Apple, Cherry, Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing
When you’re looking for an off-season salad, this irresistible Apple, Cherry, Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing will fit the bill! You’ll fall in love with your first bite!
This is my go-to Fall Salad Recipe. The combination of flavors and textures always gets rave reviews. The touch of maple in the salad dressing makes this a memorable side dish, and be prepared to get asked for the recipe.
Why You Must Make
- It’s truly one of my favorite green salad recipes.
- With Apples, Dried Cherries, Walnuts, and a creamy maple vinaigrette, it’s perfect for autumn.
- It is beautiful, too, with a variety of colors and textures.
The calendar flipped to a new season this week, and there’s definitely a chill in the air. I made my first pumpkin and apple desserts along with breaking out my slow cooker for the first time in months. Even my salads evolved from featuring heirloom tomatoes and basil to maple, nuts, and apples.
I love fall salads for a change of pace! I dug deep into my recipe files to find this old favorite, an apple salad recipe. Whenever I serve this to company, I get compliments galore!
Expert Tips
This salad is a cinch to toss together; perfect for company, but simple enough for a weeknight. The dressing has a number of ingredients, but they are all staples in my kitchen. Do you have a stash of champagne vinegar? It’s one of my favorites and worth keeping in your pantry.
- Measure the salad dressing ingredients directly into a 2-cup Pyrex mixing cup, whisk until the mixture emulsifies, and then use the spout to drizzle the dressing over the salad.
- Use your favorite eating apple variety or nuts. Dried cranberries can replace the dried cherries.
- PRO-Tip: If you want to prep this earlier in the day, toss the apple pieces in a bit of the dressing to prevent the browning from oxidation.
- Dress the rest of the salad right before serving. The chewy cherries, crunchy walnuts, and sweet apples create a sensational combination of flavors and textures and an unforgettable salad!
Save this fall salad recipe for your next dinner party, family gathering, or even for the holidays! It would be a great contrast to all the rich Thanksgiving dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
A harvest salad is a salad prepared with ingredients that are readily available in the fall or harvest season. In this recipe, you’ll note the apples and maple syrup are autumnal.
Some popular fall ingredients for salads include apples, pears, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and pomegranate arils. Dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and pecans are also quite popular in autumn side dishes. Maple syrup is apropos as a dressing ingredient.
Once you toss a green salad with dressing, it starts to wilt, so having the salad tossed and ready to go hours ahead of time won’t give the best result. Instead, prep all the ingredients, but do not plate or mix in a serving bowl until right before serving.
As mentioned in the tips below, the apples will turn brown (oxidize) if they’re peeled and cut ahead of time. So either prep right before serving or use my trick listed below.
It will last about 3-4 days in the refrigerator if you keep the dressing separate from the salad ingredients.
You May Also Like:
- Autumn Spinach Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette from Aggie’s Kitchen
- Winter Salad with Apples, Pecans, Blue Cheese and Dried Cherries
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Arugula Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
- More Salad Recipes
Apple, Cherry and Walnut Salad
When you’re looking for an off-season salad, this Apple, Cherry, Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing is a delicious option!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used olive oil, but it can solidify if you refrigerate)
- 5 ounces mixed baby greens
- 2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into matchstick-sized pieces (I used Granny Smith)
- 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Instructions
- Whisk together mayonnaise, maple syrup, vinegar, sugar, and oil. Set aside.
- If making ahead of time, toss the apples in a small amount of dressing to prevent browning and place in the bottom of the serving bowl.
- Top with greens, walnuts, and dried cherries. Otherwise, place greens in a bowl, and arrange apples, cherries, and walnuts on top.
- Re-whisk dressing and toss with salad before serving. You do not need to use all the dressing.
Notes
May use pecans instead of walnuts or dried cranberries instead of cherries. Your favorite variety of eating apples can be substituted, too.
Toast your walnuts to bring out their flavor.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374Total Fat: 32gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 3gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g
50 Comments on “Apple, Cherry, Walnut Salad with Maple Dressing”
Perrrrrfect Autumn recipe, Liz. I imagine mayo, maple and the nutty, chewy crunchy elements of the dried fruits and nuts are irresistible when placed in a bowl or plate. (I’m leaving myself out of the giveaway as I’ve also been gifted with some gorgeous goods from Pacific Merchants.)
This is such a pretty salad Liz! I love the apple and dried cherries in here – such a festive and wonderful salad for the fall!
I’d make a batch of potato salad with sour cream and fresh dill
One of my mixed greens salads, with broccoli florets, chopped cauliflower, chopped carrots, celery, and onions tops, mushrooms …and anything else is in the crisper drawer. 🙂
Arugula, goat cheese crumbles, candied pecans, and balsamic glaze drizzle!
I’m such a sucker for a pretty bowl. I’m doing a lot of kale Caesars these days, using the dressing recipe from Ferran Adria’s “The family meal’.
I would make a spinach, Apple, walnut and cheddar salad with cranberry balsamic dressing.
I love the fall flavors of your salad, especially the maple dressing!
I would make your Apple, Dried Cherry and Walnut Salad – sounds wonderful!
Apple, walnut and maple dressing…a Fall perfect salad, Liz.
I love that combo! Nice bowl too!
It certainly doesn’t take long for your weather to start to cool down. Will you be having some respite at the end of the year with your trip to NZ? Is that coming up this summer? This is a great looking salad and looks perfect for our upcoming BBQ season xx
That’s a truly fantastic salad Liz! Quick question: we don’t have dried cherries here, should we substitute with raisins?
Again, thanx for sharing (another) delicious salad!
Beautiful fall salad in a beautiful wooden bowl. I really love that maple dressing is perfect to drizzle of this salad or maybe just eat by the spoonful…. Take Care
Lizzy,
The salad looks delicious and gorgeous. I would make Ceasar Salad.
Annamaria
Oh the wooden salad bowl…I’d forgotten about those. Mine are all lead crystal. Gorgeous array of salads! The last one is rather unusual.
I love this dressing and your salad while perfect for Autumn, I will enjoy in the Spring.
Adding champagne vinegar to my stash and I would make your Apple Cherry Walnut Salad.
Any Chopped would find this a beautiful way to be served. Gorgeous bowl set as well the your Cherry, Apple Walnut creation. I’d love to win this! 🙂 Thanks for the Choppertunity!
I would make a avocado, grapefruit and red onion salad to fill that beautiful bowl.