Favorite Green Salad with Apples, Cranberries and Pepitas
My favorite fresh salad featuring healthy greens, sliced apple, toasted pepitas, dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese. Toss with my simple apple cider vinaigrette (recipe below) or use balsamic dressing in a pinch. Recipe yields 2 full-sized salads or 4 to 6 side salads.
Recipe by Cookie and Kate on November 13, 2019
Prep time: PT5M
Cook time: PT5M
Total time: PT10M
Rating
5 stars ( reviews)
Keywords
apple green salad, fall, Thanksgiving
Ingredients
5 ounces (about 5 cups) spring greens salad blend
1 large or 2 small Granny Smith apple(s)
⅓ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or chopped raw pecans
Toast the pepitas: In a medium-sized skillet, toast the pepitas over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are turning golden on the edges and making little popping noises (if using pecans instead, warm them just until they are fragrant). Transfer the pepitas to a small bowl to cool.
Make the dressing: In a cup or jar, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and salt until well blended. Season to taste with pepper.
Just before serving, chop the apple into thin, bite-sized pieces. Place your greens in a large serving bowl. Top with sliced apple, dried cranberries and toasted pepitas. Use a fork to crumble the goat cheese over the salad.
Drizzle the salad with just enough dressing to lightly coat the leaves once tossed (you probably won’t need all of it). Gently toss to mix all of the ingredients and serve!
Nutitrion
Calories: 258 calories
Carbohydrates: 23.3 g
Protein: 4 g
Fat: 18.1 g
Saturated Fat: 4.3 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 6.5 mg
Sodium: 239.9 mg
Sugar: 17.1 g
Reviews
Ashley on 2023-12-01 (5 stars): Wow this was so good! Restaurant quality!! I didn’t have any pepitas so I used shelled pistachios but stuck to the recipe otherwise and we loved it!
Nancy on 2023-12-24 (5 stars): I make this salad year round. The festive colors are perfect for a holiday table and the salad is light and goes well with heavy foods. It's a great summer salad too. The colors also look pretty on July 4th. I never bring any home. Everyone loves it! And, it's quick to prepare.
KDee on 2025-11-26 (5 stars): Hi, Kate! I made this salad last Thanksgiving, and I'm making it, again, this Thanksgiving. The whole family loves it! Thanks for a great recipe.
Marie Egger on 2024-01-15 (5 stars): Made this for a baby shower. It was absolutely delicious, and everyone loved it. Thank you!
Rachel on 2024-01-27 (5 stars): Delicious! Question - do you roast the pecans too if using those instead? Its unclear.
Steph on 2024-01-30 (5 stars): Awesome salad and so easy to put together! Thank you Kate for another awesome recipe!
Megg on 2024-03-31 (5 stars): I'm excited about this flavorful salad you've put together! Making it for 'in-laws' for Easter Dinner!
Blessings to you and your family on this celebration of Jesus' Resurrection
Joe on 2024-04-22 (5 stars): I never have leftovers with this salad. This time I added sliced strawberries. Such a perfect combo with the oven baked chicken and rice. I'll come back to recipe many times over. Thank you!
Alison on 2024-06-12 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious. I substituted the pepitas for walnuts though. And instead of goat cheese I used gouda. Plus added some thin sliced red onion. And used Paneras Fuji Apple dressing. 5 stars! Could eat this everyday
Michelle on 2024-06-18 (5 stars): I make this salad often. I have cranberry fatigue, so I swap in pomegranate seeds.
Robin Vivian on 2024-09-10 (5 stars): This salad is so amazingly simple and delicious!
The creamy goats cheese is a must.
I make the dressing as per the recipe and find it makes 6 salads for 2 people. Keeps well in the
Thank you for your recipe. Everyone loves it!
Lisa VR on 2024-09-11 (5 stars): I love love love this salad. I make it a lot for company and it’s always eaten up. Thanks!
Mary Stover on 2024-09-29 (5 stars): I made this apple/cranberry salad for a luncheon at church, dressing and all. It was delicious! It was easy to make and the instructions were clear and simple. I cut the apple and put the slices in water cut with lemon juice, then removed and added to the salad just before leaving for church. The apple slices still looked good two hours later when the luncheon began. The vinaigrette was also delicious. Nice blend of flavors. Thank you for sharing!!
Natalie B on 2024-10-19 (5 stars): Simple and delicious! I was just apple picking and this was a perfect way to use one. Thank you!
Pam on 2024-10-29 (5 stars): I've made this salad several times and personally love the goat cheese, but I'd like to serve it this weekend to a group and some people don't care for it. Is there another cheese you'd recommend using instead? Thanks!
Nat on 2024-11-11 (5 stars): I keep coming back to this salad - especially the dressing!! It is so variable and takes to additions/substitutions so well. This is my absolute, most favorite salad ever. Period. Thanks Kate!!
Jordan on 2024-11-11 (5 stars): This was so good! I love the dressing and all the toppings make the salad so easy to eat.
Chris Humes on 2024-11-20 (5 stars): Made this tonight and it was delicious. Will definitely be making this again.
Laurie on 2024-11-30 (5 stars): Can't wait to make again! I was shocked by how simple yet flavorful it all turned out! I bought a 1 lb log of cranberry goat cheese at Costco-- no regrets there with using it in addition to the regular cranberries. Everyone at the Thanksgiving table loved it-thank you!
Elizabeth on 2024-12-24 (5 stars): I made this for Thanksgiving and every adult there asked for the recipe. Delicious! Making again for Christmas Eve….
Colleen on 2025-06-09 (5 stars): I really enjoyed the combination of flavours. The dressing is now a staple in our home. Thanks for the recipe.
S.Thorne on 2025-06-18 (5 stars): Delicious!! Subbed out the goat cheese with feta (don't like goat cheese) and this salad was spectacular!! Also used cosmic crisp apples as that is what we had on hand. Recipe printed and will plan to make again many times this summer
Kim on 2025-09-24 (5 stars): This salad is sooooooo good! I don't love goat cheese so I used feta instead. Super easy and quick to make, we bulked up the portions and had with crusty bread for dinner. Perfect fall meal!
Amanda Shears on 2025-09-27 (5 stars): I have made best broccoli salad so many times. I live in Australia and have shared your site and recipes both here and in England with friends and family. We really love your food. I made this green apple salad for a family bbq, everyone loved it..another hit Katherine, thank you.
Pat on 2025-09-30 (5 stars): Excellent combination with a great tasting and very easy to make dressing. Love your recipes.
Elizabeth on 2025-11-10 (5 stars): Loved it! I made this salad as written for a potluck and it was a hit. I'll make the delicious dressing for other salads.
Bruce on 2025-11-13 (5 stars): Great salad and dressing. I was looking for a new flavorful salad recipe that would use the honey crisp apples, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds we had for dinner with friends and this delivered! For a bit more bite, I made spicy pepitas and added some red onion. I will definitely be making this again.
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Sharon on 2025-11-28 (5 stars): I followed the recipe exactly except that I eyeballed all the ingredients. It was fantastic. We had it for Thanksgiving dinner and there were a lot of compliments. I wouldn't change a thing!
