Apple and walnut salad

To make the sauce, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk until the mixture starts to thicken, season with the salt and then set aside.

Wash and dry the mixed greens before adding to a mixing bowl. Add the sliced apple and red onion and toss the ingredients together. Then add the walnuts and repeat. Transfer to a salad plate. Sprinkle the crumbled feta on top of the salad. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving to avoid the leaves wilting.

Tips & tricks

If you’re not a fan of feta, you can swap this cheese out for a different variety and experiment with other flavor profiles. Some chefs will opt for a tasty blue cheese, like Gorgonzola, as its salty flavor pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the apple. Other varieties like creamy goat’s cheese pair well with the earthy and bitter taste of the walnuts.

We’ve shared a fairly simple recipe above for an apple and walnut salad, but there’s nothing to stop you adding more ingredients to the salad as desired. If you’re making this around Thanksgiving, try adding dried cranberries for an extra pop of color and sweetness, and to tap into seasonal flavors. Equally, if you’re catering for different dietaries and want to make this salad vegan, you can easily substitute the honey in the sauce for maple syrup and either remove the cheese or source a dairy-free option. We love salads as they can be so easily personalized and we have an entire article on how to build the best salad, including the key elements to consider, to give you all the inspiration you need to make your best salad dish yet.

For the mixed greens we’d recommend using a mix of arugula, Belgian endive and spinach. The peppery taste of the arugula is an ideal match for the sweetness of the apple, and the Belgian endive adds a slight bitterness to balance the overall flavor of the dish. Similarly, there’s no right apple to use for this recipe, simply pick your favorite one to build into the dish.

Of course this recipe classically calls for the inclusion of walnuts, but if you wanted to you could swap these out for a different nut variety or add in others like pecans. You can find out more about different nuts and their flavor profiles in our helpful guide to types of nuts to make your choice.

The best dressing

To make the best apple walnut salad dressing, we’d highly recommend opting for the homemade route instead of purchasing pre-made dressing from the grocery store. For the best outcome, invest in good quality ingredients. The combination of the sweet honey, spicy mustard, and rich balsamic vinegar creates a balanced salad dressing that’s quick and easy to create at home, following our recipe above.

Storage

If you intend to store some leftovers, don’t add the dressing to all of the salad beforehand, as this will cause the salad to wilt and become soggy in the fridge. You can make the salad dressing and keep it in the fridge for around five days, though it will start to thicken in the fridge eventually.