I have a favorite fall salad that I make routinely once the Honey Crisp apples start to arrive, which means NOW. I can’t get enough of it. This salad is inspired from a Southern Living recipe found here. I make it just for myself and for large dinner parties alike. Enjoy!

Autumn Salad with Apples and Fennel

Liza Graves

Make this salad vegan by eliminating the gorgonzola cheese.

5 from 1 vote

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Course Salad

Cuisine American/Southern

Servings -8

Ingredients

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 shallot minced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Honey Crisp apple
1 medium-size fennel bulb
1 celery rib
1/2 red onion
Gorgonzola cheese--use your preferred amount
1/4 cup toasted salted pumpkin seeds
1 package fresh arugula 5 oz
1 package fresh spinach 5 oz

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.
Bake walnuts on a shallow pan (cookie sheet) for 7 to 9 minutes or until toasted and fragrant. Stir halfway through.
Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, shallot, brown sugar and Dijon mustard; season with salt and pepper to taste. Adding minced fresh herbs to the dressing is wonderful, as well.
Cut apple, fennel, and celery into thin slices. If you have a mandoline or thin cutting blade on your food processor, they are great to use here.
Toss arugula/spinach mixture with a small amount of vinaigrette. Arrange lettuces on a serving platter.
Toss apple, fennel and celery with desired amount of vinaigrette.
Top salad with apple mixture
Sprinkle with walnuts, pumpkin seeds and gorgonzola and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve immediately with more vinaigrette to taste (I don't use all the dressing!)

Notes

I am buying tons of the Super Greens salad mixture lately and used it in this recipe. I used one large clam shell container, a full 16 oz, in this recipe--but I like to eat tons of greens.

Also, sometimes I like to puree the dressing in my blender instead of whisking up a chunkier version. Either way is fine.

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