hearty harvest salad with apple cider vinaigrette

How amazing does this look? Hearty Harvest Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette. This may be your new favorite cold-weather salad. Actually, any time of year 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 – My first choice is always single source EVOO from Italy. Less processing = healthier more delicious olive oil.
• Apple cider vinegar – Apple cider vinegar has a tart, tangy, and slightly sour taste with a hint of fruity sweetness. Adds complex flavor.
• Dijon mustard – Dijon is preferred over regular mustard for its more intense complex flavor profile. Adds acidity and brightness to the dish. 
• Apple butter – Apple butter is a concentrated, spiced fruit spread made from apples, similar to a very thick and intensely flavored applesauce. 
• Maple syrup – The mellow sweetness of the syrup cuts the acidity. As an alternative, honey can be used but maple syrup is preferred.
• Fresh thyme leaves – Fresh thyme has a distinctive, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor with hints of sweetness and a subtle, floral aroma.
• Fresh sage leaves – Finely chopped. Fresh sage is recommended for its more vibrant, subtle flavor compared to dried sage, which tends to be bitter. 
• 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 – Use your favorite pre-packaged blend or a combination of your preferred lettuces, baby spinach and other tender greens which could include chard, endive and radicchio.
• Baby arugula – Preferred over mature arugula, baby arugula is picked when the leaves are still small and tender. Baby arugula tends to have a less pronounced peppery bite than mature arugula, which has large, full-size leaves.
• Honey Crisp apples – Cored & thinly sliced. Honey crisp apples are especially good in salads due to their crisp texture, juicy flesh, and a well-balanced sweet-tart flavor. As an alternative, thinly sliced pears would work well.
• Bacon – Crisped & broken into pieces. For a vegetarian version, roasted shiitake mushrooms would be a good substitute.
• Glazed roasted pecans – I’m always happy to have a batch of our Sweet & Savory Roasted Pecans on hand for this salad. Or you can simply use plain roasted walnuts or pecans.
• Dried cranberries – Dried cranberries provide a chewy texture with a sweet & tart flavor. In lieu of the dried cranberries, raisins would be a welcome addition. Or even better… the arils from one pomegranate for the most amazing color contrast.
• Crumbled feta cheese – Feta has a salty, tangy flavor and a crumbly, slightly grainy texture. If you don’t care for the flavor of feta cheese, replace it with a soft cheese that crumbles easily like queso fresco or blue cheese. 

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

• If you prefer to slice the apples early, give them a quick soak in a cold water solution that includes a bit of lemon juice or salt.
• After a few minutes, pat them dry and store them in a ziplock bag in the fridge.
• 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 Honey Crisp 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.

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More hearty salads…