Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans

A wooden bowl of arugula salad topped with candied pecans, diced apples, and goat cheese crumbles.

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Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Candied Pecans

This fresh, flavorful arugula salad is the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and savory. Peppery arugula is tossed with crisp Honeycrisp apples, creamy goat cheese, and warm candied pecans, then finished with a homemade apple cider vinaigrette that’s bright and slightly sweet.

Prep Time30

Total Time30

Course: Salads

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Equipment

2 medium skillets
1 sharp knife
baking sheet
parchment paper
small bowl
large bowl
whisk

Ingredients

For The Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

1 shallot, diced
¾ cup apple cider
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
salt and pepper, to taste

For The Candied Pecans

¾ cups whole pecans
4 Tablespoons light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons maple syrup

For The Salad

5 ounces arugula
1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and diced
4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Instructions

For The Cider Vinaigrette Dressing

Dice the shallot using a sharp knife.
In a medium skillet combine the shallot, ¾ cup of apple cider, and 2 Tablespoons of the apple cider vinegar.
Bring the ingredients to a low simmer over medium heat and cook until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup. This process takes about 20 minutes.
Once done, pour the mixture into a bowl and whisk in ¼ cup of olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For The Candied Pecans

In a separate medium skillet, combine the ¾ cups of whole pecans, 4 Tablespoons of light brown sugar, and 2 Tablespoons of maple syrup.
Cook over medium-high heat until the brown sugar melts and starts to form a thicker syrup. You will want to stir constantly for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat once thickened.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and then pour the pecans so they are spread out and not overlapping. Set aside to cool at room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Combining The Salad

Core and dice the Honeycrisp apple and crumble the 4 ounces of goat cheese with your fingers. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the 5 ounces of arugula, diced apples, goat cheese and candied pecans.
Toss with the cider vinaigrette dressing and serve immediately.

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