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    Home · Recipes · Salad · Salad with Apples, Bacon and Blue Cheese | Recipe

    October 21, 2017

    Salad with Apples, Bacon and Blue Cheese | Recipe

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    An easy salad recipe featuring apples, spinach, bacon, and pecans. It's filling, comforting, and everything you could want in a salad! Top it all off with a simple homemade maple-dijon vinaigrette.

    An overhead shot of a fall salad in a white serving bowl. The outside of the bowl are blue cheese crumbles and bacon pieces. Sitting next to that going in a circle are apple slices. Next in the layer is a ring of whole pecans. In the center of the bowl there is spinach and more apple slices placed in a fan formation. Sitting behind the salad is a bowl of salad dressing and salad tongs all placed on a plaid tablecloth.

    It can be pretty tough on a gal from Texas to fight off those comfort food cravings, no matter the time of year. In fact, I’m fairly certain that the only thing keeping me in line is not wanting to buy a size up in pants. Truth bomb: That’s the only kind of upgrade I’ve got zero interest in. Pant shopping is pure torture, isn’t it? And honestly, my stubborn refusal to stay in my current jean size is the main drive behind vegetation on my table.

    Of course, I am mostly joking, roasted root vegetables and leafy greens are welcome at my table year-round, but the green guests I'm most likely to welcome with wide-open arms are salads. I really do love a good salad.  Especially one featuring apples, bacon, and blue cheese — the perfect combination of comfort and semi-healthy eating. Now, that’s my kind of meal.

    A close up shot of a layered fall salad featuring apples, bacon, blue cheese and a maple dijon dressing.

    APPLES, BACON & BLUE CHEESE...OH MY!

    A masterpiece of flavors sing out, and sweet ingredients like crispy, sliced apples and maple-dijon dressing work beautifully against savory elements like blue cheese and bacon. Then, to contrast the crunch of pecans against a soft bed of baby spinach…it is pure fall salad perfection. 

    USE THIS APPLE, BACON AND BLUE CHEESE SALAD FOR...

    Baby spinach tends to stand up to time much better than other delicate greens, therefore, this salad makes for a killer make-ahead lunch! Just be sure to leave the dressing on the side. I ate this apple and bacon salad for lunch four solid days in a row and was left wanting more at the end of its run. It quite frankly, just doesn’t get old.

    Use this recipe as a go-to lunch, a healthy dinner to be enjoyed all on its own or showcase it at your next gathering. And, of course, feel free to use it in its most powerful form: To keep those heavy, comfort food cravings at bay, if only for a little while longer. 

    MORE FALL SALAD RECIPES YOU'LL LOVE

    • Butternut Squash and Apple Salad
    • Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad
    • Pear and Walnut Salad
    • Panera's Fuji Apple Salad

     

    5 from 5 votes
    Print
    Apple, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Cook Time
    10 mins
    Total Time
    20 mins
     

    An easy salad recipe featuring apples, spinach, bacon, and pecans. It's filling, comforting, and everything you could want in a salad! Top it all off with a simple homemade maple-dijon vinaigrette.

    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Salad
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Salad with Apples and Bacon
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 300 kcal
    Author: Kelly Anthony
    Ingredients
    • 6 slices thick-cut bacon cold
    • ½ cup pecans
    • 1 large apple Jazz or Honey Crisp
    • 6 cups baby spinach washed and dried
    • 4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese crumbled
    Instructions
    1. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the cubed bacon and sauté for 6-8 minutes, or until crispy. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel until ready to use.

    2. If you are toasting the pecans, place a small sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the pecans. Toast the pecans for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally and paying close attention to keep them from burning. 

      Remove from the heat and set aside.

    3. Stand the apple on its bottom and cut into quarters around the core. Place each apple quarter flesh down on the cutting board, and cut into thin slices, about an ⅛" thick. 

    4. Place the spinach in a large serving bowl, and top with apples, bacon, pecans and Gorgonzola cheese. Drizzle with the maple-dijon dressing and toss to combine.

      Serve and enjoy.

    Nutrition Facts
    Apple, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 300 Calories from Fat 234
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 26g40%
    Saturated Fat 9g56%
    Cholesterol 38mg13%
    Sodium 526mg23%
    Potassium 361mg10%
    Carbohydrates 8g3%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 10g20%
    Vitamin A 2991IU60%
    Vitamin C 10mg12%
    Calcium 139mg14%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    5 from 4 votes
    Apple, Bacon and Blue Cheese Salad
    Print
    Maple-Dijon Dressing
    Prep Time
    10 mins
    Total Time
    10 mins
     

    A sweet and tangy salad dressing perfect for topping off Apple and Bacon Salad!

    Course: Salad Dressing
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Maple Dijon Dressing
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 147 kcal
    Author: Kelly Anthony
    Ingredients
    • 3 tablespoons maple syrup grade A
    • 2 teaspoons mayonnaise
    • 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
    • 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
    • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
    • Pinch Kosher salt
    • ⅓ cup canola oil
    Instructions
    1. Add the maple syrup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, dijon and Kosher salt to a small mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the canola oil, whisking all the while. Set aside until ready to use, or refrigerate if making in advance.

    Makes a ½ cup.
    Nutrition Facts
    Maple-Dijon Dressing
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 147 Calories from Fat 117
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 13g20%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Cholesterol 1mg0%
    Sodium 19mg1%
    Potassium 23mg1%
    Carbohydrates 7g2%
    Sugar 6g7%
    Protein 1g2%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Calcium 11mg1%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    PInterest image of a HEALTHY SALAD RECIPE

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    I’m Kelly Anthony — a baker, home chef, and mom with a passion for food and an adoration for entertaining.

    Comfort food is my specialty, and it is truly my pleasure to share these recipes with you. If you’d like to get to know me a little better, click here.

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