Best Apple Walnut Salad Recipe (Healthy + Vegan)
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.
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
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- Buckwheat - instead of buckwheat you can use cooked quinoa, barley, wheat, or couscous
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- Dried cranberries and figs - substitute with dried cherries, raisins, or chopped dates.
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- Maple syrup - you can use agave nectar or date syrup instead of maple.
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 4gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gSodium: 14mgPotassium: 287mgFiber: 4gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 491IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!