Spiced Apple, Cranberry, and Pecan Salad

* from Williams Sonoma Holiday Favorites

We made this for our big Christmas dinner and it was really tasty. Much more flavor than a traditional Waldorf salad, and even the picky eaters liked it, which surprised me given the spices in this recipe.

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp sherry vinegar or balsamic vinegar
5 large sweet apples such as Gala, Golden Delicious or Fuji
3 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dried cranberries
8-10 red-leaf lettuce leaves

In a bowl, combine 3/4 tsp cumin and 1/8 tsp cayenne. In a small saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pecans and stir until the nuts are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and cook, stirring constantly until the sugar melts and begins to brown, about 3 minutes longer. Add the hot nut mixture to the bowl containing the spices and stir to coat. Let cool completely. Chop the nuts coarsely. Set aside.

In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, mayonnaise, honey and vinegar. Add the remaining 3/4 tsp cumin and 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper.

Quarter each apple through the stem end and cut away the core. Cut each quarter in half crosswise, then slice. In a large bowl, combine the apples, celery, and dried cranberries. Add the yogurt dressing and toss to coat.

Line individual plates with lettuce leaves. Mount an equal amount of the salad in the center of each plate. Prinkle with the nuts and serve.

Serves 8-10.

** We just mixed the nuts in with the rest of the ingredients at the end and served the whole thing out of a big bowl instead of dividing it up. Also, we just chopped the apples into small pieces instead of slices.

Comments

Sissy said…
hey, the directions say to sprinkle with sugar. There isn't sugar listed in the ingredients....I am making this with pork tonite for hubby's boss....
Unknown said…
I didn't post the original recipe, but I'd probably just use a teaspoon or so.

Popular posts from this blog

Dayton's Famous Pine Club Salad Dressing

Pesto Tortellini Salad

Apple Cranberry Stuffed Pork Roast Recipe