Tangy Fruit and Greens Salad Recipe

Studded with sliced apples, dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, and feta cheese, our recipe for Tangy Fruit and Greens Salad takes salad to a new level. These toppings are piled atop a bed of colorful greens and coated with a sweet and tangy Apple Juice Vinaigrette salad dressing.

When many people think of salad they think of a bowl of limp, pale iceberg lettuce studded with some anemic looking tomatoes, and a few shreds of carrots. Generally, this typical salad is topped with a blob of bottled ranch dressing and maybe a few fake bacon bits.

Tangy Fruit and Greens Salad Recipe

April Freeman

Do you have an upcoming fancy dinner, and you want a salad recipe that is just a bit extra? This recipe for our Tangy Fruit and Greens Salad Recipe is gorgeous to look at, and it tastes amazing. We include apples, salad greens, dried cranberries, and roasted nuts all topped with a tangy, sweet apple juice vinaigrette.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Add to Collection Go to Collections

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 7 mins

Total Time 17 mins

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Equipment

• salad spinner or a colander
• Oven
• Small bowl
• microwave in melting the butter
• small baking sheet
• aluminum foil or parchment paper
• Food Processor or Blender
• large salad bowl
• Tongs

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 ounces salad greens, spring mix, baby spinach, arugula, baby romaine, etc.
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tbsp butter for toasting the nuts
• ½ cup light vegetable oil
• ¼ cup apple juice
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 medium crisp apples
• 3 additional tablespoons lemon juice
• ¾ cup dried cranberries
• 4 ounces feta cheese

Instructions

 

• To start, wash your salad greens if they are not pre-washed. Rinse them well in a salad spinner or a colander.
  
• Shake the colander or salad spinner well.
• Dump the washed greens onto an absorbent towel and blot any excess water from them.
• Leave the greens scattered on a dry towel to air dry a bit as you prepare the rest of the ingredients
• Next, you will prepare the toasted walnuts.
  
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• In a small bowl, microwave the butter to melt it, about 20 to 25 seconds.
• Add the nuts and stir them to coat.
• Line a small baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
• Scatter the buttered nuts on the foil or parchment.
• Bake the nuts in the preheated oven until they are browned and fragrant. This should take about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Pay close attention to the nuts, and do not walk away for more than a moment or two. They can burn very quickly.
• Stir the nuts and turn them from time to time during the baking time.
• When the nuts are toasted, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool on the pan.
• Next, you will prepare the apple juice vinaigrette.
• Measure the oil, apple juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, lemon juice, salt, and pepper into a one pint mason jar with a tightly fitting lid.
• Screw on the lid and shake it well until all the ingredients are fully combined. If you want to, you can use a food processor or blender to mix this all up.
• Slice the apples in half and remove the cores from the apples
• Slice the apples into very thin slices
  
• Put the sliced apples into a bowl and sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice all over them.
• Slice the apples into very thin slices. Put the sliced apples into a bowl and sprinkle the 3 tablespoons of lemon juice all over them.
• Use a large salad bowl and layer in the salad greens with the apple slices, walnuts, dried cranberries, and feta cheese. 
• Immediately before serving, toss the salad with the apple juice vinaigrette salad dressing.
  
• Toss the salad with tongs and use as much dressing as you desire.
  
• Store leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Notes

However, salad does not have to be this way. In fact, salad can be so much more. Salad can be much more exciting, beautiful and delicious, and we will show you how to do it.

First, you have to start with some colorful salad greens. There is lots more to the world of lettuce than boring, pale iceberg lettuce. There are five main types of lettuce and under each main type there are dozens of subtypes. Lettuce comes in an amazing rainbow of colors, including every hue or green and even some reddish tinges. Additionally, lettuce can be flat, curly, and every texture in between. Some lettuces are sweet flavored, while others are peppery, bitter, or even buttery. You should try as many kinds of lettuce as you can. Buying a premixed container of salad greens can give you a wonderful sampling of the world of lettuce. 

Second, you can create your own salad dressing. Salad dressing can be way better than just the bottles of premade dressings available at the local grocery store. You can make your own blends of spices, herbs, vinegars, and flavors quite inexpensively at home. It’s not complicated. Just measure the ingredients into a bottle or a jar and shake the contents to blend it. 

Finally, add some additional toppings to the salad. Our recipe calls for toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, feta cheese and apples, sliced thin. This gives the salad extra nutrition as well as a wonderful, sweet flavor. Additionally, the various textures of these toppings excite the taste buds. The feta cheese gives a delightful tangy sweetness to the salad. Use a crunchy, sweet apple to add maximum flavor and texture to the salad.

Keyword Greens Salad, Tangy Fruit Greens Salad, Tangy Fruit Salad

All Recipes | Breakfast | Dinner (Mains) | Dessert | Side Dishes | Soups | Appetizers | Salads | Snacks | Beverages | Breads

See More RecipesClick Here for All Our Recipes

Related: Fruit Salad Recipes