Apple Pecan Blue Cheese Salad Recipe

A good salad has a few essential components (in my opinion). 1) Lots of flavor and textural components (no boring garden salad here!), 2) filling enough to be a first course and 3) easy to make (it is just a salad, after all!). This apple pecan blue cheese salad satisfies all of those – it comes together in just a few minutes and has plenty of delicious components to make for a hearty, satisfying side/appetizer salad.

It’s definitely a fall favorite, with ingredients like apple slices, pecans and creamy blue cheese crumbles and dressing. That being said, you can definitely customize this salad with a few different ingredients, which we’ll cover below!

To start, we chose a base of mixed leafy greens for this salad. I personally prefer a mix of baby kale, spinach and/or arugula, all of which are easy to eat and not too bitter or boring. Alternatively, you can use a spring mix, or for something extra fancy, shredded radicchio or frisee. I wouldn’t go for romaine or green leaf lettuce in this salad – you don’t want a variety that contains a lot of water.

When it comes to toppings, we keep it pretty simple. Mini cucumbers add a refreshing crunch. For an extra fall spin, you could also add in roasted butternut squash or brussels sprouts.

Apple is an excellent sweet and crunchy addition to this salad, which pairs well with creamy blue cheese dressing. I love honeycrisp apples in salad – they hold up well and don’t get soggy. You can either thinly slice the apple, or dice it. Peeled or unpeeled is perfectly fine, although we like to keep the peel for extra nutrients and flavor.

Pecans are definitely my first choice for this kind of salad. They’re buttery, crunchy and not too overpowering. You can also sub with walnuts if preferred, or pistachios for something a bit different.

Finally, the best part: blue cheese crumbles and dressing! You can just use the dressing if preferred, but we also like to add in a handful of Litehouse blue cheese crumbles for extra texture. If preferred, you can sub the crumbles and dressing with gorgonzola instead. Both pair well with these ingredients.

This is definitely the kind of salad that’s best prepared right before serving. Creamy dressings don’t store quite as well on salad greens, so wait to dress your salad until you’re ready to enjoy. Luckily, it doesn’t take long at all to get everything prepped for this salad. Less than 10 minutes and you’ll have the perfect fall side salad or holiday appetizer!

We love pairing this fall apple pecan blue cheese salad with a cozy fall soup, homemade bread, lasagna, or any other fall favorites in your dinner rotation. To make this a full meal, feel free to add a protein of your choice, like grilled chicken, shrimp or steak.