This green salad with apples is a fresh crisp salad that's perfect for fall. Mixed greens, topped with diced apples and dried cranberries and drizzled with a maple dressing.
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❤️ Why make this apple salad
This makes the perfect fall salad with fresh, crisp, apples, dried cranberries a maple dressing with a sprinkle of bacon bits or crunchy quinoa.
It makes the perfect side and lightens up those heavier fall meals like pumpkin mac and cheese, squash risotto, or pumpkin pasta.
🧾 Ingredients and substitutions
- Lettuce - I like to use a prewashed spring mix to make it quick and easy, but you can use any type of tender lettuce that you want.
- Apples - fresh apples diced into bite-sized cubes. I love crispy apples like honey crisp, Empire, or Machntosh in this salad.
- Green Onion Maple Dressing - for this you will need oil, apple cider vinegar, green onions, lemon juice, maple syrup, poppy seeds, and salt. You can also use my maple balsamic dressing or sweet onion dressing instead.
Optional Toppings
- Dried Cranberries - (optional) but recommended. You could also use other dried fruit like raisins.
- Nuts - (optional) like walnuts and pecans are also delicious with this salad. ( I like some candied pecans too.)
- Bacon Bits - add some crunch and a salty smoky flavor. If you want to avoid the food dyes in store-bought vegan bacon bits, it's easy to make your own bacon bits.
- Crunchy Quinoa - this crunchy baked quinoa is a delicious salad topper that you will love.
- Chickpea Croutons - these sauteed chickpeas are an easy, naturally gluten-free, protein-packed crouton perfect for all green salads.
🔪 Helpful tools
- Large Salad Bowl - to mix it all together and serve.
🥄 How to make apple salad
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
Step 1 - To a blender add, oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, and green onions. Blend for about 30 seconds until creamy. Stir in poppy seeds if you choose after blending.
Step 2 - Core two small apples and dice them into small bite-sized pieces.
Step 3 - Fill a salad bowl with 8 cups of spring mix (or lettuce of choice) and top with diced apples, dried cranberries, nuts, bacon bits, crunchy quinoa, sauteed chickpeas, or any other optional toppings.
Step 4 - Drizzle with the dressing just before serving and toss well.
👩🏻🍳 Pro Tips
- Be sure to dice the apples into small bite-sized pieces.
- You can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge until serving.
- Once you add the dressing, eat within the next 1/2 hour, so that the lettuce stays crisp.
🥡 Storage
Refrigerate: This apple salad is best when eaten freshly made. You can keep the greens, toppings, and salad dressing separate in the fridge for 3 - 5 days in an airtight container, then mix them just before serving.
🌟 More salad and dressing recipes
- Vegan Broccoli Salad
- Chickpea Cucumber Salad
- Vegan Kale Salad with Cranberries
- Vegan Caesar Salad
- Strawberry Spinach Salad
- Tahini Caesar Dressing
- Vegan Ranch Dressing
📌 Be sure to follow me on Pinterest for new vegan recipes!
📋 Apple salad recipe
Apple Salad
Equipment
- large salad bowl
Ingredients
Maple salad dressing
- 1 cup light olive oil or other neutral-flavored oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or vegan sugar
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 stalks green onions with the white ends cut off.
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds optional
Salad and toppings
- 8 cups mixed greens
- 2 medium apples diced
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)
- 1/4 cup crunchy quinoa (optional)
- 1/4 cup bacon bits (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Instructions
- To a blender add, oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, lemon juice, salt, and green onions. Blend for about 30 seconds until creamy. Stir in poppy seeds if you choose after blending.
- Core two small apples and dice them into small bite-sized pieces.
- Fill a salad bowl with 8 cups of spring mix (or lettuce of choice) and top with diced apples, dried cranberries, nuts, bacon bits, crunchy quinoa, or any other optional toppings.
- Drizzle with the dressing just before serving and toss well.
Notes
- Be sure to dice the apples into small bite-sized pieces.
- You can make the dressing up to 3 days in advance and keep it in the fridge until serving.
- Once you add the dressing, eat within the next 1/2 hour, so that the lettuce stays crisp.
Nutrition
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Click the stars above or leave a comment! I'd love to hear from you!
Alex Fisher says
Thanks, now we’re addicted! 🤣 We love this salad, so I make a batch of dressing, and it usually goes for three salads. After the first time, my friend recommended chopping the greens smaller, so they wouldn’t overwhelm the other ingredients. That worked well the second time. Thanks!
Monica says
I'm glad that you like the recipe! 🙂
Victoria says
A delicious Autumn salad. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Monica says
Your welcome! Glad that you liked it. 🙂