Cheddar & Apple Winter Salad with Balsamic-Feta Vinaigrette
In case you were thinking that I currently live on meatballs and grilled cheese sandwiches, I thought I should assure you that, well, I don’t.
Don’t get me wrong, I love indulgent food but to tell you the truth: I don’t eat that kind of stuff all that often. What I really eat on a day-in and day-out basis are recipes like this winter salad. I’m not kidding you – we have eaten this salad, or one very similar to it, at least three times per week for the past three weeks. I just can’t get enough of the cheddar-apple combination.
My husband wasn’t so convinced that salads are a winter thing. Let’s just say he wasn’t totally on board with me calling this a winter salad. But I can justify…apples and cranberries – typically fall and winter fruits, right? And who doesn’t love nice sharp white cheddar with a tart Granny Smith apple? Add some warm toasted walnuts and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette…you’ve got yourself a winter salad.
I’m still not sure he was convinced about this idea. And judging by the way he cleans his salad plate, he’s on board with the flavors and so am I!
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Cheddar & Apple Winter Salad with Balsamic-Feta Vinaigrette Recipe
Yield: 2 main-dish salads
Total Time: 15 min
A simple winter salad recipe with homemade balsamic-feta vinaigrette, cheddar cheese and Granny Smith apples.
Ingredients:
for the balsamic-feta vinaigrette:
1 Tbs. feta cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic saltfor the salad:
3 cups mixed greens
1 Granny Smith Apple, cored and chopped
2 Tbs. dried cranberries
2 Tbs. golden raisins
3 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 cup toasted walnutsDirections:
Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing in a quart-sized jar. Close the jar and shake vigorously until the dressing is mixed very well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Divide the greens, apple, cranberries, golden raises, cheddar cheese and toasted walnuts between two large plates. Drizzle with the vinaigrette to serve.
Cassie's Notes:
I chose to use dried cranberries because that's what I had on hand. This salad could be made even more winter-y by using fresh cranberries!If I don't have apples on hand, I use pears in this salad. When I use pears, I use feta cheese and leave out the cheddar.
This salad looks wonderful! I love the apple, cheddar combination too.
This looks amazing! I love cheddar and apple together.
Apple, cheddar, balsamic vinegar? This is the best salad ever!
White sharp cheddar makes my wooooorld go ’round.
This look so yummy!!! I love the idea of a winter salad!
I’m not usually big on salads in the winter, but I just love this combination of flavors Cassie! The dressing sounds so amazing!
I’m all over this salad, Cassie. Beautiful flavors!
This salad looks great Cassie! I really need to start losing this baby weight and hamburgers and pizza aren’t going to get me there.
Oh, wow! This looks great! Love it!
i hardly ever make fancy salads, but when i do… they are amazing and i wonder why i don’t do it more often. this salad is beautiful!
This salad is so pretty, Cassie! I love the dressing idea! Pinning!
What a super lovely salad. I adore apples and that balsamic touch is amazing.
Balsamic vinegar is the best stuff ever. Can do no wrong & looks perfect for this salad with everything else!
All over this salad!
I make cheddar apple grilled cheese at least once a week! Love the idea of turning it into a salad with the feta and balsamic.
I just love a good salad that has a bit of sweet fruit in it — delicious!
Any time is salad time. Of course I love the apples and cheddar, but I’m all about the dressing. I’m gonna fall asleep tonight, dreaming of this vinaigrette!
Beautiful salad!! Dude, there totally are such things as winter salads. I’m sure of it.
In love with this salad, Cassie! So pretty!
This salad looks so beautiful!!!
Balsamic and feta just can’t get betta! That’s the extent of my food rapping talent…
This is my kind of salad! You have all of my favorite mix-ins and that dressing sounds incredible! I can’t wait to make it!
As soon as I see feta cheese and balsamic vinaigrette, I’m in! Those are probably my two favorite food ingredients ever, they just make everything so much better. And this salad looks truly delicious.
Cheddar and apple are SO good together, but I’ve never put them in a salad. I need to remedy that!
I am going to make this over the weekend! Yummy.
I know I haven’t been around much to comment lately, but I’ve still been following along. I’ve loved watching you grow and expand and always can’t wait to see what you do next!
Cassie replied: — January 26th, 2013 @ 8:20 am
Hey Jen, I was just thinking about you! Glad you stopped by, hope things are going well!
I love these flavors and I enjoy salads for lunch even in the winter!
Great combination! I love that vinaigrette.
I would definitely call this a winter salad! It sounds like such a great mix of ingredients. Love the sweet and salty from the cheddar/apple combo!
I love salads like this! I made something similar for Thanksgiving last year and it was a big hit 🙂
This salad looks fantastic! I love the combination of apple and cheese and the balsamic vinaigrette looks wonderful–Can’t wait to make this!
This sounds like a really delicious salad – it’s such a great combination of ingredients and I love the sound of that vinaigrette!
Cassie, this looks yummy! Great idea for this time of year. And I LOVE toasted nuts on my salad!
I agree with you, apples and cranberries are definitely fall & winter fruits!! i almost always add dried cranberries to my salads. I really like your vinaigrette recipe! i definitely have to try that out sometime.
This looks so heavenly! Love the feta in the dressing!
Such a pretty salad and it sounds like the perfect cure for the winter blues!
Hey Cassie! I’m a new follower and am loving all your posts (especially the SEO help for my blogs).
I am so intrigued by the balsamic-feta dressing! My husband loves anything balsamic and I could not love feta anymore so it’s perfect for us!
Cassie replied: — January 28th, 2013 @ 8:28 am
Thanks for the comment, Jackie, glad you are here!
This salad is gorgeous, Cassie! Cheddar and apple are just so good together!
Oh…an absolutely beautiful salad, Cassie! I love winter salads with dried or fresh fruit, nuts and cheese. And apples and cheddar are perfect combinations for fall and winter! Love your photos, too…especially the one with the focus on the dried cranberries! : )
What a gorgeous salad! I love to indulge here and there but I mainly do clean eating so this salad here is just my style! Plus, I have a costco-sized container of feta to use up!
i am so lovin the sound of this salad…i needed some good winter salad ideas.
I am loving this salad. I am on a detox and have been eating a lot of salads. I thinks its time to add some cheese and I am going to fix your salad for dinner tonight.
This might make a salad eater out of me!
What a perfect winter salad!
I am always looking for different ways to present a salad. This looks delicious. Thanks!
I do love the combo of cheddar and apple but haven’t tried it in a salad yet. But salads with apples, walnuts and strong cheese are a favorite around here.
This is the most beautiful salad, ever, Cassie!
Apple + Cheddar = Perfection.