Name: hearty harvest salad with apple cider vinaigrette
Ingredients: 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon apple butter; 2 teaspoons maple syrup; 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves; 2 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, finely chopped; kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 5 ounces spring mix; 2 cups baby arugula; 3 small honeycrisp apples, cored & thinly sliced; 6 ounces bacon, crisped & broken into pieces; 1 cup glazed roasted pecans ((see Recipe Notes)); 1/2 cup dried cranberries ((used Craisins here)); 2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

How amazing does this look? Hearty Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette. This may be your new favorite cold-weather salad.

Never knew there was such a thing, but really …this is the one. And the best thing is, you can totally customize it to include what you enjoy.

Let’s get started on the apple cider vinaigrette.

Couldn’t be any easier. It all gets combined in a jar and put aside until you are ready to serve the salad. I find that if I make the vinaigrette early in the day, the flavor is even more amazing after a few hours.

What you need for the vinaigrette…

Extra-virgin olive oil
Apple cider vinegar
Dijon mustard
Apple butter
Maple syrup
Fresh thyme leaves
Fresh sage leaves
Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake.
Taste and season with salt & pepper if needed.
Set aside.

This dressing is so good just as it is that I would highly recommend trying it is just as it is written.

On the other hand, as much as we love this salad as pictured.. there are so many possibilities for awesome combinations. More on that later.

Let’s start building our Hearty Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette…

List of ingredients for the Hearty Harvest Salad…

Prepared apple cider vinaigrette
Spring mix
Baby arugula
Honeycrisp apples
Bacon
Glazed roasted pecans
Dried cranberries
Crumbled feta cheese

It’s a good idea to hold off on preparing the apples until just before serving. Just to avoid the edges turning brown.

I find that if you use a melon baller to scoop out the core and seeds from each half, you’ll have an easier time maintaining the shape of each apple before slicing.

I suppose you could use any type of apple here, but the Honeycrisp variety is ideal. The perfect size, sweetness & crunchiness.

In a large salad bowl, combine the spring mix and baby arugula.
Toss to combine with a small amount of vinaigrette.
Arrange the sliced apples on top.
Evenly distribute the bacon, roasted pecans, dried cranberries & cheese crumbles.
Lightly dress the salad with more vinaigrette, reserving the rest to be offered alongside the individual servings.

As you can see, the prep work on this one is minimal. But the level of flavor and textures is off the charts.

And the presentation is spectacular.

Hearty Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette…

Before we finish up here, I’d like to give credit where it is due. I discovered this salad on what is probably my favorite food blog out there – Tieghan Gerard’s Half Baked Harvest. I’ve taken the liberty of switching out a few items for my family but at the heart of the recipe …it is the same.

Let’s consider some ways to customize this one…

For the greens – I use a blend of spring mix and baby arugula. You could use all spring mix, all arugula, all kale or a combination of your favorites.
Instead of apples – Try this with thinly sliced pears. Or use both.
Not a fan of bacon? Give some crispy prosciutto a try. Or turn this into a full-on meal with some strips of grilled chicken breast.
If you need to make a vegetarian version – Simply omit the bacon, it will still be delicious. Roasted shiitake mushroom slices would be the perfect substitution for the bacon.
Don’t have any glazed roasted pecans? Our recipe for Sweet & Savory Roasted Pecans is a good one to try. Or you can simply use plain roasted walnuts or pecans.
Instead of the dried cranberries – Raisins would be a welcome addition. Or as Tieghan suggests, use the arils from one pomegranate. They actually add the most amazing color contrast.
Switch out the feta cheese – Choose a soft cheese that crumbles easily like queso fresco or blue cheese.

Whether you make this Hearty Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette as seen here or make it your own with some changes, your family will certainly thank you.