Name: Fall Harvest Salad with Maple Vinaigrette Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup pecan halves; 1 tablespoon maple syrup (pure); 1 pinch salt; 1/3 cup sunflower oil ((or olive oil)); 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons maple syrup (pure); 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon salt; pepper (to taste); 5 to 6 ounces mixed greens ((about 6 cups)); 2 crisp apples (, such as Honeycrisp); 1/3 cup dried cranberries; 1/2 cup crumbled feta ( or goat cheese); 1 celery stalk (, chopped (optional)); 1/4 red onion (, very thinly sliced (optional))

My favorite fall harvest salad is filled with slices of Honeycrisp apples, sticky maple pecans, tangy feta, and sweet cranberries over fresh greens, all brought together with an easy maple vinaigrette you shake up in a jar. It looks beautiful on a holiday table, and you can make the pecans and dressing a day ahead, so there’s almost nothing left to do before dinner.

Harvest Salad At A Glance

Prep

15 min

COOK

5 min

Total

20 min

Serves

4-6

Pan

Skillet (for the maple pecans)

Main ingredients: Honeycrisp apples, maple pecans, dried cranberries, feta cheese, celery, maple vinaigrette

A bowl of salad with apples, feta cheese, maple pecans, red onions, celery and greens, and a mason jar of maple vinaigrette nearby

The Easy Salad That Looks Beautiful On the Table

When I’m making a big fall dinner, or bringing a salad to a family gathering like Thanksgiving or another holiday, I want something I’m proud to share that also tastes amazing. This harvest salad is fresh and crunchy, and a perfect companion for all of the cozy but heavy food.

I use my favorite autumn ingredients like apples, cranberries, and pecans, all of which are harvested in the fall. Even onions and celery are a late-summer and fall crop. And while maple syrup is not harvested in the fall at all, we tend to associate it with autumn because the maple tree’s leaves stand out so beautifully this time of the year.

The maple pecans really make this amazing salad special. They take about five minutes in a skillet, and you’ll want to make extra, because they have a way of disappearing while they cool (ask me how I know). We have walnut trees here on the farm, and the same maple coating works on walnuts too.

I will admit the maple vinaigrette is my favorite thing, though. I got the idea from my daughter Alexa, who is the BEST at making homemade vinaigrettes for her salads. It’s just SO GOOD. I’ll show you how easy it is to make that, too!

Let’s dig in!

Tips and Notes Before You Start

Make the pecans and dressing ahead. Both keep beautifully, so on the day you need the salad done, all you’re doing is slicing apples and tossing greens.
Slice the apples last. Cut them right before serving so they stay crisp and white. If you need to slice them early, toss them in a squeeze of lemon juice.
Dress the greens, not the toppings. Tossing the greens with about half the dressing coats every leaf. Then the toppings go on top so they stay visible and crunchy.
Pick your oil for the look you want. Sunflower oil gives you a golden, amber dressing that makes your vinaigrette look more like “maple.” Olive oil works just as well, but it’ll look greener.
The celery and red onion are optional. They add crunch and a little bite. Leave them out if you’d like it sweeter and simpler.

Close-up of a fall harvest salad with thin Honeycrisp apple slices, maple pecans, crumbled feta, dried cranberries, diced celery, and red onion over greens — Honeycrisp, maple pecans, feta, and cranberries, with a little celery and red onion for crunch.

What You’ll Need for This Fall Salad

This is really three little recipes in one: the maple pecans, the maple vinaigrette, and the salad itself.

For the Maple Pecans

Labeled ingredients for maple pecans: pecan halves, maple syrup, and salt — Just three ingredients.

Pecan halves. Halves look prettier on top of the salad than chopped pieces, and they toast more evenly. Walnut halves work the same way.

Maple syrup. Make sure it’s 100% pure maple syrup. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup, and it won’t turn sticky and glossy the same way.

