Best Fall Apple Salad Recipe with Toasted Hazelnuts
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This Apple Salad isn’t just another boring salad; it will become a fall favorite!
Bursting with the sweet crunch of crisp apples and celery, fragrant toasted hazelnuts, and the tang of homemade honey-Dijon vinaigrette, our delicious apple salad recipe is perfect for dinner parties and cozy fall nights.
For more seasonal delights, we have the ultimate list of Autumn Recipes for you to enjoy.
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While you may prefer to skip to the recipe card, we suggest reading the entire blog post to avoid missing valuable tips and substitution suggestions and to ensure you have the necessary ingredients, equipment, and understanding of the steps and timings.
Apple Salad
As apple season rolls around, I can’t help but share recipes that use crunchy apples!
Our crisp apple salad is a delicious recipe with a harmonious mix of sweet apples (like juicy Fuji apples) and arugula’s peppery punch.
Toasted hazelnuts bring in an earthy crunch, making every bite a dance of flavors. Using red onion and apple cider vinegar brings a vibrancy to this dish.
And the Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette? That’s the best part!
Made with a luscious combination of Dijon mustard, runny honey, and the rich profile of olive oil, this vinaigrette perfectly envelops the salad ingredients, enhancing every bite.
Imagine serving this salad at your next fall meal with blue cheese or creamy goat cheese.
Or perhaps you want to bring it to a potluck? Make sure to store it in an airtight container to keep the freshness intact.
The salad’s versatility is truly one of its best flavors, making it easy to incorporate into many different settings, from dinner parties to packed lunches!
Want to make more fresh salads? Check out these recipes next:
- Peach Blackberry Salad with Blackberry-Basil Vinaigrette
- Orange Pomegranate Salad with Goat Cheese, Avocado & Pecans
- Strawberry Feta Salad with Pecans and a Balsamic Glaze
You can find all of our Salad Recipes here.
What Can I Serve With Apple?
Here are some dishes that would beautifully complement the Crisp Apple-Celery Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette:
- Roast Chicken or Turkey: The savory and slightly oily profile of roast chicken or turkey is wonderfully offset by the crispness of the apple-celery salad. The hazelnuts would resonate with the earthiness of the roast, while the vinaigrette brings out the bird’s inherent flavors.
- Butternut Squash Soup: A creamy, sweet, and slightly nutty butternut squash soup can warmly introduce the cold and refreshing apple-celery salad. The contrasting temperatures and textures create a rich dining experience.
- Quiche with Goat Cheese and Caramelized Onions: The soft, creamy textures of a quiche, accentuated by the tang of goat cheese and sweetness of caramelized onions, are balanced by the crunch and acidity of the salad.
- Grilled Salmon: The oily richness of salmon contrasts the salad’s freshness, and the toasted hazelnuts complement the grilled notes of the fish.
- Baked Brie with Cranberries: This melty, cheesy appetizer’s sweet cranberry-honey sauce juxtaposes the tart and tangy apple-celery salad. It’s a dance of flavors and textures in the mouth when eaten together.
- Gourmet Grilled Cheese with Gruyère: The combination of melty cheese and crispy bread in the sandwich pairs brilliantly with the salad, creating a symphony of flavors.
Serving any of these dishes alongside the Crisp Apple-Celery Salad ensures a flavorful, textured, and memorable meal.
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
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Ingredients Needed For Apple Salad
- Fresh Produce – Celery Stalks, Red Apples, Red Onions, Arugula (Rocket)
- Pantry – Olive Oil, Sea Salt, Black Pepper
- Dijon Mustard
- Honey – Try to buy locally produced honey when possible.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Pink Himalayan Salt – Used for pretty presentation – you can use regular salt in this recipe if preferred.
- Hazelnuts – These are toasted and chopped for the salad. Use whole, raw hazelnuts.
The complete list of ingredients with measurements is on the recipe card at the end of this post.
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Equipment Needed For This Recipe
- Baking Sheet
- Mason Jar – For making the vinaigrette.
- Sharp Knife
- Chopping/Cutting Board
- Large Salad Bowl
The Purple Pumpkin Blog uses both cups and weighted measurements in its recipes, making American cups and kitchen food scales valuable tools for trying all the recipes. We provide US customary, imperial, and metric measurements. Still, it’s important to note that while you can combine cup measurements with weighted measures, never mix US customary/imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.) with metric (kilograms, grams, liters, etc.).
Reasons You’ll Love Apple Salad
- It’s a perfect side dish for any fall meal.
- Crunchy nuts and fresh greens give a variety of textures.
- Fresh apples bring in a juicy burst with every bite.
- The homemade vinaigrette is a tangy delight.
- Easy to make and serves as the best apple salad for special occasions.
