1-2 minutes. Whisk in sugar, salt, pumpkin pie spice and cayenne pepper.
- Stir in pecans until well combined and evenly coated.
- Spread pecan mixture onto the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Place into oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring at halftime. Let cool completely.
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Made this for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! We skipped the celery and used crushed praline pecans instead of making candied pecans.
The bacon-lovers might want a couple more slices crumbled, but it was good for all of us.
I made this for our family for Thanksgiving! Delicious!
This was delicious. Stayed good in the fridge for seconds the next day. The candied pecans were the star of the whole show. Thank you!
The first time I made the was for Thanksgiving. Amazing!! The second time I didn’t make the nuts due to time and it was still really good. I used red onion instead of shallots. Yum yum!! Thank you!
So delicious! I used red onion instead of shallots and cooked them in the bacon grease to mellow the flavour a bit. I also added fresh thyme sprigs to the cooking mixture and removed them before adding the onions and garlic to the dressing.
It was my first time making candied nuts and I was surprised by how simple and quick it was! They added a really lovely texture and flavour with the salad. I saved some for snacking later and they went very quickly!
That is definitely damn delicious! I love how you composed it.
Kinda like a mason jar salad–I make it by the ‘batch–mix it all together -minus the spinach and dressing -I get to eat my new favorite salad through the week —
Pears and various cheeses I have on hand have worked well in it…
The dressing was very sour even after I added more sugar, but loved all of the ingredients
Love the easy techniques and simple ingredients and directions.
Absolutely delicious just as written! Very festive and fun!!
I made this yesterday as a side for our mini-Thanksgiving feast and it was a hit! It was light and tart and made for a great contrast to rest of the herby, carb-heavy meal. Will definitely be making this again (thought I will try to find pomegranate seeds rather than doing it myself – I watched so many videos and it was still a pain!)
I am a huge fan of pomegranates, I can assure you that the ones already seeded don’t taste the same at all!
Here is an easier way to seed one: Use a wooden spoon to gently hit all around it, THEN cut in half in a bowl (to catch all the delicious juices) and the seeds will almost fall out into the bowl!
I set the bowl in the sink so the juices don’t get all over me!
I hope this helps!
Hi Chungah,
This is such a fantastic recipe- thank you for sharing it.
I’ve included it in my Recipe Roundup of recipes for 12 foods high in antioxidants.
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipes!
This was really yummy and the dressing smelled delicious.
I’ve been making this salad for years after a friend made it and I looked up the recipe here! Still gets raving reviews where ever I bring it! Even making small portions is a cinch when I have the ingredients on hand!
Absolutely delicious, healthy and easy to fix. Tart, sweet, lemony and crunchy, colorful too!
Really great recipe and very easy. This salad was a hit at Thanksgiving!
Made this yesterday for a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner with friends. Spectacular. The dressing was a lovely change from the usual and the blend of ingredients made for a taste that was definitely more than the sum of its parts. Making it again tomorrow for a second Thanksgiving dinner! I am so glad I found this. It wCoill now be my go-to.
Wow! I made this salad for my family and my son’s girlfriend said it was the best thing that I have ever made for her. With that vote of confidence I took it to my sonority weekend, AGD sisters for 40 plus years. Another set of raves, and I sent out your link. I’m not sure how I found you , but I’m sure it had to do with food :). After reading your blog the connections blew me away. My mom lives in Carlsbad too, but I have a dear friend with CF waiting for lungs that really drew me to you. I shared your blog with her today and I hope it gives her hope and strength.
I love pomegranate and apple. But I never thought that I can put them together to make this amazing salad. And It would be better if I go with really cold beverage. Thank you for sharing!
THIS SALAD IS A MUST….I made it for my sisters and mother. It was absolutely delish! Such a nice, interesting combination of flavors and textures. I did not have goat cheese so I used crumbled feta cheese and it worked very well. I also was unable to get pomegranate arils, but the dressing made everything come together. This is a type salad you can enjoy anytime of the year. NOTE: I tossed the salad with the dressing before serving as the recipe stated. However, when eating leftovers later that day, I noticed the taste was even better after the dressing had marinated the fresh spinach, etc. Make it…you won’t be sorry! Blessings to all.