This vibrant, refreshing apple salad brings together a wonderful combination of sweet, tangy, and crunchy textures. Packed with crisp apples, celery, juicy grapes, and toasted pecans, it makes an absolute treasure of a side dish for gatherings, potlucks, or a healthy meal-prep snack.
Ingredients
The Salad Base: 2 large Honeycrisp apples (cored and chopped), 1 cup celery (thinly sliced), 1 cup seedless red or green grapes (halved), 3 cups chopped greens (such as curly kale or spinach, optional), ¾ cup pecans (toasted and roughly chopped), ½ cup dried cranberries
The Sweet Tangy Dressing: ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (or mayonnaise), 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the Dressing
In a small bowl, whisk together the plain Greek yogurt (or mayonnaise), fresh lemon juice, honey, salt, and black pepper until completely smooth and emulsified.
Step 2: Chop the Fresh Produce
Wash all your fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly. Leave the red skins on the Honeycrisp apples to give the salad a beautiful color pop. Core and chop the apples into bite-sized chunks. Slice the celery into thin crescents, and slice the grapes in half.
Step 3: Assemble the Salad
In a large wooden salad bowl, combine the chopped Honeycrisp apples, sliced celery, halved grapes, dried cranberries, and toasted pecans. If you are using greens as a base, toss them in now.
Step 4: Toss and Coat
Drizzle the prepared sweet tangy dressing over the salad ingredients. Use large salad tongs or spoons to gently fold everything together, ensuring the apple chunks, nuts, and cranberries are uniformly distributed and lightly coated.
Step 5: Chill and Serve
Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 20 to 30 minutes before serving. Chilling allows the flavors to meld beautifully while keeping the apples and celery incredibly crisp. Give it one final quick toss right before serving!