Apple Salad isn’t your grandma’s Waldorf salad. It is filled with creamy blue cheese, walnuts, crunchy apples, red onion, green onion and butter lettuce, tossed with a slightly sweet sherry vinaigrette.

Apple Salad is one of my favorite to serve for lunch or an easy side! It requires very little prep and is always a crowd pleaser! When we lived in Kansas City, I lived off of Apple Salad at one of our (now defunct) local favorites, Blanc Burgers. It was light, refreshing and seasonless.

A white plate filled with an apple salad.
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Winter, spring, summer, fall, I crave this salad… crisp butter lettuce with red onion, green onion, apple and creamy blue cheese tossed in an amazing Sherry Vinaigrette.

A white plate filled with an apple salad.

Why You’ll Love It

  • So Easy – Slice, combine, toss and enjoy!
  • Sweet and Salty – Creamy blue cheese adds robust flavor and pairs well with the slightly sweet vinaigrette.
  • Light – Light, refreshing and full of flavor.
A white bowl full of homemade apple salad, with wooden serving spoons.

Ingredients and Substitutions

See printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.

  • Butter Lettuce – Tender leaves of butter lettuce add the perfect texture and flavor. You can substitute any greens including romaine, iceberg or arugula.
  • Sliced Apples – Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala and Fuji all pair well with this simple salad.
  • Blue Cheese – Fresh crumble blue cheese from a wedge for the creamiest texture. If you’re not a blue cheese fan, white cheddar, Swiss or gruyere also pair well.
  • Red Onion – Sliced red onion adds color and balances the sweet apple and vinaigrette.
  • Green Onion – Adds mild flavor. They’re interchangeable with scallions for this easy recipe.
  • Sherry Vinaigrette – This simple salad dressing adds incredible flavor, however, you can substitute with store-bought.
A white bowl full of homemade apple salad, with wooden serving spoons.

How to Make Apple Salad

  1. Make the Vinaigrette – In a shaker or jar, combine dressing ingredients. (Skip this step if you’re using a bottled dressing.) A glass bottle with a gold stopper on a marble countertop, filled with sherry vinaigrette.
  2. Prep – Chop lettuce, apples, onions and crumble the cheese. A bottle of dressing being poured over a salad in a white bowl.
  3. Toss – In a large bowl, combine butter lettuce, onion, apples, green onions, blue cheese and toss with vinaigrette just before serving. A white bowl full of homemade apple salad. A white bowl full of homemade apple salad.A bottle of dressing being poured over a salad in a white bowl.

Tips

  • Slice apples thin to make it easy to eat and get apple flavor in every bite.
  • Fresh is always best, especially in salad where ingredients are raw. Use fresh ingredients for the best flavor and texture. (For example, use fresh cheese rather than pre-shredded or crumbled).
A white bowl full of homemade apple salad.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best apples for salads?

For salads, sweet, crunchy apples including Fuji, Gala, or Pink Lady apples pair well. Tart apples (like a Granny Smith or Golden Delicious) are also great options. The sweeter the apple, the more balanced the salad will taste.

What is Maytag blue cheese?

Maytag blue cheese is a blue cheese variety that is produced on a midwestern farm. It’s called Maytag because it was started by the very same family that produced the Maytag appliances!
Maytag blue has a light, lemony flavor that pairs well with salads.

A white bowl full of homemade apple salad, with wooden serving spoons.

Serving Suggestions

How to Store

  • Room Temperature – Serve within 2 hours.
  • Refrigerate – Store homemade vinaigrette in the refrigerator up to 1 week in an airtight container. Store salad separately in an airtight container and toss immediately before serving.
A white bowl full of homemade apple salad, with wooden serving spoons.

Dietary Considerations

  • Gluten Free
  • Nut Free
  • Vegetarian

More Salad Inspiration

A white plate filled with an apple salad.
5 from 3 votes

Apple Salad

Serve Apple Salad as a side or for lunch! It's filled with creamy blue cheese, walnuts, crunchy apples, red onion, green onion and butter lettuce, and tossed with a slightly sweet sherry vinaigrette for irresistible flavor!
Prep: 5 minutes
Total: 5 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 1 head butter lettuce washed and cut
  • 1 cup red onion sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons green onions chopped
  • 1 Fuji apple sliced thin or chopped
  • ½ cup Maytag blue cheese crumbled

Optional

  • ¼ cup walnuts chopped

Sherry Vinaigrette

  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ cup sherry vinegar

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, combine butter lettuce, red onion, green onion, apples, blue cheese and optional walnuts.

Vinaigrette

  • In a shaker or sealable jar, add olive oil and sherry vinegar. Shake to combine.
  • Just before serving, shake vinaigrette and toss with salad.

Julie’s Tips

Tips

  • Slice the apples thin to enjoy in each bite. If you do not plan to serve immediately, toss the apples in citrus (lemon, lime or orange juice) to prevent browning.
  • Use fresh cheese (versus pre-crumbled).
Calories: 105kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 247mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 1535IU | Vitamin C: 7.1mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I started looking at a salad recipe and then went to the 20? Salad recipes that led to more recipes. All of them are fantastic. Thanks for ALL the great recipes.