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This Arugula Apple Salad with Goat Cheese is the perfect fall salad! When paired with a zingy Apple Cider Vinaigrette you have the perfect side salad!
This salad is easily one of my favorites, not only is it fairly simple to throw together, but it’s unexpected and gorgeous. I suggest serving it with Thanksgiving dinner or simply with a side of pasta (such as these stuffed shells).
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Helpful kitchen tools
>> Consider investing in a good wooden salad bowl and tongs. Presentation is everything, and it’s nice to have a fantastic bowl to serve your salads out of when you have guests (and when you don’t)
>> Additionally, you might want to invest in a salad dressing shaker, if you make a lot of homemade dressings. Of course a mason jar will do, but if you’re often serving guests, this makes for less mess, easier storage, and nicer presentation.
Ingredients
- Arugula - use baby arugula, it has a slightly peppery, bitter flavor, but enough structure to hold dressing without wilting immediately. It’s the perfect base for this salad.
- Apple - I used a gala apple, but any apple that you like will do as long as it isn’t too sour.
- Dried cranberries - this is a fall-inspired salad, full of fall flavors, and it just wouldn’t be complete without the use of some dried cranberries. They’re delicious.
- Goat cheese - use plain goat cheese, if possible. Honey flavored also works.
- Pecans - chop them or just toss them in, it doesn’t really matter, but the texture is nicer if they’re chopped. You can use candied pecans as well, if you’d prefer!
- Pumpkin seeds - the little green pumpkin seeds are called pepitas, and they’re perfect in fall salads.
After you’ve tossed the salad together, make the dressing by combining:
Olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste).
You’ll end up with a zingy, delicious dressing that pairs perfect with fall apple salads (such as this one). The dressing recipe is the same here as my Copycat Chic-fil-A Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette.
The process
This isn't a complicated salad, as there is nothing to roast or cook. It's just a simple throw-it-together cold salad. But that doesn't mean it's boring! Here's how the process will go:
- In a large salad bowl, add the arugula, thinly sliced apple, dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, pecans, and pumpkin seeds.
- Next, make the apple cider vinaigrette by combining in a mason jar or whisking together in a bowl the remainder of the ingredients: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper (to taste).
- Before serving, toss the salad. Serve the dressing on the side.
Substitutions
- Arugula - if you wish, you can swap the arugula for spinach.
- Apple - you can use a blood orange or a pear.
- Dried cranberries - you could try using any of the following: dried apples, raisins, papaya.
- Goat cheese - you can use feta.
- Pecans - chopped walnuts would be a great swap.
- Pumpkin seeds - if you want to swap the pepitas for something else, you might consider using pine nuts! Pine nuts would be an excellent swap.
Storage + Make Ahead
You can make this salad ahead of time by assembling everything but the apple and the goat cheese.
Make the salad (leaving out the goat cheese and apple) and the store it in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Likewise, make the dressing, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
When you're ready to serve the salad, slice the apple and crumble the goat cheese, toss, and serve with the dressing on the side. Easy.
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Arugula Apple Salad with Goat Cheese and Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 cups baby arugula
- 1 apple sliced thin
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp goat cheese crumbled
- 2 tbsp pecans chopped
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ¼ tsp lemon zest
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large salad bowl, add the arugula, thinly sliced apple, dried cranberries, crumbled goat cheese, pecans, and pumpkin seeds.
- Next, make the apple cider vinaigrette by combining in a mason jar or whisking together in a bowl the remainder of the ingredients: olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper (to taste).
- Before serving, toss the salad. Serve the dressing on the side.
Notes
- You can make this salad ahead of time by assembling everything but the apple and the goat cheese.
- Make the salad (leaving out the goat cheese and apple) and the store it in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
- Likewise, make the dressing, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- When you're ready to serve the salad, slice the apple and crumble the goat cheese, toss, and serve with the dressing on the side.
Nutrition
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