It’s August and we are still sweltering in North Florida so I thought this Apple Pecan Chopped Salad would be a perfect one-dish meal for dinner tonight.
It’s delicious, and easy and only takes about 30 minutes to prepare. Plus, it has bacon and blue cheese, how can it get any better?
Gather all of your ingredients for the salad 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 dressing include: apple cider vinegar, an orange, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, olive oil and 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 roast them in a 350 degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes.
While your bacon cooks, it’s time to make the delicious salad dressing. Add the following ingredients to a mason jar and shake vigorously: grated orange zest, orange juice, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil and salt and pepper. (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, bacon, apple, pecans, bacon, blue cheese, cranberries to a large bowl and toss with a small amount of dressing. And there you have it, a delicious light summer dinner!
Here’s the recipe!
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 20 minutes |
| Servings | 4 servings |
- For the Salad
- 8 pieces thick cut bacon cooked and chopped
- 9 oz bag of Romaine Hearts chopped
- 1 large apple cored and chopped
- 2/3 cups toasted pecans chopped if large
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 4 oz package crumbled blue cheese
- For the Dressing
- 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
Ingredients
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- Preheat your 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, syrup, salt and pepper and olive oil.
- In a large bowl add the romaine lettuce, apple, pecans, cranberries and blue cheese. Toss with a small amount of dressing and enjoy!
This dressing recipe makes enough for two complete salads. Refrigerate the unused portion and save for another meal.
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