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Winter Salad with Apples, Pecans, Blue Cheese and Dried Cherries

posted by Liz Berg on January 23, 2013 (updated 1/29/23)

This Winter Salad with Apples, Pecans, Blue Cheese, and Dried Cherries will make you forget that the availability of garden tomatoes and lettuce is months and months away!

Overhead view of Loaded Winter Salad with Apples, Pecans, Blue Cheese and Dried Cherries.

Table of Contents hide

1 Why You Must Make

2 Ingredient Notes

3 When to Serve

4 Frequently Asked Questions

5 You May Also Like

6 Winter Salad with Apples, Pecans, Blue Cheese and Dried Cherries

Why You Must Make

I brought this Winter Salad from the Pioneer Woman to a New Year’s Day party, and both the men and women gave it high marks.
I found the salad dressing to be most unusual with only one teaspoon of cider vinegar for the 1/4 cup of olive oil, much less acid than I’d usually use. I did up that measurement a bit, but the rest is pure Ree.
There’s a lot of Dijon mustard plus some maple syrup in the dressing as well. And it works deliciously with this salad!

Ingredient Notes

Kitchen Staples – Olive Oil, Salt, Black Pepper
Spring Mix Greens or Baby Spinach – Both work well, so pick what you prefer.
Granny Smith Apples – Core and slice very thin. I used my mandoline.
Pecan Halves – Toast in the oven or in a skillet
Dried Cherries – I love the tart-dried cherries at Trader Joe’s. You can use dried cranberries AKA Craisins instead.
Maytag Blue Cheese – Cut into small cubes or crumble. Use any favorite blue cheese variety.
Dijon Mustard – I always have Grey Poupon on hand.
Maple Syrup – Use real maple syrup, never artificially flavored syrups like Log Cabin.
Apple Cider Vinegar – To taste in order to balance the sweetness from the maple syrup.

Loaded Winter Salad with Apples, Pecans, Blue Cheese and Dried Cherries on a small plate.

When to Serve

I renamed this bowl of dressed greens and goodies “Winter Salad” as it is perfect for the cold months when garden tomatoes and other homegrown vegetables are impossible to find. I don’t think you’ll miss your summer salad at all when you taste this lovely concoction of greens, thinly sliced Granny apples, toasted pecans, and small cubes of Maytag blue cheese. Plus, the sweet and tangy salad dressing is delicious!

It provides the perfect combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and chewy ingredients. This winter salad is magnificent any month of the year! I promise.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Make This a Winter Salad?

It’s made without ingredients you’d find in many summer salads like garden tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh berries, peaches, garden radishes, sweet corn, etc. It has apples, nuts and dried fruit which are more popular in fall and winter salads. Plus, the dressing is made with apple cider vinegar and maple syrup.

What Are Other Ingredients to Use in a Winter Salad?

Try sliced pears instead of apples. Roasting butternut squash, carrots, fennel, and beets all turn softer and sweeter when cooked. They’re delicious additions to salad.