Healthy and nutritious Apple Pecan Chopped Salad is a perfect, light, family-friendly one-dish meal!
Not only that, but this Healthy Apple Pecan Chopped Salad is delicious and easy and only takes minutes to prepare. Plus, it has bacon, dried cranberries, and blue cheese, how can it get any better? And, it’s topped with a yummy homemade sweet and citrusy salad dressing that your family will love!
I used green Granny Smith apples, but you can use any apple you like. That old saying, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” couldn’t be truer, apples are one of the healthiest foods a person can eat. Not only are they delicious, they are high in fiber and vitamin C, and they are also low in calories. Pecans are no slacker in the nutrition department either, loaded with fiber they contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals. Add in the health benefits of the romaine lettuce and cranberries and not only do you have an amazing meal, but you also have a nutritional bonanza in this apple pecan salad.
If you like salad recipes like this one, you might also be interested in these delicious recipes: Tomato Salad with White Acre Peas, Romaine Wedge Salad with Green Goddess Dressing, and Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Pecans. Need more? Check out all of my salad recipes here.
How to make Healthy Apple Pecan Chopped Salad
Gather all of your ingredients which are: romaine lettuce, (you can really use any type of lettuce you have) an apple, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, blue cheese, and bacon. Ingredients for the homemade salad dressing include apple cider vinegar, an orange, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil and kosher salt and pepper.
The first step is to cook your bacon. I usually bake mine in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, but you can also cook it in the microwave or simply fry in a pan. Also, if your pecans are not already toasted, you will need to toast them on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven for approximately 10-12 minutes.
While your bacon cooks, make the salad dressing. Add the following ingredients to a mason jar: grated orange zest, orange juice, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil and salt and pepper. Shake the jar vigorously. (Could it get any easier?) If you don’t have a mason jar, you can add all the ingredients except the olive oil to a small bowl and whisk together. Once everything is combined, slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Now, its time to add the chopped lettuce, apple, pecans, bacon, blue cheese, and cranberries to a large bowl and toss with a small amount of dressing. And there you have it, a delicious light and healthy dinner!
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Healthy Apple Pecan Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 8 pieces thick cut bacon cooked and chopped
- 9 oz romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 large apple cored and chopped
- 2/3 cups toasted pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 4 oz blue cheese crumbled
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place bacon on a sheet pan and roast for approximately 20 minutes. (Depending on the thickness, it may take more time. I also line the pan with aluminum foil to make clean-up a breeze.)
- For the dressing add the following ingredients to a mason jar and shake well: vinegar, grated orange zest, orange juice, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper and olive oil.
- In a large bowl add the romaine lettuce, bacon, apple, pecans, cranberries and blue cheese. Toss with a small amount of dressing and serve!
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