Seasonal Cranberry Walnut Salad (Printable)

Fresh greens with cranberries, toasted walnuts, and tangy orange dressing for a lively dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Salad

01 - 6 cups mixed salad greens (arugula, spinach, romaine)
02 - 1 cup fresh or dried cranberries
03 - 1 cup toasted walnut halves
04 - 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
05 - 1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced
06 - 3.5 ounces crumbled goat cheese or feta

→ Orange Vinaigrette

07 - 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
08 - 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, gently mix the salad greens, cranberries, toasted walnuts, thinly sliced red onion, and apple slices.
02 - Whisk together orange juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, and honey until well combined. Gradually add olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
03 - Pour the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat evenly.
04 - Sprinkle crumbled goat cheese or feta over the dressed salad and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in minutes but looks like you spent an hour arranging each leaf.
  • The balance of tart, sweet, creamy, and crunchy hits every craving at once.
  • You can swap almost any ingredient and it still tastes like a celebration.
02 -
  • Toast the walnuts until they smell warm and nutty, but watch them closely because they burn fast and turn bitter.
  • Dress the salad right before serving or the greens will wilt and the apples will lose their snap.
  • If youre using dried cranberries, look for ones without added sugar or theyll make the salad too sweet.
03 -
  • Make a double batch of the vinaigrette and keep it in a jar in the fridge, it lasts a week and works on roasted vegetables too.
  • If your greens are wet, spin them dry or the dressing will slide right off and pool at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Serve this salad on a wide shallow platter instead of a deep bowl so every ingredient shows and guests can see what theyre getting.
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