Fall Salad with Pecans and Brussels Sprouts
on Oct 29, 2024
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Full of nutritious ingredients, this salad is tossed in a tangy homemade dressing. This fall salad with brussel sprouts includes apples, bacon, and candied pecans that come together to create a tasty, balanced dish.
Just because the weather is cooler does not mean you can’t enjoy a delicious salad! This fall salad is full of seasonal fruit and vegetables that provide plenty of flavor and texture. You can eat this dish as a quick lunch, or serve it as a side with dinner.
I love how easily everything comes together for this salad. Just chop the ingredients, shake up the dressing, toss it all together, and enjoy! The variety of savory, sweet, and tangy flavors are matched with a crunchy, crisp texture. The dressing is bright and bold, which pairs perfectly with the other ingredients. With so much to love about this fall salad, it is sure to be a hit!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Loaded with seasonal fruit and vegetables, it pairs well with any main dish.
- This salad is full of flavor and nutritious ingredients that keep you feeling satisfied.
- The dish doesn’t take long to throw together making it perfect for an easy side!
Recipe Ingredients
For the Salad
- Salad Greens—Romaine lettuce and spinach are a great combo.
- Apples—Cored and diced. Any kind of apples will work.
- Bacon—Cooked and crumbled for a savory flavor and nice crunch.
- Brussel Sprouts—Trimmed and thinly sliced or shaved.
- Candied Pecans—To add a hint of sweetness and a hearty texture.
For the Dressing
- Olive Oil—The base of your dressing.
- Balsamic Vinegar—For a bright, tangy flavor!
- Maple Syrup—To sweeten the dressing and balance the strong flavors.
- Dijon Mustard—To add a sharp taste and mild spice.
- Red Onion—Finely diced for a mild kick.
- Salt and Pepper—Season with your heart!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Fall Salad with Brussel Sprouts
Step #1. Add the lettuce to a bowl and top with the additional ingredients.
Step #2. To make the dressing, add all of the dressing ingredients to a mason jar, screw on the lid, and shake. Dress the salad, serve, and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Nope! The most common way to eat brussel sprouts is by cooking them first, but you can still eat them raw. It is difficult to eat them raw when they are whole or even halved, so you should cut them first. Slicing them into thin pieces or throwing them in the food processor for a quick blend are ways to make them smaller and easier to eat when raw. The flavor is mild, and slightly sweeter than cabbage, but they are full of nutrients and make a great addition to this salad!
You can use any kind of apples, but we tend to stick to ones that are a bit sweeter and that don’t brown too quickly when cut. Also try to use apples that are crunchy and firm because it adds a nice texture to the salad! Some great options are Honeycrisp, Fuji, Pink lady, jazz, or envy apples. Ultimately, any kind of apples will work depending on what flavor you prefer, so choose what you like best!
This recipe is very flexible, so you can add to or change it however you’d like! The salad is hearty and delicious as is, but there are easy ways to switch things up and customize it to your liking. Instead of candied pecans, you can use a different kind of nuts such as cashews, walnuts, and even sliced almonds. You can also replace the bacon with chopped grilled chicken or turkey if you want more protein. We love to add cheese for flavor and texture, so throw in some feta, shredded white cheddar, or blue cheese if you want! The recipe is a starting point, so play around with it and find what you love.
How to Serve and Store Fall Salad with Brussel Sprouts
This delicious fall salad can be paired with almost anything! You can serve it as a side to garlic lemon chicken, pork chops, roasted Turkey, or something simple such as chicken noodle soup or chili. We typically keep the salad dressing on the side and allow people to add it to their salad as needed. This is so that everyone can get the amount of dressing they prefer, and will make it easier to store!
Any leftover salad should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you store it with the dressing already mixed, it might cause the salad to become soggy so I recommend keeping it separate. The dressing in this recipe will make more than you’ll need for the salad, so go ahead and save it in the fridge for later! It will stay good for 3-4 days. Use it on leftover salad or veggies for a quick snack.
Expert Tips
- Instead of making a homemade dressing you can use a store-bought one. Any vinaigrette will taste great, or try a poppy seed dressing!
- The freshly cooked bacon gives the salad a deep and rich flavor, but you can also use bacon bits to save some time.
- Depending on your crowd, you can serve this salad buffet style so everyone can choose exactly what they want on their salad!
- The salad dressing will likely separate as it sits, just shake it up a little before serving and you’re good to go.
More Salad Recipes To Consider
Fall Recipes
18 Fall Recipes With Apples
From Scratch Recipes
Watergate Salad Recipe
Salads
Caprese Salad
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Fall Salad with Apples & Bacon
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 cups chopped salad greens, I used romaine lettuce and spinach
- 1 yellow apple cored and diced
- 1 red apple cored and diced
- 3-5 strips bacon, cooked crisp and then crumbled
- 5-6 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and then thinly sliced or shaved
- 1 cup maple candied pecans, see notes
For the Maple-Dijon Dressing
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Add the lettuce to a bowl and then top with the additional ingredients.
- To make the dressing add all of the dressing ingredient to a mason jar, screw on the lid, and then give it a shake. Shake again right before dressing the salad,
- Dress the salad and toss right before serving (the dressing recipe makes more than you’ll need, enjoy the leftovers another day).
This recipe could be served all year! What a delicious combination of foods. I love finding ways to use brussels sprouts, and pecans are my favorite nut. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Thank you! And thank you for the link to your pecan site, I ordered some chocolate for my grandpa! I can’t wait to hear how he likes them.
It’s really great and full of healthy ingredients
Love all the flavours in this salad – sweet, sharp and zesty – definitely my kind of salad:)
I love this dressing! I heated some up and poured it over a nice pile of mixed greens and shredded pork. WOW. I even got brave and thinly sliced some Brussels sprouts to throw on it. They were a surprise crunch! Thanks!
What a gorgeous salad! I would love if this was served at thanksgiving and may just have to serve it up myself.