Indulge in the Best Fall Salad: Maple Bacon with Feta, Maple Walnuts, Apples, and Crispy Shallots!
/As the leaves transform into beautiful oranges and golds, it's the perfect time to indulge in the best seasonal meals. One dish that captures the essence of the season is this Maple Bacon Fall Salad, featuring feta, maple walnuts, apples, and crispy shallots. This blog post will guide you through everything you need to know about creating and enjoying the official best fall salad.
Delight in a seasonal blend of flavors with this Autumn Apple Salad featuring a delicious Maple Vinaigrette. This salad combines the rich taste of maple bacon with the creamy texture of feta cheese, offering a delicious experience. As you dig in, the crispness of fresh apples provides a refreshing sweetness, perfectly balanced with the crunch of maple-glazed walnuts. Adding crispy shallots gives this salad an additional layer of texture and flavor, elevating it to new heights. Perfect for the fall season, this salad is a celebration of fresh ingredients that capture the essence of autumn in every bite.
- Rich Maple Bacon: Adds depth and smokiness.
- Creamy Feta Cheese: Offers a tangy, rich flavor.
- Crisp Apples: Brings a refreshing sweetness.
- Maple-Glazed Walnuts: Enhance crunch and flavor.
- Crispy Shallots: Provide an extra crispy texture.
Nutrition
This dish ensures a delightful contrast between crispy maple bacon and tangy feta cheese, complemented by juicy apple slices. Elevate your seasonal salad experience with the addition of caramelized maple walnuts for an extra touch of sweetness and crunch. Perfectly cooked crispy shallots add depth and texture, making this dish both nutritious and indulgent. Together, these wholesome elements celebrate the flavors and produce of fall, offering a balance of nutrients and flavors that come together in a mouthwatering meal. This salad not only caters to your taste buds but also delivers a nutritious meal option that keeps you satisfied long after the last bite.
Harvest Salad Dressing
A harvest salad dressing also enhances fall flavors with a rich, savory profile. This dressing combines the natural sweetness of maple syrup with a nice tanginess, complementing the salad ingredients perfectly. It balances the smokiness of the bacon and the creaminess of the feta cheese, tying together the sweetness of apples and the crunch of maple walnuts beautifully. Every drizzle provides a great finish, elevating the crispy shallots and the salad itself. The dressing is the element that really rounds off the taste, making each bite memorable.
This Maple Bacon Fall Salad is a perfect choice for the fall season, thanks to its unique combination of seasonal flavors. It nicely blends rich, earthy flavors and ingredients like maple walnuts and fresh apples, capturing a bit of autumn in every bite. Beyond the balanced sweet and savory notes, the salad provides a variety of textures, from crunchy walnuts to crisp apples and crispy shallots. It is rich in nutrition, packed with healthy ingredients such as walnuts and apples, offering a health benefit while allowing for indulgence. The salad’s visual appeal, with its bright colors from apples, walnuts, and bacon, makes it a great choice for any autumn gathering or meal. This salad is a celebration of what makes fall the favorite season for many.
How Can I Prepare the Maple Walnuts for the Salad?
Creating maple walnuts for the salad is a pretty straightforward process. Start by toasting walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until they're fragrant, ensuring they cook evenly. Then, add a drizzle of maple syrup to the skillet and stir to coat the walnuts thoroughly, enhancing their flavor. To amplify their sweetness, sprinkle brown sugar over to mix with the maple walnuts. Allow the mixture to simmer while stirring constantly until the maple syrup forms a glossy coating on the walnuts. Finally, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool before adding them to the salad. These simple steps create walnuts that are flavorful, crunchy, and the perfect addition to your fall salad.
Can I Substitute the Feta Cheese With Another Type of Cheese?
Feta cheese can be substituted with other types of cheese in this salad for varied texture and flavor experiences. Consider crumbly cheeses like goat cheese or blue cheese that offer a similar texture. For a milder flavor, ricotta salata or queso fresco make great alternatives to feta. If you prefer something creamier, crumbled gorgonzola can be an excellent choice. For vegans or those who are lactose intolerant, the use of vegan feta or almond-based cheese alternatives works well. Remember that each cheese brings its own unique flavor essence, so don't hesitate to experiment to find your best match. These alternatives easily allow you to customize the salad to your liking while maintaining its rich, complementary flavors.
