Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad

We served this salad with the mustard-roasted fish recipe the other night, and had plenty for a great lunch the next day. It is modified a bit from the Cape Cod Chopped Salad from our ‘new’ cookbook Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients.  

Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients

Since we’re trying to be a little bit healthier, I left out the bacon (which would have set this salad off!) YUM. Her original recipe includes baked, thick-cut bacon. The dressing recipe is an orange flavored vinaigrette, which is light and pairs beautifully with the apples, walnuts, blue cheese, and cranberries. Also, I didn’t peel the apple (for the extra fiber), and used a red apple (she recommends a Granny Smith apple).

Here’s what you need for the dressing:

Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad Dressing Ingredients

To make the dressing: whisk together vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp of salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.

In a large bowl, add arugula, apple slices, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese. Toss salad with enough dressing to lightly coat leaves, sprinkle with a little bit of salt, toss well, and serve. 

Apple Walnut Cranberry Salad Dressing

Cranberry Apple Walnut Salad

2015-01-11 18:20:09

Serves 4

The light orange vinaigrette dressing pairs beautifully with the apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, and blue cheese. Add crumbled bacon for salty crunch!

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Prep Time

10 min

Total Time

10 min

Prep Time

10 min

Total Time

10 min

For the Salad

8 oz. baby arugula

1 large apple, sliced into bit size pieves

1/2 cup toasted* walnut halves, chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

6 oz. blue cheese

For the dressing

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 tsp. grated orange zest

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

2 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup good olive oil

Instructions

1. To make the dressing: whisk together vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, maple syrup, 1 1/2 tsp of salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, add arugula, apple slices, walnuts, cranberries, and blue cheese. Toss salad with enough dressing to lightly coat leaves, sprinkle with a more salt, toss well, and serve.

Notes

1. *Chop walnuts and toast well in a small-medium skillet over medium heat for about five minutes (enough to get them browned)

By Whitney

Adapted from Ina Garten's Cape Cod Chopped Salad

Adapted from Ina Garten's Cape Cod Chopped Salad

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