Irresistible Orchard Inspired Holiday Salad

Every year we take a family trip to the apple orchard and every year I leave more inspired than the last. This year in particular I was brimming with ideas for everything from desserts to festive holiday table showstoppers like this Orchard Inspired Holiday Salad.

I love all of the flavors of fall, but apple just happens to be my all-time favorite.

This salad is brimming with apple goodness and all of the flavors that pair so well with it like gorgonzola cheese, crispy bacon, thinly shaved fennel, candied pecans, and bitter greens all slathered in a delicious apple cider dressing! 

While I am pretty sure this recipe would be welcome at any and all fall functions, it really is quite impressive as part of a Thanksgiving spread...I mean, just look at those Hassleback potatoes, you know how I feel about Hasselbacked veggies! 

If you’ve made our Orchard Inspired Holiday Salad recipe I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours. 

Orchard Inspired Holiday Salad

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think about this Orchard Inspired Holiday Salad recipe in the comments below, I just love hearing from you and your reviews/comments really help other people that visit This Mess is Ours! 

• Author: This Mess Is Ours
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: Chopped
• Cuisine: Salad
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the Hasselback potatoes

• 1 pound baby red potatoes, sliced Hasselback style *see recipe notes for how to slice this way*
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cider dressing

• ⅓ cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt to taste

For the salad

• 2 heaping handfuls arugula
• 1 small head radicchio, quartered, cored, and leaves roughly torn
• 2 Belgian endive, sliced width wise into rings
• ½ cup golden pea shoots, optional
• ½ cup thinly shaved fennel
• 1 small Fuji apple, thinly sliced and slices briefly soaked in lemon water to prevent oxidation
• thin slices of gorgonzola cheese, to taste
• 3 slices thick sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled or coconut bacon
• ¼ cup candied pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fennel fronds
• Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Roast the potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. Arrange the Hasselbacked potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle with half the olive oil and season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and brush with the other half of the olive oil and roast for an additional 20 minutes until the slices are fanning apart and crisp on the edges while the potatoes are tender in the middle.

Make the dressing

1. In a mason jar with a tight fitting lid combine the apple cider, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Secure the lid tightly and shake vigorously to combine, set aside.

Build the salad

1. In a large serving dish combine the arugula, radicchio, and Belgian endive. Toss to combine. Layer the golden pea shoots, fennel, and Fuji apple slices on top. Sprinkle with the desired amount of gorgonzola cheese then top with crumbled bacon, pecans, and fennel fronds. Season with Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper then serve with the cider dressing on the side.

Notes

To make hasselback potatoes: Wash and dry the potatoes then place them on a cutting board on their flattest side. Working one at a time place a potato between two chopsticks, this will prevent you from slicing all the way through. With a sharp knife, slice down from top until the knife makes contact with the chopsticks. Repeat the process creating thin slices all the way down the length of the potato. Do the same with the remaining potatoes.

To make this salad vegetarian simply sub in our coconut bacon recipe for the bacon called for in the recipe.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: cups
• Calories: 177
• Sugar: 5.2 g
• Sodium: 424.2 mg
• Fat: 11.6 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.8 g
• Protein: 3.7 g
• Cholesterol: 9.9 mg

Recipe Card powered by

ant to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? It’s easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, or PINTEREST to see cooking demos, and peeks into our day to day life.

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave