Apple Pecan Salad
I often get inspiration for recipes while eating out and a trip to Wendy’s craving a juicy hamburger resulted in me ordering their apple, bacon, pecan salad instead because it sounded amazing! This salad is similar, but it’s way better, paired with a light balsamic that adds the perfect sweetness. Add grilled chicken to the salad for a filling lunch or dinner, or leave the chicken out and serve the salad as a side or appetizer!
Tips For Making a Healthy Salad:
- Choose the right Greens. The type of lettuce in your salad really matters. If you want to pack in the nutrients, make sure you’re eating dark greens like spinach or arugula instead of a more water based lettuce, like iceberg or romaine.
- Fried or grilled? If you have protein on your salad, opt for grilled instead of fried and you’ll save big on added fats without sacrificing the protein.
- Dressing is key! Any salad can be made “unhealthy” by covering it in a high fat or high sugar dressing. For healthier (and lower calorie) salad dressings, look for oil or vinegar based dressings, like vinaigrettes, rather than creamy dressings, like ranch, caesar and blue cheese.
How to Make Healthy Balsamic Dressing:
- Combine garlic, dijon, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper in a bowl.
- Whisk dressing ingredients together.
- Serve or store. Store excess dressing in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
How to Keep Salad Fresh:
- Store separately. For the freshest salad, store the ingredients separately and toss them just before eating. You can also store everything together except for the dressing to help your salad keep for an extra day or two.
- Use paper towels. If you have washed your lettuce or have fruits or fresh vegetable in your salad, you can place a paper towel at the bottom of your bag or bowl to help absorb the extra moisture in the salad. This will help your lettuce stay fresh and crisp.
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Recipe
Apple Pecan Salad
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 heads Lettuce , chopped (I like to use a mixture of red leaf, spring mix, and spinach)
- 1-2 Fuji apples , washed and diced
- 5 slices bacon , cooked and crumbled
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 pound cooked chicken , chopped
For the Light Balsamic Dressing:
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper , to taste
Instructions
- Toss lettuce, apples, bacon, pecans, and chicken in a large bowl.
- Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad. Toss to combine. Enjoy!
Notes
Macros Recipe Adaptation
1 fuji apple, 4 slices turkey bacon.Per Serving Amount
Lettuce: 312.5 g, Apple: 35.3 g, Pecans: 7.3 g, Chicken: 85.3 g, Dressing: 23.8 g, Turkey Bacon: 1 sliceMacros
386kcal, Fat:23 g, Carbs: 22g, Protein: 30g (serves 4) | MFP: Apple Pecan Salad (TBFS Macros)Nutrition
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*Nutritional facts do not include dressing.
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe October 2013. Updated October 2019.
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I used walnuts because pecans were really expensive.
My kids have never been so happy to have salad for dinner. They all gave it a 5 Star rating. My 11 year old son said the only thing he would change is add more bacon! Twist my arm…. Great dinner as always, Thank you Lauren.
Great recipe for a hearty and refreshing salad! We added feta, dried dates and the optional chicken. Sooo yummy. Thank you!
Simple and great mix of flavors!
I know what you mean about Wendy’s I went in 7 times in a week had the strawberry chicken salad sooo! good,thanks for the recipe will try it out soon