Fall Harvest Salad with Apples and Balsamic Dressing
This Fall harvest salad is perfect for people who love bold flavors. Every bite is so tasty. It is a combination between sweet from the apples, salty from the cheese and Prosciutto and tangy from the balsamic vinegar. I also taste some bitter and peppery notes form the arugula. Overall, this salad is going to excite your taste buds.
This salad is not only delicious but also beautiful. When I created the recipe, I thought that it will look great on any table. There are variety of textures and colors in this salad. The yellow from the cheese, red from the apple and the brown from the pecans placed on top of the green arugula, looks like a picture of Fall.
Why should you make the Fall Harvest Salad
If you want a gorgeous looking, delicious and nutritious salad you should choose this recipe. You can serve the salad as an appetizer or a side dish. It contains seasonal ingredients that will satisfy your hunger and nourish your body.
This recipe takes less time to prepare than to consume. It will take only 15 minutes of your time.
The dressing is delicious and homemade. Bottled dressings often contain questionable ingredients to increase their shelf life. It is so much healthier and easier to make salad dressing at home.
This recipe is gluten free and heart healthy.
Ingredients for the Fall harvest Salad
Extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest fat you can consume raw. It may have benefits for the cardiovascular and nervous system.
The arugula is incredibly nutrient dense leafy green vegetable. It contains a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Arugula is also low in calories and a great source of fiber.
Pecans are a great source of plant-based protein. High in monounsaturated fats, magnesium, fiber and vitamin B6.
Apples are full of nutrients. They are one of the most nutritious fruits you can consume. Apples are great for your gut because they are high in fiber and contain pectin. Pectin is a prebiotic that feeds the beneficial gut bacteria.
Aged Cheddar is high in calcium, and it doesn’t contain lactose. This means that lactose intolerant people can consume this salad.
Helpful Tips
Be careful when you add salt to the salad. The cheese and the Prosciutto are salty. I added about a quarter of a teaspoon of salt, and it was perfect for my taste. Use your own judgment when it comes to seasoning.
You can use whatever apple you like for this salad. I always buy organic apples because conventional are sprayed so much. My favorite apples are Fuji or Opal.
I don’t recommend saving leftovers from this salad. The arugula will wilt until the next meal.
Fall Harvest Salad with Apples and Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing
- 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper to taste
For the salad
- 3 cups arugula
- 1 apple I used Fuji
- ¼ cup raw pecans or walnuts
- 2 oz sharp Cheddar cheese I used Kerrygold
- 2 slices of Prosciutto
Instructions
To make the dressing
- In a bowl add the olive oil, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper to taste. Stir until smooth and creamy.
To prepare the salad
- In a salad bowl add the arugula. Wash and remove the seeds and the stem of an apple. Slice it thinly, cut the Cheddar to ½ inch cubes and tear the Prosciutto to thin strips. Then place the apple, cheese, Prosciutto and pecans on top of the arugula.
- Drizzle the salad with the dressing, stir and enjoy right away.
