Apple Walnut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

This salad contains lots of greens and sliced Red Delicious apples with a sprinkling of toasted almonds. But the dressing is a bit fancier. Cranberries, onions, sugar, and mustard are pureed in the blender with balsamic vinegar and oil, then added to the salad so that it perfectly coats every leaf of lettuce and slice of apple.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins
• Calories: 275 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
• ¼ cup cranberries
• 10 cups mixed salad greens, rinsed and dried
• 2 Red Delicious apples, cored and thinly sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread the walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted.

Step 2

In a food processor, combine the cranberries, vinegar, onion, sugar, and mustard. Puree until smooth; gradually add oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Step 3

In a salad bowl, toss together the greens, apples, and enough of the cranberry mixture to coat. Sprinkle with walnuts, and serve.