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Apple Pecan Salad is flavor-packed with apples, pecans, bacon, dried cranberries, and blue cheese. It's gorgeous, easy to make, and is a perfect light, family-friendly, main-dish or side-dish salad.

Not only that, but this salad only takes minutes to prepare. Topped with a yummy homemade sweet and citrusy apple pecan salad dressing, this dish is a nutritional bonanza and one that will quickly become one of your favorites too.

Tart, green Granny Smith apples are always a crowd-pleaser, but you can use any apples you like. I like to stick with crisp, sweet-tart varieties including Braeburn, Fuji, Gala, and Honeycrisp. Not only are the apples delicious in this dish, they are high in fiber and vitamin C, and they are also low in calories. 

Sharon’s tips:

  • You can make the dressing, cook the bacon, roast the pecans, and prep the lettuce ahead. However, I would wait until just before you are ready to serve it to toss together. Also, don't add the dressing until you are ready to serve it.
  • For the best results, wait to chop and add the apple just before tossing everything together to keep them from turning brown. A quick soak in a lemon juice water mixture will help with this too.
  • This dressing recipe makes enough for two complete salads. Refrigerate the unused portion for up to seven days and save for another meal.
  • I used romaine lettuce in this recipe, but you can use any type of lettuce you have on hand or like.
  • I usually bake my bacon in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes. You can also cook it in the microwave or simply fry it in a pan.
  • To toast the pecans, place them on a baking sheet in a 350-degree oven. If you are toasting pecan halves, toast them for approximately 10 minutes, if you are toasting pieces, toast them for about five minutes. Either way, check frequently towards the end to make sure they don't burn.

Sharon Rigsby is the blogger behind Grits and Pinecones. Check out her recipes at https://ift.tt/1VcxZ3n.

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Apple Pecan Salad

4 Servings

Salad Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

9 ounces romaine lettuce, washed, drained, and chopped

1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped

2/3 cups pecans, toasted

1/2 cup dried cranberries

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

Dressing Ingredients:

1 teaspoon orange zest

2 tablespoons orange juice

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

To make 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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