Dinner Party Menu Suggestions
You’ve made the salad, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are additional recipes to create a menu for a dinner party or special meal:
- Appetizer: Prosciutto and Goat Cheese Appetizers
- Soup: Harvest Soup with Butternut Squash & Apples
- Main Dish: Grilled Rosemary Lime-Marinated Chicken Breasts
- Side Dish: Rosemary Garlic Potatoes
- Cocktail: Bourbon Apple Cider Maple Fizz Cocktail
- Dessert: Deep-Dish Apple Crumble Pie Topped with Chocolate Ganache
How Do I Make Apple Salad?
The printable recipe card with the ingredients list and instructions can be found at the end of this post.
Number of Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes
Step 1 – Toast Hazelnuts: Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Spread hazelnuts out in a single layer on a dry baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring the nuts once or twice for even toasting. Cool before using in the salad.
Step 2 – Prepare Vinaigrette: Place all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a small jar with a lid. Shake vigorously to combine, emulsifying into a cream consistency. Adjust season as necessary to taste and set dressing aside.
Alternatively, place ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together.
Step 3 – Assemble Salad: Place arugula into the bottom of a large salad bowl. Add the sliced apples, celery, red onions, and two-thirds of the toasted hazelnuts. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
Step 4- Add Vinaigrette: Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad—you may not need all of it. Toss to combine.
Step 5 – Serve: To serve, divide the salad onto chilled plates and top with remaining toasted hazelnuts. Enjoy!
More Recipes Using Apples
One of the hero ingredients in this recipe is apples, so here are some more using the same:
Recipe Tips
- Use the thinner celery stalks. They are less rough but crispy at the same time.
- Be sure to toss the chopped apple with some fresh lemon juice before adding it to the salad to minimize browning.
- Instructions to toast hazelnuts are included in the recipe card.
- Try using tart granny smith apples for a tangy kick.
Storing Leftovers & Freezing
- Storing Leftovers:
- Store in an airtight container to retain the salad’s crispness.
- If you’re prepping ahead, keep the vinaigrette separate and toss apples in lemon juice to prevent browning.
- Freezing Instructions:
- This salad is best enjoyed fresh and isn’t ideal for freezing.
- With all leftovers, ensure the food looks and smells okay before consuming.
- You can always consult the Food Standards Agency in your country for the most up-to-date advice on storing and freezing foods: Food Standards Agency (UK) | Food Safety (USA).
Printable Apple Salad Recipe Card
Below is the printable recipe card. To save ink, any demonstration photos on the recipe card are not printed out.
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Crisp Apple-Celery Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts & Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbsp runny honey
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
For the Salad
- ½ cup hazelnuts, divided
- 6 large celery stalks, sliced
- 1-2 large red apples, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onions or shallots
- 2 cups arugula
- Pink Himalayan salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C/Gas 4. Spread hazelnuts out in a single layer on a dry baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, stirring the nuts once or twice for even toasting. Cool and chop before using in the salad.
- Place all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette into a small jar with a lid. Shake vigorously to combine, emulsifying into a cream consistency. Adjust season as necessary to taste and set dressing aside.
- Place arugula into the bottom of a large salad bowl. Add the sliced apples, celery, red onions, and two-thirds of the toasted hazelnuts. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad—you may not need all of it. Toss to combine.
- To serve, divide the salad onto chilled plates and top with remaining toasted hazelnuts. Enjoy!
FAQs About Apple Salads
Here are some questions people often ask about making apple salad.
Click the question to read the answer. If you have one of your own, please comment on this post.
Of course, you can use your favorite apple to make this delicious salad, but some varieties work better than others.
Crunchy, sweet-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady Fuji, Braeburn, Gala, Granny Smith, and Empire.
Tart apples are perfect for salads because of their high acid levels, which help them naturally resist browning for quite some time.
Apples are great for sweet and savory salads. Savory apple salads often combine leafy greens, crunchy nuts, and a tangy dressing. Classic Waldorf Salad is probably the most famous and is an easy salad recipe to try out. The Snickers Caramel Apple Salad is a fun dessert twist on a regular fruit salad! It’s made using instant vanilla pudding mix, Cool Whip, juicy apples, and chunks of Snickers bar.
Toss apples in lemon juice to prevent browning.
Thinly slice or dice apples and toss them in a large bowl with other ingredients. Depending on personal preference, you can peel the apples or leave the skin on.
Yes, but ensure they’re coated in lemon juice or vinaigrette to maintain their color and not turn brown.
Adding blue cheese, tangy goat cheese, creamy feta cheese, pomegranate seeds, dried fruit like cranberries or golden raisins, pumpkin seeds, candied pecans, or caramelized walnuts can create delightful variations.