Can I talk to you about salad, and also, life?
First, salad. No one should be forced to have a conversation on an empty stomach.
This salad is an adaptation of one I’ve been making recently for friends when hosting. It’s so simple in nature you likely already have most of the ingredients on hand right now (the best kind of recipe, in my opinion).
Peppery arugula is combined with crisp apples, toasted pecans, red onion, and dried cranberries, and it’s all dressed with a bright, vibrant lemon vinaigrette.
Plus, just 15 minutes (!!) and 8 basic ingredients to prepare – my idea of salad perfection.
This would make the perfect light and healthy dish to help you fill up on plants and erase some of that pie hangover likely lingering from yesterday’s feast. We’ve all been there. Salad to the rescue.
Now, life.
This time of year, everyone tells you to be thankful for what you have. I agree. Slow down, be grateful – it’s good for the soul.
But what about when life is hard, or things don’t go the way you planned, or something happens and your sense of reality shifts? What then?
2015 was perhaps my most personally challenging year yet, one wherein things didn’t go ‘as planned’ for me. I was left feeling a little sad and angry and frustrated and just generally not like myself (what a bizarre sensation). It all made me realize I’m not as strong or spontaneous or resilient as I thought I was. In short, this year kind of kicked my ass.
The gritty details aren’t the important part. The important part is I think it’s OK to be sad, or angry, or disappointed, or tired, or whatever it is you’re feeling right now that’s not radiant joy. It doesn’t mean you’re not thankful. It just means you’re giving yourself permission to feel your feelings (which is perfectly healthy, by the way). And it’s OK if what comes out isn’t all roses and sunshine.
My encouragement is, cry it out if you need to. No one’s looking anyway. And while you’re at it, eat some pie and hug your mom. I’ve found these to be equally sufficient remedies.
OK, back to this salad because, delicious.
I hope you love this recipe. It’s:
Simple
Seasonal
Fresh
Healthy
Satisfying
Flavorful
& Perfect for fall + winter
If you give this recipe a try, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers (and hugs), friends!
Apple Pecan Arugula Salad
Ingredients
SALAD
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
- 7 ounces arugula (organic when possible)
- 2 small apples (1 tart, 1 sweet // peeled, quartered, cored and thinly sliced lengthwise)
- 1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 Tbsp dried cranberries (optional)
DRESSING
- 1 large lemon, juiced (1 lemon yields ~3 Tbsp or 45 ml)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 pinch each sea salt + black pepper
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and arrange pecans on a bare baking sheet.
- Bake pecans for 8-10 minutes or until fragrant and deep golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
- While pecans are toasting, prep remaining salad ingredients and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare dressing in a mixing bowl or mason jar by adding all ingredients and whisking or shaking vigorously to combine. Taste and adjust flavor as needed.
- Add pecans to salad and top with dressing. Toss to combine and serve immediately. Serves two as an entrée and 4 as a side (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering default number of servings).
- Store leftovers (dressing separate from salad) covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days (though best when fresh). Dressing should keep at room temperature for 2-3 days when well sealed.
Carrie Hodges says
what would you say to substitute walnuts for pecans that are not readily available in my area.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Carrie, yes, you could use walnuts or hazelnuts. We have a recipe for the hazelnuts here. Hope that helps!
Celine says
I recently found this recipe and I’ve been loving it!! My partner and I have added it to our usual rotation with a couple modifications: we add goat cheese and pile the salad on top of a bed of farro for extra protein and fibre :) It’s a perfect dinner for warm summer evenings!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you’ve both been enjoying it, Celine! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Kimmy S says
I made the recipe as directed and it’s the perfect amount of sweetness on the peppery arugula. Love it! I This recipe will go into my salad rotation. Thank you!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you love it, Kimmy. Thank you for sharing! xo
Karen E Strauss says
Made this salad to go with a Bolognese Pasta Christmas dinner for my extended family. There are nut allergies in the family, so I didn’t add any nuts. I soaked the red onions in water and drained well. Takes the “bite” out of them that can cause tummy aches for some. Substituted pomegranate seeds instead of the dried cranberries. Sliced honeycrisp apple on a mandolin and then put them in a small amount of the dressing so they wouldn’t turn brown and refrigerated before assembling the salad. It was a big hit and I know I will be making again as well as the others who asked for the recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Love your modifications, Karen! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
s says
Made this as a side dish today and everyone loved it! I’m not the biggest arugula fan so I used baby spinach instead, and used a lime instead of lemon. I also forgot the onion but it was fine without it! Really enjoyed this!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications!
fkat1 says
LOL you modified it like crazy and then gave it 4 stars. Are you giving yourself 4 stars for your new, 4 star recipe?😂
Kim says
Making again for Thanksgiving.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thank you for the lovely review, Kim!
