This Apple Feta Salad is an easy and elegant side dish ready in just 10 minutes! It’s made with hearty greens tossed with crisp apples, salty feta, toasted pecans, and a trio of dried fruits, all finished with a white balsamic vinaigrette. Because it’s built on sturdy greens like kale, chard and arugula rather than delicate lettuce, it holds its texture beautifully on a buffet or dinner table, even after it’s dressed, and nearly all the prep can be done ahead.
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A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Apple Feta Salad with Pecans
⏲️ Ready In: 10 minutes
🥣 Main Ingredients: Sturdy greens, Granny Smith apples, toasted pecans, dried fruit, feta cheese, white balsamic vinegar, and extra virgin olive oil.
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, and easy to make Dairy-Free
♨️ Method: Chop and mix
🍽️ Yield: 6 servings
⭐️ Difficulty: Easy
❤️ Why Make It: An apple salad that holds up on the table, so it’s as good for a make-ahead holiday spread as it is for a weeknight side.
Summarize and save this content on:
I have to admit, I love chopped salads. I know it’s kind of odd, but I don’t like to chop my own salad at the dinner table. When eating out at a restaurant, I always order my salad “chopped and tossed, please.” When making salads at home, I either chop the greens (as in this salad) or tear them into bite-sized pieces.
I find it just makes it easier for people to eat. Even better, chopping everything to a similar size means every forkful gets a little bit of apple, feta, pecan and dried fruit, instead of a bite that’s mostly lettuce.
I first put this salad together for a dinner party years ago, and it’s become one of my go-to sides ever since. I’ve served it alongside a beef tenderloin at Christmas, set it out on a buffet table for Thanksgiving, and even served it up during the week as an easy side.
If you love salads with fruit, try this avocado grapefruit salad next.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- Hearty greens don’t wilt. Greens like baby kale, Swiss chard, and arugula hold their texture after adding the dressing, making this an ideal salad for a buffet or entertaining.
- Chopping means every bite is complete. Each forkful is balanced with apple, feta, pecan, and dried fruit.
- Tart apple balances salty feta. Granny Smith’s acidity balances the saltiness of the feta and the sweetness of the dried fruit.
- Three dried fruits, not one. A combination of dried cranberries, golden raisins, and blueberries adds complexity to the flavor, sweetness, and color.
- Genuinely make-ahead. Nearly everything can be prepped in advance and then quickly combined just before serving.
Ingredients
- Hearty greens: Baby kale, spinach, Swiss chard, and arugula are my top picks here. They hold up better when mixed with the dressing. Spring mix or more delicate greens work but won’t hold as long.
- Apples: Granny Smith is my favorite because it’s a crisp and tart apple that works well with the feta cheese. I’m also partial to fresh, juicy, sweet Honeycrisp and Gala in salads, which I use in this apple walnut salad.
- Feta: Buy the block stored in brine or water and crumble it. It’s creamier and has a better flavor and texture than pre-crumbled feta. Have leftover cheese? Make this Greek feta chicken for another meal during the week.
- Pecans: Toasted pecans bring a deeper flavor and more crunch than raw pecans. Buy pre-toasted chopped pecans, or you can toast them yourself in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until they are fragrant. I also use pecans and feta cheese in this cold green bean salad recipe.
- Dried fruit: I prefer the mix of blueberries, cranberries, and golden raisins. It adds more color and variety to the salad, but any single dried fruit works if that’s what you have on hand.
- Vinaigrette: I make a quick vinaigrette with pomegranate-quince white balsamic and a lime-flavored olive oil for the dressing. They bring a more complex flavor to the salad, but regular white balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil with a splash of lime juice also work well.
Chopped Apple Salad Substitutions and Variations
There are many ways you can vary this recipe, either based on the ingredients you have on hand, your tastes, or simply to make it your own! Here are a few ideas:
- Swap or upgrade the nuts: Walnuts work well instead of pecans, or you can use candied pecans, especially when serving on a holiday table.
- Cheese swaps: For a less tangy flavor and creamier texture, use goat cheese in place of the feta cheese, like in this pear and goat cheese salad.
- Additional mix-ins: Blueberries and/or chopped peaches work great with the flavors. You can also add some thinly sliced red onion. I suggest soaking them in water for 10 minutes after slicing to remove some of their bite. Just be sure to dry them well.
- Make it a main dish: Add 1-2 cups chopped roasted chicken or grilled lemon chicken, salmon, or chickpeas to add protein and make the salad heartier.
- Dairy-free: Leave out the feta cheese and add extra toasted pecans along with a squeeze of lemon to add a bit more tanginess. You can also use a dairy-free vegan cheese as well.
