Fall salad with apples & candied pecans

This seasonal salad was inspired by a dish my sister-in-law brings to our extended family Thanksgiving every year. I always look forward to a big bowlful of it, along with some of her rhubarb pudding cake.

But there’s no reason that you have to wait until the fourth Thursday in November to try it.

In this post:

This autumnal starter includes slices of apples that are cooked until dry and a little chewy.

They’re not quite as dry as dehydrated apples or jerky. They still have some moisture in them.

Baking intensifies their sweetness and brings their inherent fruit flavor front and center.

For the apple slices, I recommend a slightly tart apple with a good crisp bite. Pink Lady apples or Honeycrisp are my go-to options here.

Baked apple slices are ideal for make ahead salads, because you don’t have to worry about them oxidizing and turning brown.

After baking, they will retain their yellow color. You can keep them in the refrigerator for several days with no degradation of flavor or appearance.

The baked apple slices would also be a nice addition to a vegan cheeseboard, or eaten straight out of the refrigerator as a snack.

I like to make candied pecans on the stovetop. They only take five minutes to make and a few simple ingredients.

When you make them from scratch, you also have the option of adding your preferred flavor additions like cinnamon, vanilla, smoked paprika, or cayenne to really personalize the flavor.

However, if you’d rather skip a step, you can buy them already made. Candied pecans are sold in grocery stores with the other nuts.

At the holidays when I’m already cooking a zillion things, I’ve been known to pick up a bag from Trader Joe’s and call it a day.

This salad is topped with my favorite vegan feta cheese. It’s a soy-free cheese made with almonds. It’s baked in the oven until firm. Then you crumble it by hand.

I always keep a batch in the refrigerator. Plus, it’s easy to make extra and store it in the freezer for cheese emergencies.

By using almond based feta, you get some added protein in the salad, which gives it staying power. That’s especially handy if you’re serving it as an entrée.

If you’d prefer to use a store-bought option, Violife or Herbivorous Butcher feta, or cubed avocado would also be delightful here.

This tangy vinaigrette is made with a few simple ingredients that are reminiscent of fall.

It’s mildly sweet with a perfect balance of tang from apple cider vinegar, and sweetness from maple syrup. Stoneground mustard gives it a fuller viscosity. Then it’s finished with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.

This tangy tart dressing has a terrific apple bite. It is especially nice on baby spring mix, spinach, and other lighter greens. However, it has enough flavor that it can stand up to heartier greens like massaged kale.

Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (If you prefer browner edges on the apple slices, preheat to 400 degrees.)

Spread thinly sliced apples across a parchment paper covered baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, stopping to flip once halfway through.

While the apple slices bake, make a batch of candied pecans. Or you can buy packaged candied pecans and save a step.

Make cider vinaigrette by whisking the following in a bowl:

• Apple cider vinegar
• Maple syrup
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Stoneground mustard
• Salt
• Pepper

Pour baby spring mix or baby spinach into a salad bowl along with green onions. Top with baked apple slices, candied pecans, and vegan feta.

Toss with cider vinaigrette, to taste. Or allow guests to pour the dressing on their individual salads.

This fall salad can be a meal on its own with crusty bread, oil, and dukkah. Or you could add croutons to the salad to make it even more satiating.

Have a soup and salad lunch with split pea soup or creamy vegan mushroom soup.

For a fancier affair, serve it with vegan arancini, stuffed peppers, vegan risotto, or vegan pot pie.

Feeling festive? Enjoy it with vegan skewers or Thanksgiving leftovers sandwiches.

📖 Recipe

Fall salad with apples & candied pecans

Author: Cadry Nelson

5 from 3 votes

The flavors of autumn come to life in this vibrant salad. It has chewy slices of baked apple, pleasantly sweet candied pecans, crumbles of vegan feta, and a drizzle of apple cider vinaigrette. Perfect for fall gatherings!

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 people

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American, Vegan

Keyword: christmas recipe, fall food, thanksgiving recipe

Ingredients

Fall salad with apples

• ▢ 2 Pink Lady apples peeled, cored, and cut into ¼″ thin half moons
• ▢ 1 cup candied pecans
• ▢ 2 green onions thinly sliced with ends removed
• ▢ 5 ounces baby spring mix or baby spinach leaves
• ▢ ½ cup vegan feta cheese

Cider Vinaigrette

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar preferably unfiltered
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ ½ teaspoon stoneground mustard
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ Pinch of pepper

Instructions

To make fall salad with apples

• ▢
  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. (If you prefer apples with browned edges, preheat to 400 degrees.) Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• ▢
  Spread the apple slices evenly across the baking sheet, being careful not to overlap. Bake the slices for 20 minutes, stopping once halfway through to flip. Remove the slices from oven and cool.

  (If you will be making the salad later, store the apple slices in a container in the refrigerator.)
• ▢
  While the apple slices bake, make a batch of candied pecans. (Link to recipe in ingredients list.) Or use store-bought candied pecans instead.
• ▢
  Add the roasted apple slices and candied pecans to a large salad bowl with green onions and baby spring mix. Top with vegan feta cheese. Serve with cider vinaigrette.

To make cider vinaigrette

• ▢
  In a small bowl, whisk apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, stoneground mustard, salt, and pepper.

Notes

If you’d like to bake the apples ahead of time, the slices will keep for several days in the refrigerator in a covered container. 

You can store the homemade candied pecans on the counter for at least two weeks without refrigerating. If you’d like to store them longer than that, they can be kept in the refrigerator for several months, or in the freezer for a year. When you’re ready to use them, move them to the refrigerator to thaw.

The apple cider vinaigrette can be made several days ahead of time. Store it in the refrigerator. If the oil has separated from the vinegar or hardened, move it to the counter before serving, and allow it to come to room temperature. Then give it a shake or stir.

Alternatives to vegan feta cheese:

Instead of vegan feta cheese, add diced avocado or use store-bought vegan feta. (Violife and Herbivorous Butcher both make excellent vegan feta.)

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Nutrition

Calories: 385kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 525IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 1mg

Content updated May 1, 2025. Originally posted November 2015.