Salt. Just a pinch. It keeps the pecans from tasting like candy and makes the maple flavor pop.

For the Maple Vinaigrette

Labeled ingredients for maple vinaigrette: apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, oil, and salt

Sunflower oil or olive oil. Sunflower oil has a mild flavor and gives you that pretty amber color. Olive oil tastes a little fruitier and looks more green. Both are delicious.

Apple cider vinegar. It’s a little fruity, so it goes perfectly with the apples.

Pure maple syrup. For a gentle sweetness that balances the vinegar. We used the maple syrup we harvested from our own maple trees here on Maker Farm.

Dijon mustard. It adds flavor, and it also helps the oil and vinegar stay mixed together instead of separating right away. It will not make it taste mustardy at all.

For the Salad

Labeled fall salad ingredients in a bowl: apples, maple pecans, feta, dried cranberries, celery, red onion, and greens, with a jar of maple vinaigrette — Everything that goes into the salad, plus the vinaigrette.

Mixed greens. A spring mix, baby spinach, or a blend of both all work.

Crisp apples. I love Honeycrisp here, because it’s sweet, juicy, and stays crunchy. A red-skinned apple with the skin on also gives the salad its pretty color.

Dried cranberries. For chewy little bites of sweet-tart.

Feta or goat cheese. Feta is salty and tangy. Goat cheese is softer and creamier. I’ve made it both ways and loved both.

Celery (optional). One stalk, chopped, for extra crunch.

Red onion (optional). A quarter of an onion, sliced very thin. A little goes a long way.

How to Make Maple Pecans

Let’s start with the pecans, since they need a few minutes to cool and harden. Lay out a sheet of parchment paper before you start, because things move quickly once the syrup goes in.

Step 1: Toast the pecans

Pecan halves toasting in a dry skillet — Dry skillet, no oil.

Put the pecans in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast them for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until they smell nutty and fragrant. Be careful not to walk away here. Nuts go from toasted to burned very quickly. If you’re using walnuts, keep an extra close eye on them, because they’re oilier and brown even faster.

Step 2: Add the maple syrup and salt

Pecans coated in sticky maple syrup in a skillet — Stir until the syrup turns sticky and clings to every pecan.

Add the tablespoon of maple syrup and a pinch of salt, and stir for about a minute. The syrup will bubble, then thicken and turn sticky as it coats the nuts. That’s when they’re done. Don’t worry if it looks like there isn’t enough syrup… a little goes a long way once it cooks down.

Step 3: Cool them on parchment

Glossy maple pecans spread out on parchment paper to cool — They harden as they cool.

Spread the pecans out on the parchment right away, in a single layer, so they don’t cool into one big clump. They’ll feel a little soft when they’re warm, and that’s totally normal. They harden and get crunchy as they cool.

Maple pecans arranged in a heart shape on parchment paper — I couldn’t resist.

How to Make Maple Vinaigrette

This is the easiest part. Everything goes in one jar.

Step 1: Shake everything in a jar

Shaking a mason jar of maple vinaigrette — Lid on tight, then shake.

Add the oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to a jar. Screw the lid on tight and shake it well, until it looks smooth and a little cloudy. The Dijon is what helps it hold together, so don’t skip it.

Step 2: Taste and adjust

Maple vinaigrette in a small mason jar on a plaid kitchen towel — Taste it on a leaf of lettuce, not off a spoon.

Give it a taste and adjust it to your liking. Add a little more maple if it tastes too sharp, or a splash more vinegar if it tastes too sweet. Dressing always tastes stronger on a spoon than it does on greens, so dip a lettuce leaf in it for a truer taste.

It’ll separate as it sits. This is totally normal for a homemade vinaigrette. Just shake or stir it again before you pour.

Maple vinaigrette in a mason jar with a spoon — A quick stir brings it right back together.

