A delicious salad recipe loaded with apples, candied pecan, feta cheese and spinach with a homemade vinaigrette dressing.
- 3 cups green leaf lettuce spinach, red leaf or spring mix lettuce
- 2 small apples cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup pecans candied
- 4 oz. feta cheese crumbled (buy the block and crumble yourself)
- 2 tablespoons honey raw, unfiltered
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
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To candy the pecans, place the pecans (about ½ cup) in a saucepan set over medium high heat. Toss the pecans around in the pan until they are hot and fragrant. Sprinkle the sugar (about 1 tablespoon) over the pecans and turn the heat off. Toss the pecans with the sugar until the sugar liquefies and the pecans are coated in the sugar. Remove the pecans from the pan and allow to cool to room temperature.
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To make the salad dressing: whisk the salad dressing ingredients together. Keep chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
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Chop, rinse and spin dry the lettuce and place it in your serving bowl.
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Add the chopped apples, dried cranberries, pecans and feta cheese on top of the salad.
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Toss the salad together to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad. Serve chilled.
To keep cut apples from browning, submerge them into salt water (1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to 1 cup water) for 10 minutes. The apples can be rinsed off before serving, but we don't mind the mild salt flavor.