What Variety of Apples Works Best in This Salad?
Selecting the right variety of apples is important for achieving a balanced flavor in the salad. Crisp and slightly tart apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith are ideal choices as they provide a refreshing contrast to the salty bacon and creamy feta. Their firm texture makes sure each bite offers a satisfying crunch, while their sweet-tart flavor complements the maple walnuts nicely. Consider mixing different apple varieties to add complexity to each bite, elevating the overall salad experience. I personally always love pink lady apples for their sweet never tart taste and beautiful skin. With these apple varieties, your salad not only has nice balanced flavors but also the perfect texture profile that adds to the overall enjoyment.
How Do I Make the Crispy Shallots for the Maple Bacon Fall Salad?
Creating crispy shallots for the Maple Bacon Fall Salad adds more flavor and crunch. Begin by slicing shallots thinly to ensure even crispiness during cooking. Heat them in oil in a pan over medium heat, making sure it's hot enough without getting to the smoking point. Carefully add the sliced shallots into the hot oil and fry them until they turn a golden brown and are crispy. Remove the crispy shallots from the oil using a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain any excess oil. To enhance their flavor while still warm, season the crispy shallots with a pinch of salt. These crispy shallots will help to make each bite memorable.
As the air cools and the leaves fall, this apple bacon salad becomes the perfect embodiment of autumn. With its variety of flavors and textures, from the smokiness of bacon to the sweetness of apples and walnuts, it’s a dish that brings warmth and comfort. The crispy shallots and creamy feta keep each bite well balanced and delicious. Whether you're serving this at a fall celebration or enjoying it as a weeknight delight, this salad helps makes the autumn season truly special. So, dive in and enjoy the bounty of fall in every wonderful bite.
Ingredients
10 - 12 cups Mixed Spinach & Arugula Salad
1-2 apples, thinly sliced
2 Shallots
1/2 cup bacon crumbles
4 oz crumbled feta cheese
Salad Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 maple syrup
1/4 cup bacon fat, from cooking bacon
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Maple Walnuts:
2 cups walnuts
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
1. Make maple walnuts so they can cool while you prepare rest of salad. First line baking sheet, I use my Jelly Roll Pan from 360 cookware -here-, with parchment paper and set aside. In a pan, I use my 360 cookware 1 quart sauce pan -here-, melt together maple syrup and brown sugar until mixed and bubbling. Add in walnuts and coat. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and separate nuts so they don’t stick together. Let cool.
2. Make the bacon & Shallots. Cook bacon in a large skillet pan until able to easily crumble. Remove bacon and save 1/4 cup of fat for dressing. Leave remaining bacon oil and add additional butter or extra virgin olive oil if needed. Thinly slice shallots and add to heated pan, let cook until they become crispy. Add to a paper towel lined plate.
3.. Make delicious bacon maple salad dressing! Add bacon fat, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, tsp salt, tsp pepper into blender and blend until smooth. Add additional extra virgin olive oil if needed. Taste and add additional seasoning if wanted as well. Place in bowl or dressing dish and set aside for later.
4. Assemble the salad. I like to put in half of the apples, feta cheese, shallots, bacon and candied walnuts add dressing and toss. Once I plate the salad I add a little of each item on the top so you can still see the full colors and toppings! Serve & Enjoy!
Other Delicious Salads to Enjoy:
Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Apples, Goat Cheese & Candied Pecans
Delicious, Nutritious Pear & Walnut Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing
How to Make the Perfect Pear and Pomegranate Arugula Salad
The Perfect Summer Meal: Grilled Chicken, Mexican Street Corn & Cucumber Salad
Savory Italian Chopped Salad Jar Recipe: A Symphony of Flavors in Every Bite
Discover the Delightful Twist of Sweet Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