How to Put Together Apple Pecan Salad

Step 1: Slice the apples

Core the apples and slice them thin. I cut mine into thin rounds, which look so pretty fanned across the top. Do this right before serving so they stay crisp. If you need to slice them early, toss them with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep them from browning.

Step 2: Toss the greens with half the dressing

Put the greens in a large bowl and toss them with about half the vinaigrette. This helps because every leaf gets coated, instead of all the dressing pooling at the bottom of the bowl. One common mistake is dressing the salad too early. Greens wilt once they’re dressed, so wait until you’re ready to eat. Alternatively, just keep the greens as is and dry, and let everyone add as much vinaigrette as they prefer (this is what I prefer to do).

Step 3: Add the toppings

Overhead view of a fall salad in a white bowl with apple slices, maple pecans, feta, cranberries, celery, and red onion arranged in sections over spinach — Arranging the toppings in sections makes it look beautiful, even though it’s SO easy.

Top the greens with the apples, cranberries, pecans, cheese, celery, and onion, and optionally drizzle a little more dressing over everything. You can scatter the toppings, or arrange them in sections like I did. It looks so pretty on the table. Serve the rest of the dressing on the side.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead of Time?

Yes, partly, and this is exactly how I do it for a dinner. Make the maple pecans and the vinaigrette the day before. Keep the pecans in an airtight container at room temperature and the vinaigrette in the fridge. You can also wash and dry the greens and crumble the cheese ahead.

Then right before dinner, slice the apples, toss the greens with the dressing, and add the toppings. If you made the dressing with olive oil instead of sunflower oil, take it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, because olive oil firms up when it’s cold. Give it a good shake before you pour.

Fall harvest salad in a blue-striped bowl on a wooden dinner table set for fall with pumpkins and candles — Ready for a fall dinner.

How to Store Leftover Fall Salad

Once the salad is dressed, it’s best eaten the same day, because the greens wilt. If you think you’ll have leftovers, only dress what you’ll eat and store the rest separately. Undressed greens and toppings keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days, the vinaigrette for up to a week, and the maple pecans for about a week in an airtight container at room temperature.

Fall Salad FAQs

What are the best apples for a fall salad?

Crisp, sweet apples that stay crunchy, like Honeycrisp, Gala, Fuji, or Pink Lady. A red-skinned apple with the skin on adds the most color. Granny Smith works too if you like a tart bite.

Can I use walnuts instead of pecans?

Yes. Use the same amount and the same maple method. Watch them closely in the skillet, since walnuts toast faster than pecans.

Can I use store-bought candied pecans?

Of course! They’re sweeter than these maple pecans, but they’ll work in a pinch if you’re short on time or just not in the mood to make your own (though it is WAY easy).

How do I keep my apples from turning brown?

Slice them right before serving. If you need to cut them early, toss them in a squeeze of lemon juice to slow the browning.

Can I use a different vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is my favorite here because it goes so well with the apples. White wine vinegar is the closest swap. Balsamic also works, but it’ll make the dressing darker and sweeter.

Close-up of thin Honeycrisp apple slices fanned over greens with maple pecans and feta — Crisp apples and sticky maple pecans in every bite.

How to Trust This Recipe

Due to the increasing proliferation of generated recipes and food photos, I want you to trust that this is real home-cooked food made in a real home kitchen and eaten by real home-loving people. The unedited, unpolished, un-anythinged (LOL) photo below is of our fall dinner table with brisket, this harvest salad, and scalloped potatoes. It was taken with ProofMode, which attaches Content Credentials (the C2PA standard) to the image, so anyone can check that it’s a real photo of real food taken by my iPhone on my farm on a particular date and place. Click here to download the proof files and learn how to verify that it is the real deal.

Autumn dinner table with fall salad, brisket, and scalloped potatoes with the table set for four and an antique ice box visible

If you’re planning a fall dinner or a holiday table, I hope this salad finds a spot on it. I’d love to hear which cheese you choose.

Happy cooking!

Love,
Jennifer

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