I just returned from a (very safe) fall road trip to upstate New York in the Finger Lakes region. It definitely fulfilled all my fall dreams with the gorgeous changing leaves and crisp air. We ate all kinds of fall foods and hit the wine trail daily. Now that I'm back I want to share one of my favorite salads for this time of year. The Two Apple Spinach Salad with Aged Cheddar and Candied Pecans. Fun fact: this salad was served at our wedding! The reason we went on this trip was to celebrate our two year wedding anniversary. (I also plan to share a full blog post on our road trip with recommendations!) This salad is perfect to serve at Thanksgiving!
This is a very simple salad recipe to make, and it was a huge hit at our wedding. It came from Cameron Mitchell after all, and if you're local you know you can't go wrong with any of his creations! 😉 You can use whatever apples you like. For this recipe I went with Red Delicious and Gala which I picked locally. I like combining very sweet with less sweet for a good balance. I brought some aged cheddar back with me from New York, but you can grab whatever looks good to you in the nicer cheese area (by deli) at your grocery store.
You'll also need some candied pecans. You can buy them or make them easily in 5 minutes.
**To make candied pecans quick and easy I use the stove. Combine brown sugar, vanilla, water and salt in a small bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat toast your halved pecans for 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally. Add your brown sugar mixture stirring constantly until coated. Transfer to parchment paper to cool and break into smaller pieces after.**
This salad is served with a very easy, tasty Sherry Mustard Vinaigrette. All you need to make it is sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper! It's that simple!
**Note: I recommend serving dressing on side or tossing right before serving so salad won't become soggy.**
Depending on where you live you might still have the opportunity to apple pick which is a safe, fun outdoor fall activity.
I hope you have a great week!
If you enjoyed this recipe you'll also like:
- 1 container of baby spinach (6-8 oz)
- 3-4 apples (two kinds - I used Red Delicious and Gala), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 4 oz aged cheddar, cubed
- ½ cup candied pecans (see directions in post - 1 tbsp. brown sugar, 1 tsp. water, ⅛ tsp. vanilla, ⅛ tsp. salt, ½ cup halved pecans)
- Sherry Mustard Vinaigrette (2 tablespoon sherry vinegar, ½ teaspoon minced garlic, ½ tablespoon dijon mustard, ⅓ cup EVOO, salt and pepper)
- Prepare vinaigrette by mixing sherry, garlic and mustard in a small bowl then whisking in olive oil (can also use a food processor if preferred). Season with salt and pepper. Place in fridge until serving.
- Mix rest of ingredients together in a large salad bowl.
- Serve vinaigrette on side or toss with salad immediately prior to serving.
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