Description
This Apple Cranberry Pecan Salad is the ultimate fall dish, sweet, savory, crisp, and creamy. With kale, turkey bacon, candied pecans, and a tangy shallot-honey dressing, it’s hearty, healthy, and crowd-pleasing.
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 3 slices turkey bacon, diced
- 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and shredded
- 1 medium apple, diced
- 1/2 cup sliced celery
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
For the Dressing:
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Candied Pecans:
- 1 large egg white
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 cups pecan halves
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk egg white until frothy, then mix in sugar, salt, spices, and cayenne.
3. Add pecans to the mixture and stir to coat evenly.
4. Spread pecans on baking sheet and bake 25–30 minutes, stirring once halfway.
5. Cook diced turkey bacon in a skillet until crispy, about 6–8 minutes. Set aside.
6. In a large bowl, whisk vinegar, shallot, and mustard. Let sit 5 minutes.
7. Whisk in olive oil and honey. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add shredded kale to the bowl and massage for 1 minute.
9. Top with apple, celery, cranberries, feta, turkey bacon, and candied pecans.
10. Toss gently and serve.
Notes
- Slice apples just before serving to prevent browning.
- Let candied pecans cool completely before adding to salad.
- Store components separately for best texture when prepping ahead.
- Use maple syrup instead of honey for a vegan-friendly dressing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 14g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: apple cranberry pecan salad, fall salad, healthy salad, kale salad, candied pecans