This sweet and savory salad with granny smith apples, blue cheese, and candied pecans is a delicious salad that's great as a side dish or for a vegetarian lunch!

salad with romaine, granny smith apple slices, blue cheese, red onions and pecans in a white bowl.

This delicious salad is one of the first salads I remember eating and loving. My mom used to make it when I was a kid, and I still make it all the time. It's super quick to throw together and perfect for an easy lunch or side dish.

Why You'll Love This Salad

In my book, a winning salad usually follows the same formula (at least loosely): a leafy green base + fruit + nuts + cheese. This granny smith apple salad with blue cheese and candied pecans checks all the boxes. It's sweet, savory, crunchy, and fresh, with a little punch from blue cheese and red onion. It's easy and healthy without being boring!

overhead view of ingredients needed to make granny smith blue cheese salad

Ingredients You'll Need

Romaine lettuce or another leafy green. I like the fresh, crisp texture of romaine in this salad.
Granny smith apple. For a nice tart sweetness. Slice it very thinly.
Blue cheese. The creamy, punchy taste of blue cheese is amazing with the apples, but if you don't like blue cheese, you can use feta or goat cheese.
Candied pecans. Sweet and crunchy, they're an easy upgrade to any salad. Make your own with my recipe, or buy them!
Red onion. Ever-so-thinly sliced red onion adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the apples and pecans.
Dressing. I like balsamic vinaigrette or my homemade Greek yogurt blue cheese dressing.

overhead view of a salad with romaine, granny smith apple slices, blue cheese, red onions and pecans in a white bowl.

How To Make This Granny Smith Apple Blue Cheese Salad

The same way you make any salad. Wash and chop your ingredients, add them to a bowl, and drizzle with dressing. Gently toss to coat and serve!

Can This Salad Be Made in Advance?

This granny smith apple salad is not one that I recommend making ahead of time. It will get soggy. It's best made just before serving.

closeup of a romaine salad with granny smith apple slices and blue cheese.

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Granny Smith Salad with Blue Cheese and Pecans

This sweet and savory salad with granny smith apples, blue cheese, and candied pecans is a delicious salad that's great as a side dish or for a vegetarian lunch!

Author: Kaleigh
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: salad
Method: no cook
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

4-5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 granny smith apple
¼ small red onion, very thinly sliced
⅓ cup blue cheese crumbles
⅓ cup candied pecans
balsamic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing, to taste

Instructions

Add chopped romaine or spring mix to a large bowl.
Thinly slice apple and onion. Crumble blue cheese.
Add apple, onion , blue cheese, and candied pecans to the lettuce.
Drizzle dressing over salad and lightly toss to coat just before serving.

Notes

I love my homemade candied pecans on this salad, but you can use store-bought candied pecans, or just toast some plain pecans!
This salad is best served fresh. I don't recommend making it ahead of time.

Keywords: granny smith apple salad with blue cheese and pecans