Stephanie Marsh says
A perfect lunch salad on a warmish fall day! I halved the ingredients for a lunch-sized portion and added an ounce of crumbled goat cheese. It was quick to make, so delicious and one that I will add to my salad file. Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Stephanie! xo
Donna says
Very good! I used fresh scallions from our garden instead of red onion. A bit of pepper or faux feta/mozzarella might be good too. Also toasted the nuts in a pan on the stove so I didn’t heat up the house as much. Thanks, I’ll make it again!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Sounds lovely! Thank you for sharing, Donna! xo
Erin says
Perfect summery side salad. Loved it, quick to make, tasty vinaigrette that will pair with pretty much any salad! Another winner from this site. Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Erin!
Miki says
Thanks for sharing this excellent recipe! Amazing! Very tasty, it`s my favourite salad, I did it so many time! My husband loves it too!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you both enjoyed it, Miki! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Susi says
When I told my husband I was going to make a salad from Minimalist Baker, he gave me a ” oh no, vegan again” look. So I did what every good wife does, I didn´t give a damn and made it anyway. It´s now in our book of favorite recipes!! I rest my case ;-)
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Ha! Love this, Susi! We’re so glad it was a hit! xoxo
Virginia Ray says
Amazing that your life was horrible last year (mine too, almost everyone’s) because you made so many vegans happy with these delicious recipes which I repinned obsessively on my Pinterest page. You need to get on the NPR TV station with a cooking show. I have no idea how, but I see that in your future. Contact your local station with an outline and some guest ideas. You are star quality. Happy Spring Equinox !!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, thank you for your kind words and lovely review, Virginia! xo
Cindy says
I love this salad! The dressing is so fresh and flavorful. I used a Granny Smith and a Fuji. The cranberries really add to the flavor and shouldn’t be left out. I will definitely make this many times. Thank you for another beautiful recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this salad, Cindy. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
Luisa Moore says
Very delicious, very simple. I finely diced the apple without peeling, used 2 Granny Smiths (1 small, 1 medium), very finely chopped the cranberries to distribute them better, and halved the pecans (same reason). I used half rocket and half baby spinach. It tasted a little bland initially only because I didn’t add enough salt. A great go-to recipe! A little parmesan (or vg parmesan in my case) would work well I think 🤔
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing, Luisa! We’re so glad you enjoyed it! xo
Madeline Killingbeck says
No picture, because we ate every bite!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Love it! Thanks so much, Madeline!
Linsey says
If you’re looking for a super simple, but extremely delicious salad – look no further.
This salad is so easy to make but the flavor is incredible. This will def be going into the regular rotation.
I didnt have dried cranberries so I left those out, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The pecans really made it, so definitely dont forget those! It’s perfectly sweet and savory, but also light but packs a punch with the flavor combination. I’ve found myself thinking about this salad many times since I first made it!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this salad, Linsey. Thanks so much for the review!
Elinor says
This salad was excellent. I’ll definitely make it again. I used green grapes instead of apples, followed the rest of the recipe. I was initially skeptical about using maple syrup in the dressing, but it worked.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Love the idea of grapes in this. Thanks so much, Elinor!
NamcySJ says
This was absolutely delicious, and I don’t even love arugula and I had to sub in lime juice and walnuts because that’s what I had. I’m back to make it again. 😍
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Nancy. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Joanne Alexander says
Fresh light and easy to make with ingredients on hand. I will make this again. 8-10 minutes are too long so I burnt the first batch of pecans and cut the time on half for the next round.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing, Joanne!
Jeannie says
Delicious. Very important to have all ingredients. I don’t use oil so I added water as a substitute and did not miss it. Only issue I had was 8-10 minutes for the pecans was far too long so those went in the trash. I see now that others had the same issue so maybe you should adjust that time? I also added a little quinoa to make it a bit heartier as this salad was my dinner. Thank you so much!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for the lovely review and helpful feedback, Jeannie! xo
Anna says
This is a great recipe! I’ve made it several times. However, I feel like the dressing is missing something? I have no idea what it is. Any ideas/updates/modifications on the dressing? Still delicious but I just can’t figure out what it needs. Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for the feedback, Anna! Perhaps finely chopped shallot, such as in this newer recipe?
Eva says
Great recipe!! The dressing was missing a little something, so I added another tablespoon of syrup and it was just right!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Eva! Thank you for sharing! xo
Veronique says
Thank you so much! This recipe was delicious!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Veronique! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Rosanne says
I like the simplicity of ingredients and that it is vegan
Colleen says
Yum! Just what I was looking for – a crisp accoutrement to a creamy chicken main dish. I was out of maple syrup so I substituted honey and I didn’t roast the pecans because I ran out of time. It was still delicious and I will definitely make this again! Thanks for the recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Colleen!
Mia W says
I enjoyed this recipe and am eating it as I type before I head To the gym. I had To tweak it a little because I’m one person and basically cut the recipe in half. I also Added cut chicken breast cause I had some on hand. I prefer having the dried cranberries in this for balance but didn’t have any in my pantry. The dressing is actually great ( I’m middle eastern so we always make home made dressing) but I didn’t Add enough arugula to mine. Had I done So, I believe my salad would’ve been even better. This will definitely be a salad I will Make again preferably in the summer. Thank you. I love Your recipes and will be digging more up soon.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Mia! xo
Helen says
Delicious!
