Blue Cheese Apple Walnut Salad

5 from 2 votes

Blue Cheese Apple Walnut Salad

This Blue Cheese Apple Walnut Salad might just be my favorite salad ever! It's bursting with flavor from crispy bacon, tart juicy apples, candied walnuts, and tangy blue cheese. For the non-blue cheese fans, just sub feta! This salad is sure to be a hit at any holiday, dinner party or just a weeknight!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: to 6

Calories: 486kcal

Author: Meryl Downing

Ingredients

For the Salad

4 strips bacon
1 Tablespoon butter
1 cup walnuts
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
4 ounces mixed lettuce greens
⅓ cup blue cheese (or substitute Feta)
⅛ cup red onion sliced
¼ cup dried cherries, raisins, or cranberries
½ to 1 apple sliced

For the Dressing

½ teaspoon kosher salt
8 grinds fresh black pepper
½ teaspoon dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400℉ and cook the bacon on a sheet pan for about 20 minutes. Flip halfway through and cook until crispy. Drain on a plate.
In a skillet over medium low heat, add the butter, walnuts and brown sugar and stir and toss to coat, about 3 to 4 minutes. Don't walk away, when you can smell the toasted nuts, they're done! Transfer to a bowl to cool.
Add all ingredients for the dressing to a jar and shake well.
Assemble the salad on a bed of lettuce greens with the bacon, candied walnuts, onion, raisins, blue cheese, and thinly sliced apple. Add about half of each ingredient, then layer with the other half so ingredients don't get buried and you can see what's in the salad!
Drizzle with dressing and give it a toss if you like!

Notes

Make Ahead - The dressing, bacon and walnuts can all be made a day in advance. The salad can be assembled ahead of time and taken to a party, wait to slice the apple and add the dressing until just before serving.
Apple could be subbed with pear, walnuts could be swapped with pecans, onions can be omitted or shallots, chives, or scallions can be used instead. Make it your own!
You can decide to add the lettuce and half the amount of the toppings to a bowl and toss it with the dressing. Then add the other half of the ingredients over the top. You can also decide to arrange the whole salad with the dressing drizzled over the top and lightly tossed.
If you know you are going to have leftovers, only add the dressing to what you plan to eat. Undressed salad can be refrigerated and eaten the next day or two.

Nutrition