Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
Fresh green salad recipe featuring sliced apple, toasted pepitas, dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese. Apple cider vinaigrette recipe included.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 3, 2024
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Healthy, attainable, feel-good recipes—those are my favorite. Take this simple green salad, which has been my go-to holiday salad for five years now.
I’ve brought it to too many Friendsgivings to count, and my family has enjoyed it at Thanksgiving as well. It’s beautiful, easy to make, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
This salad features fresh spring greens, tart Granny Smith apple, sweet dried cranberries and creamy goat cheese, tossed in a simple apple cider vinaigrette (recipe included).
I usually try to outdo myself when it comes to salads, but I kept this one simple. It’s the perfect side salad for all of your cool-weather meals.
Make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any meal in between!
Green Salad Serving Suggestions
This is my favorite green salad to serve with heavier holiday/comfort foods. Consider pairing this salad with lasagna, baked ziti and stuffed acorn squash.
Serve this salad with a creamy soup to round out a light meal. It would go especially well with my creamy pumpkin soup, best butternut soup, and creamy roasted cauliflower soup.
Green Salad Tips
Spring greens wilt quickly once they’ve been tossed with dressing. If you are preparing this salad in advance, keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to serve. For best results, chop the apple just before tossing everything together, since apples brown when they are exposed to air.
For a salad with greater longevity, swap a big bunch of chopped kale (thick ribs removed) for the spring greens. Kale is a more hardy green that can withstand a long soak in dressing—in fact, it gets better as it marinates. At this rate, you could also add the apples—the vinegar will help keep them fresh.
Watch How to Make This Green Salad
Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! I’m always so happy to hear from you.
Looking for more healthy yet holiday-worthy salads? Check these out:
- Pomegranate & Pear Green Salad with Ginger Dressing
- Honey Mustard Brussels Sprout Slaw
- Farro and Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
- Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
- Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing
- Autumn Kale Salad with Fennel, Honeycrisp and Goat Cheese
Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
My favorite fresh salad featuring healthy greens, sliced apple, toasted pepitas, dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with my simple apple cider vinaigrette (recipe below) or use balsamic dressing in a pinch. Recipe yields 2 full-sized salads or 4 to 6 side salads.
Ingredients
Green salad
- 5 ounces (about 5 cups) spring greens salad blend
- 1 large or 2 small Granny Smith apple(s)
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or chopped raw pecans
- 2 ounces chilled goat cheese, crumbled (about ⅓ cup)
Apple cider vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the pepitas: In a medium-sized skillet, toast the pepitas over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are turning golden on the edges and making little popping noises (if using pecans instead, warm them just until they are fragrant). Transfer the pepitas to a small bowl to cool.
- Make the dressing: In a cup or jar, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and salt until well blended. Season to taste with pepper.
- Just before serving, chop the apple into thin, bite-sized pieces. Place your greens in a large serving bowl. Top with sliced apple, dried cranberries and toasted pepitas. Use a fork to crumble the goat cheese over the salad.
- Drizzle the salad with just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves once tossed (you probably won’t need all of it). Gently toss to mix all of the ingredients and serve!
Notes
Make it vegan: Substitute maple syrup for the honey and omit the cheese.
Storage suggestions: Spring greens wilt quickly once they’ve been tossed with dressing, so store dressing separately from the greens. Apples oxidize quickly once they’re cut open, so I chop them just before serving the salad. For a salad with more longevity, swap chopped kale for the spring greens (like this). Bonus? The dressing will keep the chopped apples looking fresh.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Wow this was so good! Restaurant quality!! I didn’t have any pepitas so I used shelled pistachios but stuck to the recipe otherwise and we loved it!
Thank you for sharing, Ashley! I appreciate your review.
Love your recipes! Love your book! My question–do you have a favorite brand of goat cheese. I haven’t found one at my supermarket that I love.
I try to buy organic when I can. Whole Foods has a good option.
I love this salad, and the dressing is my new favorite dressing! I added some chicken chunks and it was the perfect lunchtime meal.
I make this salad year round. The festive colors are perfect for a holiday table and the salad is light and goes well with heavy foods. It’s a great summer salad too. The colors also look pretty on July 4th. I never bring any home. Everyone loves it! And, it’s quick to prepare.
I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing, Nancy.
Absolutely delicious. Used a platter rather than a bowl for a very attractive presentation.
Made this for a baby shower. It was absolutely delicious, and everyone loved it. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Marie! I appreciate your review.
Delicious! Question – do you roast the pecans too if using those instead? Its unclear.
To enhance the flavor, sure!
Awesome salad and so easy to put together! Thank you Kate for another awesome recipe!
I made this for a Paddy’s Day get together and everyone loved it and asked for the recipe. Was so simple to put together too. Will be my go to salad from now on
I love to hear that, Nat! Thank you for your review.
I’m excited about this flavorful salad you’ve put together! Making it for ‘in-laws’ for Easter Dinner!
Blessings to you and your family on this celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection
Thank you for your review, Megg!
I never have leftovers with this salad. This time I added sliced strawberries. Such a perfect combo with the oven baked chicken and rice. I’ll come back to recipe many times over. Thank you!
Great to hear, Joe!
Absolutely delicious. I substituted the pepitas for walnuts though. And instead of goat cheese I used gouda. Plus added some thin sliced red onion. And used Paneras Fuji Apple dressing. 5 stars! Could eat this everyday
I make this salad often. I have cranberry fatigue, so I swap in pomegranate seeds.
This salad is so amazingly simple and delicious!
The creamy goats cheese is a must.
I make the dressing as per the recipe and find it makes 6 salads for 2 people. Keeps well in the
Thank you for your recipe. Everyone loves it!
I love love love this salad. I make it a lot for company and it’s always eaten up. Thanks!
Great to hear, Lisa! I appreciate your review.
I made this apple/cranberry salad for a luncheon at church, dressing and all. It was delicious! It was easy to make and the instructions were clear and simple. I cut the apple and put the slices in water cut with lemon juice, then removed and added to the salad just before leaving for church. The apple slices still looked good two hours later when the luncheon began. The vinaigrette was also delicious. Nice blend of flavors. Thank you for sharing!!