Salads aren’t just for enjoying in summer! Plus, salads don’t need to be boring! Adding fresh fruit, even those of autumn, is a great way to make a humble salad superb! Plus, the color of the fruits of fall really adds some eye appeal . . . reds, golds, oranges, and with the brown pecans, this salad definitely tastes and looks like fall is here!
This is a wildly popular recipe, Autumn Chopped Salad. To make this salad even more perfect, I used ‘praline’ sugar-coated pecans and blended Gorgonzola cheese with goat cheese. The sweetness of the praline pecans combined with the tangy gorgonzola really sings on the tastebuds! Lastly, for the dressing I replaced balsamic vinaigrette with a cranberry balsamic vinaigrette — even my husband loved it!
Chopped salads differ from ordinary salads due to the way that they are prepared and presented. All ingredients are chopped, including the lettuce, and blended together instead of being layered on top. This allows you to create hundreds of options in ingredients.
Just before serving lightly dress the poppy seed/cranberry balsamic vinaigrette on the salad. Pass around more dressing to your guests.
Perfect Autumn Chopped Salad
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 medium (red) pears, chopped
- 1 medium (red) apple, chopped
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup chopped praline-sugar coated pecans
- 8 – 10 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
- 4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
- 4 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
- 1 cup poppy seed salad dressing
- 1 cup cranberry balsamic vinaigrette
- Instructions
- On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pear, apple, dried cranberries, praline pecans, bacon and feta and gorgonzola cheese.
- Mix the poppy seed dressing with the cranberry balsamic vinaigrette. Add more or less of each according to your taste preferences. (More sweet = Less balsamic)
- Drizzle the dressing onto the salad and gently toss.
- Pass any extra dressing around to guests.
Instructions
- On a large platter, combine the lettuce, pear, apple, dried cranberries, praline pecans, bacon and feta, and gorgonzola cheese.
- Mix the poppy seed dressing with the cranberry balsamic vinaigrette. Add more or less of each according to your taste preferences. (More sweet = Less balsamic)
- Drizzle the dressing onto the salad and gently toss.
- Pass any extra dressing around to guests.
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Indeed this is a perfect chopped salad for the season. Love all the fresh produce.
Thank you Angie!
Your salad looks and sounds delicious Roz. As we’ve traveled around Bev has been picking up fruit and using it salads and I find I enjoy it. I know I would love yours especially with the cheeses you used.
This is a really great salad, Larry. Let me know if you try it!
Roz
a perfect salad , can’t wait to try ! Un abbraccio
Let me know what you think if you prepare this salad someday, Chiara!
Un Abbracio,
Roz
This salad is absolutely gorgeous!!
Thank you Zaza . . . this salad disappeared very quickly!
Roz
There is nothing better than a salad brimming with seasonal ingredients and this one is a picture-perfect example. The cranberry balsamic sounds wonderful! I’ll have to see if our wonderful oil and vinegar store sells it.
Thank you Susan! I always appreciate your visit!
Roz
I love this salad! Blue cheese, and candied nuts are some of my favorite ingredients as well as the fruit. Then you added bacon and put it over the top! I think I could probably eat that whole bowl myself. Sadly, my husband hates it when I put fruit in salad so if I made it, I would have to eat the whole bowl myself. Which would be great with me! 🙂 I also like how you combined 2 salad dressings. I bet they are good together. Thanks so much for this recipe, Roz!
Hi Shari! I love all of this extra stuff in a salad too! You’ve got to get some candied nuts and sprinkle on a salad someday! YUM!
Roz
I never think of salads when the days get colder. Love these ideas for autumn salads. Will have to think up a recipe to use with pumpkins.
Thanks for stopping by May CXC! Have a great day!
Roz
Roz,
Hope you’re okay after all the rain. The salad looks great. You can’t go wrong with bacon…unless you double the bacon.
Annamaria
I love salads with a lot of healthy ingredients like this one, Annamaria! Hope you’re doing great these days!
Roz
Is the cranberry balsamic a purchased dressing or do you have a recipe? The. Love your recipes thank you.