Fabrizio says
Delish! Making a second time!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Tina says
The Dressing was super boring!
Made this for X-Mas Dinner. What a flop!
I was very disappointed!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Tina, We’re so sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this one! This is a more simple dressing, but other readers have really enjoyed it. Did you make any modifications, especially to the salad itself? That’s where most of the flavor comes from.
Catherine Burnett says
Hey Tina! The dressing didn’t quite do it for me either, tasted too much Olive Oil. I added a drop of our lemon essential oil and also a tiny splash of balsamic vinegar and some dried oregano. Made it kore flavorful for me.
Maria E Boggio says
Easy to prepare, fresh, delicious salad!
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Maria!
RE says
So good! Made it exactly as recommended :)
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
xoxo!
Tanya says
Can I use honey instead of the maple syrup?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes!
Sheila says
Great Fall salad recipe!!!
So easy and really delish flavors. I subbed walnuts for pecans, and skipped the cranberries. Threw in some micro greens with the arugula — we ate it as an entree with a side of roasted veggies and rustic bruschetta. Fantastic! I can tell this dressing is my fall salad go-to!!!
Another great recipe from minimalist baker ❤️👏🏼
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Love the add-ins, Sheila! Thanks so much for sharing! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Johanna B says
Added feta to mine, but this was so good – the salad dressing really makes it sublime.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing, Johanna!
Isa S. says
This was a great recipe for a lunch salad! I cooked some chicken n apple sausage, sliced it and added it to the salad. It was a great combination!! Thanks for the recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Isa! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Cathy G says
Just made with fresh arugula from CSA share. I followed the recipe exactly, with the exception of one substitution – walnuts in place of pecans because that is what I had on hand. First of the season NY apples, real Vermont maple syrup too! It came together quickly and was super fresh and delicious! Thank you!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Cathy! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Steve Frazier says
It was a huge hit at a recent dinner party I hosted for four. Allthree guests raved about it and had second helpings. The only change I made was I added goat cheese in the mix.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad to hear it, Steve! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Mary says
I loved this salad. I am making it two nights in a row. My partner does not like vinegar so this works for both of us.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you both enjoy it, Mary! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Laurie Harter says
I made this for a brunch. Everyone loved it!!!
Light and delicious!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Laurie! xo
Jackie Enfroy says
This salad sounds simple and amazing. Is it okay to use light maple syrup or would it affect the taste? I look forward to making this next week! Thanks for the easy yet healthy recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That should be fine!
im2blikgsus says
Made the salad exactly to recipe-sort of. Deeeeeeelicious! So easy to make. Very little chopping. The grocer only had baby arugula so it was not as flavor-forward as the mature leaves so that is the only drawback for me. I find that fresh cracked black pepper in the dressing is a must.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Mallory says
Such a simple, delicious salad. I substituted green onion for the red onion and thought it was fantastic. The two different apples are a must!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Mallory! Thanks for sharing!
Huguette says
Second time I made it in two weeks because I could eat it everyday! The best salad recipe ever! I didn’t have to change anything; followed the ingredients to the Ts and its perfect. So happy I found this recipe. Thank you very much.
Dana @ Minimalist Baker says
xo! Thanks for sharing, Huguette!
Nadine says
This was a fabulous salad. I have fresh lettuces/arugula from my garden right now and I wanted to make it feel extra special. Using two different kinds of apples was noticed and applauded by my family. My red onion was particularly strong so I could have used a little less of that. Dressing was delicious. Very easy to put together.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nadine! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!
Maryam Iflal says
Lovvv this salad. Super easy 2 make and really yummy.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Maryam! Thanks so much for the lovely review! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Andrea says
This is one of my absolute favorites! It’s always a hit when we have guests over & so simple to make! I like to use a mandolin to slice my onion and apples!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Andrea! xo
Veronica says
Our new favorite salad. I’ve made it twice in four days. I used fuji apples and toasted sliced almonds because that is what I had at hand. I do think that a sweeter apple creates a great balance with the dressing. I’m so happy I found this recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Veronica! xo
Suzanne says
This was a winner. My family ate every last bite and told me to keep the recipe. I used a Golden Delicious and a Gala Apple since that is what I had. Wee prefer lightly dressed salads so I only used 3/4 of the dressing.
This will absolutely become one of our regular dishes.
Thank you for the recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad your family enjoyed it, Suzanne! Thanks for sharing!
Liza says
FABULOUS Recipe. I plan to serve this to guest cuz it’s so delicious. I tasted my arugula beforehand and it was very ‘spicy’ and too strong for my taste. So, following some advice, I dressed the arugula about 20-30 minutes before serving. This delicious vinaigrette actually neutralized some of the spicy taste. Then I added the remaining ingredients, tossed and served. Love this recipe. Thank you.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Liza. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo