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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Best Apple Walnut Salad Recipe (Healthy + Vegan)

    Published: Dec 23, 2022 by Marinela

    Jump to Recipe

    Don't miss out on the best apple walnut salad recipe! This healthy apple and walnut salad is an amazing side to accompany a filling lunch or a hearty weeknight dinner.

    Moreover, this gorgeous fall + winter salad with tangy homemade vinaigrette is vegan, gluten-free, protein & fiber-packed, and bursts with a complex sweet-tart flavor! You can enjoy it all seasons as a light yet balanced meal that's low in calories, nutritious, weight loss-friendly, and incredibly yummy.

    Green salads can be such a rich and comforting treat!

    Best apple walnut salad in a bowl with fresh greens, dried cranberries, and buckwheat tossed with a homemade cinnamon maple dressing on wooden board

    Are you on the hunt for an impressive yet simple side dish that will perfectly complete your Thanksgiving menu? Need a quick plant-based salad idea for the next dinner party?

    Look no further! This colorful cranberry apple walnut salad is a brilliant way to enjoy fresh produce God blesses us with all year round. The crispy sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, nutty buckwheat groats, and superfood greens paired with a zingy cinnamon-lemon-maple dressing combine the best flavors and textures of autumn in one vibrant dish.

    Looking for ways to use up fresh apples? Try our creamy apple overnight oats with PB or this decadent apple breakfast smoothie.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Simple Apple Walnut Salad?
    • Substitutions
    • Storage
    • Top tips
    • FAQ
    • More Easy Healthy Salad Ideas
    • More Vegan Apple Recipes
    • 📖 Recipe

    Ingredients

    You'll need a few pantry staples to prepare this easy recipe for apple walnut salad:

    Fresh plant-based ingredients for making healthy apple salad and simple homemade vinaigrette: apples, walnuts, spinach, arugula, cooked buckwheat, dried cranberries and figs, extra virgin olive oil, pure maple syrup, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt.
    • Apples (your favorite)
    • Walnuts
    • Mixed greens (I used spinach and arugula)
    • Buckwheat (cooked)
    • Dried cranberries + dried figs
    • Apple and walnut salad dressing (fresh lemon juice + pure maple syrup + extra virgin olive oil + ground cinnamon + pinch of salt)

    As always, you can find the full recipe with a list of ingredients with measurements in a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

    How To Make Simple Apple Walnut Salad?

    Cooked buckwheat groats in a small saucepan with wooden spoon

    Cooking buckwheat is super easy. First, place buckwheat groats in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse it well and drain. Place ½ cup buckwheat groats with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Let it boil then reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until groats are tender and had absorbed the water. Fluff them with a wooden spoon and let them cool before using them in the salad.

    Homemade apple and walnut salad dressing in a small bowl with a whisk

    Next, make the cinnamon apple and walnut dressing. In a small container whisk together lemon juice, pure maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.

    Vegan apple salad with mixed greens, buckwheat and walnuts in a bowl with hand pouring simple homemade dressing

    Finally, combine baby spinach, arugula, cooked buckwheat, sliced apples, roughly chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and chopped dried figs in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the salad with the homemade maple-cinnamon vinaigrette and give it a gentle toss. Taste and adjust maple, lemon juice, salt, or cinnamon as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

    Substitutions

    Missing an ingredient? Don't worry. This vegan apple salad recipe is super versatile and customizable.

    • Buckwheat - instead of buckwheat you can use cooked quinoa, barley, wheat, or couscous
    • Walnuts - swap walnuts with chopped pecans, roasted cashews, almonds, or hazelnuts. For a nut-free version, you can use pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds.
    • Mixed greens - use fresh greens you have at hand. Swap baby spinach and arugula with thinly chopped kale, swiss chard, tender lettuce leaves, or chopped broccoli.
    • Dried cranberries and figs - substitute with dried cherries, raisins, or chopped dates.
    • Maple syrup - you can use agave nectar or date syrup instead of maple.
    Healthy green vegan fall salad in a bowl with wooden spoon

    Storage

    Although this healthy apple salad tastes best the day it is made you can store any leftovers in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 2 days.

    Top tips

    1. You can cook buckwheat in advance so you can have it on hand whenever you decide to make this apple walnut fruit salad recipe. Cooked buckwheat keeps well in the fridge for 3-4 days. Thus, it will be cooled and ready to eat right away.
    2. How do you keep apples from turning brown in apple salad? Squeeze extra lemon juice over apple slices before mixing them into the salad to prevent them from turning brown. Keep in mind that lemon juice may add an enhanced tart flavor to your salad. That's why it's best to use sweet or sweet-tart apple variety. Alternatively, you can use less lemon juice in the dressing.
    Easy vegan thanksgiving salad with apples, walnuts,spinach, buckwheat and cranberries

    FAQ

    Which apple is best for salads

    For fresh salads, you want a sweet or tart apple that is crispy, juicy and doesn't brown too quickly. We love using Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, Golden Delicious, or Granny Smith.

    How many calories are in an apple walnut salad

    One serving (about 2 cups) contains only 264 calories.

    Do apples go brown in fruit salad

    Apples turn brown due to enzymatic browning. When apples are cut and exposed to oxygen they tend to change color. Even though this process doesn't affect the taste of the fruit it definitely makes it look less appetizing. You can squeeze fresh lemon juice over apple slices to slow the oxidation process.

    Can you prepare an apple green salad in advance

    Absolutely! This apple walnut salad can be made ahead of time.
    - Cook buckwheat in advance, let it cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
    - Wash greens, drain, or dry them in a salad spinner and gently dry them with a paper towel. Store them in a covered container in the refrigerator.
    - Make salad dressing and store it in a jar.
    - Slice apples just before assembling the salad to keep them from turning brown.
    - Just mix everything together before serving and enjoy.

    More Easy Healthy Salad Ideas

    Refreshing Apricot Strawberry Spinach Salad

    Cucumber Vinegar Salad for Weight Loss

    Immune-Boosting Spinach Strawberry Avocado Salad

    Minty Watermelon Cucumber Salad

    More Vegan Apple Recipes

    Homemade Applesauce Recipe (3 Ingredients, No Sugar)

    Low-Calorie Apple Breakfast Cookies

    Cozy Apple Cake (Refined Sugar-Free)

    📖 Recipe

    Apple walnut salad with spinach, buckwheat and cranberry in a bowl tossed with homemade vinaigrette in a bowl with wooden spoon

    Best Apple Walnut Salad Recipe (Healthy + Vegan)

    Marinela
    Best apple walnut salad recipe! This healthy apple and walnut salad is an amazing side to accompany a filling lunch or a hearty weeknight dinner. Moreover, this gorgeous fall + winter salad with tangy homemade vinaigrette is vegan, gluten-free, protein & fiber-packed, and bursts with a complex sweet-tart flavor! Enjoy it all seasons as a light yet balanced meal that's low in calories, nutritious, weight loss-friendly, and incredibly yummy.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cooking buckwheat 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Dessert, dinner, Lunch, Salad, Side Dish
    Cuisine dairy-free, Gluten-free, Plant-based, refined sugar-free, soy-free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 264 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Small saucepan
    • 1 Wooden spoon
    • 1 big mixing bowl
    • 1 Knife
    • 1 Cutting board

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 apples any variety works! (sliced or diced)
    • ¾ cup walnuts raw, roughly chopped, you can toast them if you like
    • 6 cups mixed greens I used 4 cups baby spinach and 2 cups arugula
    • 1 + ½ cups cooked buckwheat see the first step below for how to cook buckwheat (it's super easy)
    • ⅓ cup dried cranberries
    • 3-4 dried figs chopped

    Cinnamon Maple Vinaigrette

    • 2 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed, add more to taste
    • 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 pinch of salt

    Instructions
     

    • Cooking buckwheat is super easy. First, place buckwheat groats in a fine-mesh strainer, rinse well and drain. Place ½ cup buckwheat groats with 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Let it boil then reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until groats are tender and had absorbed the water. Fluff with a wooden spoon and let them cool before using it in the salad.
    • Next, make the cinnamon apple and walnut dressing. In a small container whisk together lemon juice, pure maple syrup, extra virgin olive oil, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
    • Finally, combine baby spinach, arugula, cooked buckwheat, sliced apples, roughly chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, and chopped dried figs in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the salad with the homemade maple-cinnamon vinaigrette and give it a gentle toss. Taste and adjust maple, lemon juice, salt, or cinnamon as desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!

    Notes

    Substitutions
      • Buckwheat - instead of buckwheat you can use cooked quinoa, barley, wheat, or couscous
      • Walnuts - swap walnuts with chopped pecans, roasted cashews, almonds, or hazelnuts. For a nut-free version, you can use pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds.
      • Mixed greens - use fresh greens you have at hand. Swap baby spinach and arugula with thinly chopped kale, swiss chard, tender lettuce leaves, or chopped broccoli.
      • Dried cranberries and figs - substitute with dried cherries, raisins, or chopped dates.
      • Maple syrup - you can use agave nectar or date syrup instead of maple.
    Adjust maple syrup/lemon juice/olive oil and salt to your taste

    Nutrition

    Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 14mgPotassium: 287mgFiber: 4gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword apple buckwheat salad vegan, best apple walnut salad, recipe apple walnut salad, recipe for apple walnut salad, vegan apple salad
    Tried this recipe?Snap a photo & tag me @go_eatgreen or #go_eatgreen!

    Did you try this apple walnut salad recipe? Maybe you make some changes? It would be very helpful for us if rate the recipe and leave a comment below. You can also share your photo on Instagram with the tag @go_eatgreen and hashtag it #go_eatgreen. We would love to see your creations! Thank you for sharing your experience with us, we are so grateful you are here 🙏

    Follow Go Eat Green on Pinterest for more easy and delicious vegan recipe ideas.

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    Filed Under: Breakfast, Dinner, Salads, Side dish Tagged With: apple buckwheat salad vegan, best apple walnut salad, recipe apple walnut salad, recipe for apple walnut salad, vegan apple salad

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    A vegan food blogger, photographer, and recipe developer who is passionate about cooking simple, tasty, and budget-friendly recipes with wholesome God-given ingredients. Welcome to my vegan world! My goal is to share these delicious plant-based recipes with you so you can lead more healthy and happy lives!

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