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This apple salad recipe has crisp fall apples tossed with smoky bacon, crunchy walnuts, and creamy feta in a sweet-tangy maple vinaigrette. It’s a wonderfully festive salad that’s super simple to make!
Fresh apples aren’t just for apple crumble around here. I love including fall’s favorite ingredient in everything from salads to apple stuffing!
Can you feel fall in the air yet? I don’t know about you, but I’m already dreaming of pumpkin bars and planning our first trip to the apple orchard. Speaking of freshly picked apples… today’s apple salad recipe is the perfect way to use them! This apple walnut salad is sweet, savory, crunchy, and packed with the flavors of the season.
We’re talking crunchy nuts, juicy chopped apples, crispy bacon, and, of course, feta cheese. Because feta belongs in ALL salads. Period.
Things to Love About This Fall Apple Salad Recipe
- Full of flavor. Each bite brims with the freshness of sweet apples, smoky bacon, and tangy feta cheese. The homemade maple Dijon dressing brings the salad together perfectly.
- Loads of texture. Walnuts add an extra layer of crunch!
- Easy to prepare. Besides being tasty, this apple salad is easy to make. There isn’t any complicated prep or fancy ingredients. It’s quick and basic, which especially comes in handy during the holidays.
Ingredients in Apple Salad
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the printable ingredients list, amounts, and recipe details!
- Bacon – Cooked to your preferred crispness and chopped or crumbled. You could use store-bought bacon crumbles, but I find bacon tastes WAY better fresh from the skillet or air fryer.
- Salad Greens – Choose your favorites. I love crunchy baby romaine lettuce and baby spinach, which both pair great with the sweetness of the apples. You can use a mix of fresh leafy greens, like mesclun, kale, chard, or whatever is available to you.
- Apples – I like to use a red apple variety, like Honeycrisp, for color. Chop or slice the apples into even-sized pieces.
- Walnuts – You can swap these for other nuts, like pecans or honey-roasted almonds.
- Feta Cheese – I actually use French feta cheese for this recipe, which is a bit creamier and milder than Greek feta. Both will work in this recipe, though. You could also swap feta cheese for blue cheese, like Roquefort and gorgonzola, or goat cheese.
Maple Vinaigrette Dressing
My maple balsamic dressing is one of my all-time, must-have, never-fail salad dressings, and it pairs perfectly with this apple salad. It’s very easy to make with basic pantry ingredients, including:
- Olive Oil – Choose a good-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best possible flavor. I tend to lean towards a lighter, fruitier profile for this dressing.
- Balsamic Vinegar – I use golden balsamic vinegar. If it’s not available, red or white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or Champagne vinegar are good substitutes.
- Dijon Mustard – Yellow mustard will also work in a pinch. You can also stir a small amount of mayo into the mustard to mimic the creaminess of Dijon.
- Maple Syrup – Nothing says “fall” like real maple syrup! Make sure it’s pure and not artificially flavored pancake syrup. Honey would also work nicely as a replacement.
- Salt and Pepper – Freshly cracked pepper is best, but for a spicy kick, you can add chili flakes.
The Best Apples to Add to Salads
When making this apple salad, choose a sweet-tart variety, such as Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink Lady, Empire, or Granny Smith. These types of apples are firm and crunchy, and hold up well when tossed with dressing. The sweetness also adds a nice contrast to the salty bacon and feta in this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this apple salad all on its own (I often do!), or serve it as a side with roast chicken or a juicy pork roast. I also love making this salad to have next to our Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas porchetta, with holiday sides like cranberry sauce and stuffing.
For a cozy fall dinner, pair this apple salad with a warm bowl of Italian wedding soup or butternut squash soup. Or, have it for brunch with a slice of quiche Lorraine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! If you don’t eat bacon or need an alternative, top this salad with diced chicken, steak bites, or crispy roasted chickpeas for a plant-based option.
Add the dressing just before you’re ready to eat to avoid a soggy salad. This keeps the ingredients fresh and crunchy.
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Apple Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 slices bacon, cooked to a desired crispness and crumbled
- 6 ounces chopped baby romaine lettuce
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 3 to 4 medium red apples, chopped
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup crumbled French feta cheese
For the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons golden balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add the ingredients to a bowl. Combine all salad ingredients in a large salad bowl; gently toss to combine.
- Make the dressing. Combine all the salad dressing ingredients in a bowl; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
- Toss and serve. Pour the desired amount of dressing over the salad and gently toss to combine. Serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
How To Make an Apple Walnut Salad
The assembly of this salad is as easy as it gets!
- Combine all the ingredients. Add your lettuce, spinach, bacon, apples, walnuts, and feta to a large salad bowl.
- Add the dressing. Whisk together the maple vinaigrette, and toss it gently with the salad to ensure every ingredient is well-coated. Voilà! Your apple salad is ready to be served and savored.
More Add-in Ideas
A bed of leafy greens is a blank canvas, so feel free to customize this fall salad with any add-ons you’d like. Slivered or chopped almonds (or spiced nuts), sliced pears, crumbled gorgonzola cheese, green beans, and even grilled vegetables combine well with the existing ingredients. Check out my broccoli apple salad for another tasty variation.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
- Whenever possible, store the salad components separately. Store the dressing, proteins (like bacon), greens, and apples in separate containers to keep the ingredients fresh.
- Refrigerate leftovers. Place the salad containers in the refrigerator as soon as possible. Most salad leftovers in the fridge can last 3-5 days, but the sooner you eat them, the better they’ll taste. Avoid freezing.
This has become our go-to salad. We add chicken for more protein.
It’s great to hear this salad has become your go-to, and adding chicken for extra protein is a smart touch! Thank YOU! Enjoy your meals! 🙂
That’s great to hear it’s become your favorite! Adding chicken for extra protein is a smart move. Thank YOU!! 🙂
This is good
I was looking to eat a different type of Salad thanks for making my day today.
Cooking is an art. Thank you for your great recipes. It’ s so good.
I love this recipe, have had restaurant versions of this in the past happy to see it here, thank you for this recipe!
I like really very much this presentation. sound good and hoping to continue to share healthy super food recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Very nice salad! I like such kinds of food recipe.
Look very delicious! I like it! Thanks your post!
I laughed out so loud when I read that part about taste testing at midnight! LOL! I do the same thing and it’s actually my favorite part of the day… eating a slice of cake in peace and quiet is the best thing ever! 😉