Autumn Salad with Cranberries and Goat Cheese
on Oct 02, 2020, Updated Nov 25, 2024
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The addition of dried fruit is a pretty and flavorful way to make a green salad much more special.
Most of us are always looking for a new and different salad to shake up the holidays or just a weeknight dinner. The addition of dried fruit is a pretty and flavorful way to make a green salad much more special.
This autumn salad includes dried cranberries, which provide a burst of tart sweetness, some color, and a lovely chewy texture. You could use dried cherries instead or dried apricots.
Adding dried fruit is a pretty and flavorful way to make a green salad much more special. Goat cheese and bacon optional.
Then, if you want, you can keep going. Top the whole thing with some crumbled cooked bacon (which has never not made salad — or anything else — better; yes, double negative intended). And/or add some crumbled goat cheese, which you can buy already crumbled or just crumble yourself. I skipped it for these photos because I was pairing it up with a chunk of cheesy lasagna, and I felt the need to prove that I have a modicum of restraint left in my body.
Maybe some sliced fresh pear? Next time.
What the Kids Can Do
The dressing is easy for the kids to measure and shake up, and they may even be able to slice up the romaine with an age-appropriate knife. They can crumble goat cheese or bacon, if using.
Think of this salad for Thanksgiving, the December holidays, or whenever you need to spruce up a holiday table or a buffet. If you bring the dressing on the side, it makes a great potluck offering. Just dress and toss the salad right before serving, and if you’re using the cheese and/or bacon for sprinkling, bring it along in a separate container.
What to Serve With Autumn Salad
- Simple Lemon-Garlic Roasted Turkey Breast
- 2 Ingredient Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork
- Slow Cooker BBQ Beer Beef Stew
- Instant Pot Ziti “Lasagna” with Bolognese Sauce
- Mediterranean Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables
- Fall-Apart Roasted Pork Shoulder with Rosemary Mustard and Garlic
More Side Salad Recipes
- Simplest Tomato, Corn, Basil and Mozzarella Pasta Salad
- French Potato Salad
- Chopped Winter Salad
- Endive, Radicchio, and Citrus Salad with Bacon Vinaigrette
- Spinach, Radish, and Kohlrabi Salad with Preserved Lemons
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Autumn Salad with Cranberries and Goat Cheese
Ingredients
For the Balsamic-Shallot Dressing
- 2 shallots (thinly sliced)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey (hot honey if you have it!)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
For the Salad
- 2 hearts of romaine
- 3 cups baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese (optional)
- ½ cup crumbled cooked bacon (optional)
Instructions
- In a container, add the shallots, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Shake to combine.
- Thinly slice the romaine hearts crosswise. Turn it into a large bowl, add the spinach and cranberries, and toss. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine well. Turn it into a serving bowl, or serve in individual salad bowls, and top with goat cheese and bacon, if using.
