Apple Walnut Salad with creamy yogurt dressing is a perfect fall salad recipe. It is sweet, crunchy and fresh side dish. Makes a perfect holiday recipe which comes together in 10 minutes including the dressing.
I know the word salad puts off many of us, but trust me, this salad is a crowd pleaser. This apple walnut salad is fresh, fruity and fun. Its dressed with a simple creamy greek yogurt, honey & vinegar dressing. The combination of crisp apples, crunchy walnuts, deliciously tart vinegar, creaminess from yogurt and sweetness from honey brings out beautiful flavors. Salads are easy to customize to your taste, get creative and feel free to add salad toppings of your choice.
Ingredients to make Apple Walnut Salad:
Apples: Apples add a great crunch to the salad. I like to use honey crisp, red delicious or pink lady variety. All three of them are crisp, have floral aroma with a juicy flesh and a sweet and tart flavor. Well suited for fresh fall salads.
Lettuce: Addition of lettuce adds a crisp cool texture to the salad. I like to use shredded iceberg lettuce as its crisp, watery and refreshing in a salad. Alternatively, you can use Romaine lettuce.
Walnuts: Adding nuts to the salad bring density to the dish. Nuts are a highly nutritious salad toppings. I have added walnuts to this salad as they add crunch and earthy flavor to the salad. Alternatively, you can add pecans or almonds.
Tomatoes: I like to add cherry tomatoes as they add a pop of color to this salad. Besides, they are juicy & sweet.
Dressing : Made with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Greek yogurt, honey & salt. If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, substitute with lime, lemon juice or rice vinegar. Maple syrup is a great substitute of honey.
How to make Apple Walnut Salad
- First step is to prepare the lettuce. Thoroughly wash the lettuce. Use a chef’s knife to cut the lettuce. Place the shredded lettuce in a salad spinner to remove excess water from the salad. Set aside.
- Whisk ingredients together for the dressing.
- Place the salad ingredients in a bowl, pour over dressing and toss to combine.
Can you make this salad ahead of time?
Yes, the chopped salad and dressing can be made 8 hours ahead of time. Cover separately and chill. If you are making it ahead, add in the apples before serving so that they don’t brown.
How to keep apples from browning:
Submerge apple slices in water so that it minimizes the fruit’s exposure to the air. Thus preventing the oxidation process. Or brush the apple slices with lemon juice or soak them in a lemon water mixture. The citric acid in the lemon halts the enzymatic reaction that causes browning.
The Key to prevent the apple slices from browning is to store them in an air tight container and refrigerate. If using zip lock bags, be sure to press out as much as you can before sealing the bag.
