Winter Green Salad with Fruit and Spiced Pecans

What better way to ring in the new year than with a new salad? This winter green salad is a great counterpoint to the warming stews and soups that frequently appear on our winter menus. It makes use of both fresh greens and fruits and capitalizes on the interplay of spicy with sweet, crunchy with delicate. It has crescents of apples, celery, and oranges mixed with nuggets of dried cranberries, nuts, and feta cheese.

A salad great for fall and winter

This salad’s evolution began in November when a friend posted a picture of a salad online that looked delicious. The assorted colors—green, orange, and dark red—along with the pecans tucked in among salad leaves called out to me. In the months since, I have made my version of it several times, changing ingredients and techniques until I found what I think is great balance.

First, I decided to make spiced pecans instead of using plain ones, with a quick and easy method that my friend Marci taught me. The prep work takes all of 5 minutes and results in a pile of crunchy nuts that have just a hint of heat. (You could also buy spiced pecans at the store or simply used plain toasted pecans instead.)

For the main salad, I changed out a few ingredients that the original recipe called for.  I decided to build my salad base with crunchy green lettuce instead of spinach. Then I chose to use fresh oranges instead of canned mandarins. 

Any type of citrus could work here, and there are plenty of varieties to choose from this time of year. Peeling and sectioning the fruit adds a fresh note to the dish.

The salad dressing

The dressing in the original recipe had equal parts of oil and vinegar and 1/4 cup of sugar. I reduced the amounts of sugar and vinegar and added a splash of orange juice, which I had left over after sectioning the oranges. I also opted to add chopped green onions to the salad instead of using onion powder in the dressing.

The dressing has a hint of sweetness, but is not cloying. It lets the fresh taste of the fruits in the salad sing a bit more. I tossed all the ingredients with a bit of the dressing before adding the feta cheese.

This salad is refreshing and light, a crisp treat that can complement any winter meal.

Winter Green Salad with Fruit and Spiced Pecans

Sunnyside Cook

Dawn Dobie

Mix of sweet and salty, crunchy and citrusy, all on a bed of lettuce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

For the spiced pecans

• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

For the salad

• 4-5 cups fresh green lettuce washed, spun dry and torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 navel oranges peeled and sectioned (juices reserved)
• 3 green onions sliced thinly
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
• 1 Granny Smith apple halved, cored, and cut into thin wedges
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup diced or crumbled feta cheese

For the dressing

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice (reserved from orange sections above)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon poppyseeds

Instructions

 

For the spiced pecans

• Mix granulated sugar and cayenne pepper together. Combine with pecan halves in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until sugar mixture melts and coats nuts. Transfer glazed pecans to parchment paper, waxed paper, or aluminum foil and allow to cool.

For the salad

• For oranges, cut top and bottom of peel off. Using a sharp knife, remove the peel from the fruit, working from top to bottom, following each orange’s round shape. Remove individual sections of orange by inserting knife as close to the white membrane as possible on each side of each section. Allow the sections to fall into a bowl, capturing the juice. (Transfer one tablespoon of orange juice to dressing when mixing that together.)
• Slice celery and green onions.  Toss the apple slices with the lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Place lettuce, celery, green onions, and apples into a large salad bowl. Lift the orange sections out of the accumulated juices in their bowl with a slotted spoon, draining well, and add to salad bowl. 

For the dressing

• Combine dressing ingredients in measuring cup or glass jar and mix well until combined. (Remember the reserved tablespoon of orange juice.)

To finish up

• Dress salad with desired amount of dressing. Toss. Add cranberries and pecans and toss again. Sprinkle with feta cheese.

Notes

Spiced pecans can be made up to 3 days ahead of time. After cooling, store in an airtight container.
I added no salt or pepper to the dressing since the pecans add heat and the feta adds saltiness. Season to your preference.