I've only served this fresh cranberry apple salad to two people and both of them loved it.
Salad doesn't often generate any comments from manservant, but this one did. "Look, I finished all that was left in the bowl!" as if he wanted a gold star. "I really liked this salad. Why can't you make more like this?" he asked.
I served it to my daughter, who is now home, the next night. "This is a really good salad", she said. Their words sound like they come from the same family, don't they? Good thing, they do.
Whatever. It is a good salad. One doesn't always need a cranberry relish. This salad combines fresh, crisp, rosy red cranberries with fresh greens, sweet apples and crunchy walnuts.
It is a great cranberry salad and one that would be colorful enough for your Christmas holiday table, too.
You can even put a bag of cranberries in the freezer and use those to make this salad for some fun in the summer. Feel free to add some blue cheese. Some goat cheese. That is if you want a substantial salad. But this beauty is good all on its own.
Now one thing I am wishing for, but not counting on, this holiday season is lights. The pictures of this salad could have been a whole lot better. So, you will have to trust me on this. We are on that level, aren't we?
This salad is so much prettier when you make it yourself. The red of the cranberries contrasts so vividly with the greens.
This is cranberry apple salad that satisfies the senses. It tastes great and looks spectacular. Plus we all need something that is a bit healthy on our holiday table, right?
And just to let you know, we had a visitor at our front door. He left these telltale signs in the snow. Be careful, my turkey friend. Someone might get the wrong idea.
But back to salad. Eat it. It is good for you. And good, too. Yeah. Right. And just wondering? What is your favorite salad for turkey day?
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Recipe
Fresh Cranberry and Apple Salad
- Prep Time: 15 Minutes
- Total Time: 20 Minutes
- Yield: 4 - 6 Servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Cuisine: American
Description
This simple fresh cranberry salad is a great way to use up any cranberries you have in the fridge. Or stash a bag in the freezer and surprise everyone this summer.
Ingredients
1 ½ c coarsely chopped cranberries
3 T sugar
2 T fresh lime juice
2 t Dijon mustard
½ c virgin olive oil, walnut oil or hazel nut oil
1 c chopped toasted walnuts or hazelnuts
2 large apples cored and coarsely chopped
¼ c sliced green onions
1 head romaine or 1 bag baby greens
For garnish: some zested lime
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine cranberries and sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
In a medium bowl, mix lime juice and mustard. Add oil in slow stream, whisking to form an emulsion. Marinate nuts, apples and onions in this dressing for 1-4 hours.
To serve: Line a bowl with romaine. Or put your baby greens in the bowl. Make a well in the middle of the greens. Spoon in apple mixture. Make a well in the apples and spoon in cranberries. Or just toss all together. I like this seasoned with a touch of salt. Garnish with grated lime zest.
Notes
Stash a bag in the freezer so you can make this next summer!
Asha Shivakumar says
Those footprints, a sweet little visitor.
The salad looks good. I am a big fan of walnuts and this is so colorful and lovely looking.
Lighting is such a meanie during the dreary winters, I hear ya.
Shelley @ Two Healthy Kitchens says
So very cool that you had a little turkey visitor (although maybe bad timing on his part!?!?)! This salad looks fantastic - love the idea of a cranberry "relish" as part of a composed salad! And, oooh la la - I am totally in on your suggestion of blue cheese - you're my kinda salad gal, no doubt! Abbe, I hope you have a really wonderful Thanksgiving! 😀
Juliana says
Such a beautiful and refreshing salad Abbe...love the fruits in it...
The footprints are so cute.
Have a great week Abbe 😀
Angie Schneider says
Your salad looks so colourful and appetizing! I am going to have a pomelo salad 🙂
Sharon says
Oh, how fresh and lovely. I rarely make salads but you are so inspiring me to try!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Salads are wonderful, Sharon. You should try some. I am sure you must have some great salad ingredients to work with!
Linda says
This is just the perfect, pretty salad for fall! I love the combination of flavors and that it can be partially made ahead sounds great to me!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Thanks so much Linda and thanks for visiting. Don't be a stranger! It is a salad that is easily put together!
Guru Uru says
Haha cute little turkey 😛
But loving this salad, who doesn't adore apples freshness!
Cheers
CCU
Abbe Odenwalder says
Thanks Uru! And I have been getting your blog!
vanillasugarblog says
we had a turkey, a loner, in our backyard HOWLING one day because he/she was stuck on a branch.
man did he/she scream bloody murder!
we went running out to see what the heck was going on, and there she was screaming away, stuck on a branch.
I wish I grabbed a photo, but with a scream like that who remembers? LOL
Abbe Odenwalder says
Too funny Dawn. Never have heard this guy utter anything, but he does like to follow the same route. I assume he got down?
yummychunklet says
Cute tracks and tasty looking salad!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Thanks Yummy. I loved those tracks. Literally saw this guy walk right up to my front door.
shannon @ a periodic table says
Easily one of my favorite salad combos, especially right now: i totally trust you, because we all wish for more light this time of year, right? I had to photograph ice cream in the gloomy early morning just to get it done before the EXTRA darkness arrived. 🙂 i feel your pain, and i love this salad.
Abbe Odenwalder says
Thanks Shannon! You are more dedicated than me. I'm not sure I would do too much in the early morning. It has been so gray here which reminds me of why I left the Midwest!
Kitchen Riffs says
This really is a great looking salad! Don't tell the manservant that rabbits enjoy salad too. 😉 I hope you do get lights. Not that your pictures need them, but you'll find it so much easier to shoot if you use lights. Getting decent lights and starting to shoot raw (and doing the jpeg conversion myself) are the two things that most improved my photography. Anyway, super recipe - thanks.
Abbe Odenwalder says
Those rabbits...He actually went in the yard to look for tracks. He found them in the front yard. I predict plenty of babies in the Spring! I've read about raw- now I know you must convert. That explains why it was so tough to edit the one time I tried it! But I need lights. It would be so much easier with some things being the same. Thanks John. You are always a wealth of information and a great cheerleader!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Abbe it is a beautiful salad - the colors are gorgeous and I know it must be fantastic to eat. Tart, sweet, crunchy with a zip - yum! Love the snow - here comes winter!
Abbe Odenwalder says
Winter is here! Thanks Tricia, it was great!