Apple Pecan Chopped Salad is a fresh fall recipe filled with crisp produce, sweet fruit, crunchy nuts, and creamy apple cider dressing.
Chopped romaine, apples, celery, and cucumber make up the base. Dried cranberries add tart sweetness, while feta cheese and pecans add salty and nutty contrast.
Serve this salad for lunch, add it to a fall dinner, or place it on the table with your Thanksgiving side dishes. It also makes a colorful choice for autumn potlucks and family meals. Every serving has plenty of crunch, and the creamy dressing keeps the salad from feeling dry.
The dressing uses Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, and Dijon mustard. It has a sweet and tangy taste that pairs well with the apples and cranberries.
The full salad takes 15 minutes, making it handy for days when you want a fresh meal without spending much time in the kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Pecan Chopped Salad
Made for Fall Meals
Apples, cranberries, pecans, and apple cider dressing give this chopped salad a clear autumn theme. Serve it during apple season, at a fall potluck, or alongside a holiday dinner.
Plenty of Crunch
Romaine, celery, cucumber, apples, and pecans give the salad several layers of texture. Chopping the ingredients into smaller pieces lets you taste a little of everything in each bite.
Sweet and Tangy Dressing
Honey softens the sharp taste of the apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. Greek yogurt and mayonnaise give the dressing a creamy texture without covering the taste of the other ingredients.
Ready in 15 Minutes
There’s no cooking required, and the salad can be prepared shortly before lunch or dinner.
Helpful Kitchen Tools
A large mixing bowl and a small mixing bowl are all you need for mixing the salad and dressing. A sharp knife helps cut the apples and vegetables into even pieces.
Ingredient Substitutions
Apples
Use Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, Gala, or Granny Smith apples. Choose firm apples that will stay crisp after chopping.
Feta Cheese
Replace the feta with goat cheese, blue cheese, reduced-fat cheddar cheese, or shaved Parmesan.
Pecans
Use chopped walnuts, almonds, or pistachios. Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds can be used when you need a nut-free option.
Dried Cranberries
Replace the cranberries with dried cherries, raisins, chopped dates, or dried blueberries.
Greek Yogurt
Plain skyr or plain regular yogurt can replace the Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt may make the dressing thinner.
Light Mayonnaise
Replace the mayonnaise with an equal amount of Greek yogurt. The dressing will taste tangier and may be slightly thinner.
Honey
Use maple syrup in place of the honey for another fall-inspired option.
Romaine Lettuce
Use chopped green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, baby spinach, or a mix of sturdy salad greens.
Dijon Mustard
Use stone-ground mustard or yellow mustard. Yellow mustard will give the dressing a sharper taste and brighter color.
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Apple Pecan Chopped Salad
Recipes are written with one action per step for accessibility. Short lines. Fewer rereads. A calmer kitchen on mobile or desktop.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 2 large apples chopped
- 1 cup celery chopped
- ¾ cup cucumbers chopped
- ½ cup reduced-fat feta cheese crumbled
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Creamy Apple Cider Dressing:
- ½ cup plain nonfat greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoon light Mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Add the romaine lettuce to a large mixing bowl. Add the apples, celery, cucumber, feta cheese, dried cranberries, pecans, red onion, and parsley.
- In a small mixing bowl, add the Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
- Whisk the dressing until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the chopped salad.
- Toss until the salad is evenly coated.
- Serve right away.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
Keep the apples from browning – When preparing the salad ahead of time, toss the chopped apples with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Toast the pecans – Warm the pecans in a dry skillet for 3 to 5 minutes to deepen their nutty taste. Let them cool before adding them to the salad. Keep the dressing separate – Store the dressing in a separate container when preparing the salad ahead. Add it shortly before serving so the romaine stays crisp. Add the pecans last – Keep the pecans separate until serving if you want them to retain more crunch.Storing
Store Leftover Salad – Place leftover dressed salad in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 day. The romaine and pecans will soften as the salad sits. Prepare Ahead – Store the chopped vegetables, dried cranberries, feta cheese, pecans, and dressing in separate containers. Chop the apples on the day you plan to serve the salad. Store the Dressing – Refrigerate the apple cider dressing in a sealed jar or container for up to 4 days. Stir or shake it before serving.Nutrition
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