Apple Salad

Make super-easy Apple Salad with mixed greens, sliced apple and pear, rotisserie chicken, dried cherries, candied pecans, and crumbled cheese. This salad has an apple cider vinaigrette which takes just minutes to whip together.

Quick And Easy Apple Salad

Apple Salad is so fast and easy to make. It’s a breeze to assemble, with store-bought rotisserie chicken and store-bought candied pecans.

I don’t know how it happened, but my boys literally beg to eat salads for lunch or dinner. I couldn’t be happier about that because I love throwing together a big salad and making it a meal. Without much thought, I whipped up this apple salad using a few pears that were ripe and apples that needed to be used and my boys declared this the best salad ever. So obviously, it needs to be shared here!

The dressing is tangy and acidic, but overall subtle. It’s a dressing that lets the salad and each individual ingredient shine through. It’s not overpowering but is a great complement to the ingredients. I add a pinch of ground cinnamon to the dressing, which is the perfect accent to the apples, pears, and dried cherries.

Ingredients In Apple Salad

SALAD:

1. Fresh mixed greens lettuce: Provides a crunchy base and fresh flavor.
2. Apple and Pear: Add sweetness, a juicy texture, and a crisp bite.
3. Shredded seasoned rotisserie chicken: Provides protein, making the apple salad more filling.
4. Dried tart cherries (or dried cranberries): Give a tangy and sweet contrast to other ingredients.
5. Candied pecans: Add sweetness, crunch, and a rich nutty flavor.
6. Goat cheese (or feta or gorgonzola cheese): Introduces creaminess, a hint of saltiness, and a unique flavor.

DRESSING:

• Olive oil, Honey, Apple cider vinegar, Cinnamon, Salt, Pepper, Garlic powder, and Dijon mustard: Together, these ingredients create a delicious dressing that compliments this apple salad beautifully.

How To Make Apple Salad

1. Prepare Salad Base: In a bowl, mix 8 cups of mixed greens.
2. Add Fruit & Protein: Thinly slice 1 apple and 1 pear, and add to the greens. Mix in 2.5 cups shredded rotisserie chicken.
3. Include Extras: Sprinkle 1/2 cup each of dried cherries, candied pecans, and crumbled goat cheese.
4. Dressing: In a jar, combine 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp honey, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, seasonings, and 1 tsp dijon mustard. Shake well.
5. Finish: Toss apple salad with most of the dressing. Top with pecans and cheese. Drizzle remaining dressing and a pinch of salt. Serve immediately.

Apple Salad Shortcuts

1. Use leftover rotisserie or grilled chicken, especially discounted ones nearing expiration from local stores.
2. Opt for store-bought candied pecans, commonly found in “salad topper” sections, for convenience, though making your own is an option.
3. Prepare a double or triple batch of dressing at the week’s start. With ready dressing, chicken, and pecans, assembling the salad is a breeze.

More Salad Recipes:

• Crispy Chicken Salad another shortcut salad recipe!
• Thanksgiving Salad with roasted butternut squash
• Creamy retro Grape Salad
• BBQ Chicken Salad with a creamy cilantro-lime dressing
• Chicken Salad reader favorite recipe

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5 from 5 votes

Apple Salad

By Chelsea Lords

Try this easy Apple Salad with mixed greens, juicy apple and pear slices, rotisserie chicken, dried cherries, candied pecans, and crumbled cheese. Toss it with a quick apple cider vinaigrette for a fresh, flavorful meal!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Equipment

• Large bowl

Ingredients

1x2x3x

USMetric

Salad

• ▢ 8 cups spring mix lettuce blend
• ▢ 1 large apple such as Pink Lady or Honeycrisp
• ▢ 1 large pear
• ▢ 2-1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
• ▢ 1/2 cup dried tart cherries or dried cranberries
• ▢ 1/2 cup candied pecans coarsely chopped
• ▢ 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese or feta or gorgonzola cheese

Dressing

• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons honey
• ▢ 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

Instructions 

• Place salad greens in a large bowl. Core and thinly slice apples and pears (peel if desired). Chop the chicken and add to greens. Add dried cherries.
• Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake to combine. Taste and adjust to personal preferences.
• Toss salad with 80% of dressing, then add chopped candied pecans. Top with crumbled cheese, drizzle remaining dressing, sprinkle sea salt if desired, and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Only add dressing, nuts, and cheese to what you will eat right away because leftovers get soggy. You can store the salad, nuts, cheese, and dressing separately for delicious leftovers or meal prep for the week; just add freshly sliced apples or pears and assemble right before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 4large salad servings | Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 27.1g | Fat: 18.1g | Cholesterol: 89.1mg | Sodium: 227mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 22.7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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