How to Make Apple Feta Salad
To start making this colorful, flavorful salad, prep the greens and apple. Chop the greens into bite-size pieces, about half an inch, so they are close in size to the other ingredients.
Next, core, slice, and then cut the apple into pieces that match the greens. Cut the apples last, right before tossing, since they will begin to brown once exposed to air.
- Mix salad ingredients. Combine the chopped greens, apple, feta cheese, pecans, and dried fruit in a mixing bowl, and toss together.
- Prepare dressing. Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil until emulsified. If you make it ahead of time, it will separate, but just whisk or shake it again to remix.
- Toss, season and serve. Shortly before serving, toss the salad with half of the dressing. Add more dressing as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tips for Success
- No need to peel the apples. The skin adds color and holds the pieces together.
- Prevent apples from browning. Toss the apples in a spoonful of the vinaigrette if you cut them early. The acid in the vinegar slows down the browning.
- Doubling for a crowd. Scale the greens and add-ins fully, but increase the dressing by about half. A doubled salad needs proportionally less dressing.
- Reserve some toppings. I like to keep a small handful of feta, pecans, and dried fruit to scatter on top. These often sink in the salad but adding them on top makes the dish look more composed on a table.
Storing and Make Ahead
Make-ahead
- Day before serving: Prepare the toasted pecans and whisk together the vinaigrette.
- A few hours before serving: Chop the greens and combine with the crumbled feta, pecans, and dried fruit. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.
- Just before serving: Chop the apples, add to the salad, and toss with half of the dressing.
Storing
- Keep undressed leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- If the salad is dressed, it’s best eaten the same day.
- The vinaigrette keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Before serving, bring it to room temperature and shake as needed to re-emulsify.
Green Apple Feta Salad Recipe FAQs
Granny Smith is the best all-around choice. Its tartness balances the salty feta and stays crisp for hours after chopping. If you prefer a sweeter salad, Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji all work well. Bonus: Honeycrisp and Fuji also brown more slowly than most varieties, which makes them a smart pick if you’re prepping ahead. Avoid softer apples like Red Delicious or McIntosh as they turn mealy once tossed with the vinaigrette.
The simplest fix is to chop the apples last, right before you toss the salad. This is also what I usually recommend. If you need to cut them earlier, toss the pieces in a spoonful of the vinaigrette itself. The acid slows oxidation just as well as lemon juice, without adding a flavor that doesn’t belong. Tart, firmer varieties like Granny Smith and Honeycrisp also naturally brown slower than softer apples.
Core the apple, cut it into slices, then cut the slices crosswise into pieces roughly the same size as your other chopped ingredients, about half an inch. Keeping every piece close to that size is what makes a chopped salad work so each bite gets apple, feta, pecan, and dried fruit together instead of a stray, oversized chunk. Leave the skin on for color and to help the pieces hold their shape.
Yes, you can prep nearly all of it in advance. The day before, toast the pecans and whisk the vinaigrette. Store the dressing in the fridge and the pecans at room temperature. The morning of, you can combine the greens, feta, pecans, and dried fruit in a bowl. Cover it and refrigerate. Wait to chop the apples and add the dressing until just before serving, so the salad stays crisp and the apples don’t brown.
Serving Suggestions
This salad with apples and feta is easy and elegant enough to pair with almost anything, but it really shines alongside grilled and roasted mains.
The tang of the vinaigrette and the sweetness of the apples are a natural match for grilled rosemary-Dijon chicken breasts or grilled chicken with caramelized onions, where the bright, herby flavors on the chicken echo what’s already happening in the salad.
If you’re leaning toward something heartier, try it next to pork cooked with my spicy pork tenderloin rub or braised baby back ribs.
For a lighter meal, or when you want to build a make-ahead menu for entertaining, serve it as the salad course alongside a bowl of cold carrot soup or tomato basil bisque. Both soups pair perfectly with a salad that’s designed to hold up on the table.
More Side Dish Salad Recipes
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Apple Feta Salad with Pecans
Ingredients
- 15 ounces mixed hearty greens, baby spinach, Swiss chard and/or arugula, chopped
- 1 large granny smith apple, cored and chopped
- 4 ounces feta cheese , crumbled
- ½ cup toasted chopped pecans
- ½ cup mixed dried fruit, dried cranberries, golden raisins, blueberries
- ¼ cup pomegranate-quince white balsamic vinegar, can also use regular white balsamic
- 3 tablespoons lime olive oil, can also use extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, toss together the chopped greens, apple, feta cheese, pecans and dried fruit.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
- Toss the salad with half of the dressing. Add more as needed. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
