Apple Cranberry Salad ( vegan & oil-free)

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This crispy apple cranberry salad with creamy, oil-free fruity balsamic vinaigrette and crunchy nuts makes a delicious vegan side dish.

You can modify this quick side salad by adding grains, quinoa, or beans for a healthy lunch or light dinner in minutes.

Apple cranberry spinach salad with dressing.

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredients
Instructions & pro tips
Variations
Serving suggestions
Storage
Frequently asked questions
More vegan side salads
Recipe

Why you'll love this recipe

Nutritious, crunchy apples are readily available any time of year, and easily dress up this simple salad with a few additional ingredients.
The thick creamy salad dressing is oil-free with the perfect mix of sweet, fruity flavor and balsamic vinegar.
You can use any combination of spinach, kale, romaine lettuce, or other salad greens.

Ingredients

Apples – Use any combination of red apples, granny smith apples, or other yellow or green apples. Choose your favorite sweet apples or tart flavors.

Dried cranberries – Choose cranberries with no added sugar if possible.

Nuts – Chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts complement the flavor and are your only source of healthy fat. If you want to turn this into the more traditional apple cranberry walnut salad, then use toasted, unsalted walnuts, so they stay crunchy. Pistachios or pepitas can also be used.

Orange – When you're choosing your apples, grab a fresh orange. Zest and juice are used in the dressing.

Sweetener – A liquid sweetener such as date paste or maple syrup balance the flavor of the dressing. Here are the instructions if you want to make your own date paste.

Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.

Steps for making apple cranberry salad. — how to make apple cranberry salad

Instructions & pro tips

Step 1: make the dressing

The creamy cranberry-balsamic dressing is a star of this salad. It starts with soaking half the cranberries (⅓ of a cup) in ⅓ of a cup of boiling water. Measure the water out because you'll use this in the dressing.

Use a high-speed blender or food processor to blend all the dressing ingredients. You can make the dressing ahead of time.

Step 2: Dice apples

To keep the apples from oxidizing (turning brown), toss them in lemon juice. Don’t bother to peel the apples – keep the crispy fiber. Cut the apple slices in half or smaller so they are bite-sized but chunky. For best results, toss the apples after making the dressing, so they stay fresh.

Step 3: Gather the remaining ingredients

Add the spinach or other greens, chopped nuts, diced apples, and remaining cranberries in a large bowl and toss the ingredients.

Step 4: Dress the salad

Right before serving, add the dressing. You can also serve the salad dressing on the side. This is helpful if you use leafy greens that tend to wilt more quickly.

Spinach, apples, dried cranberries, and almonds with dressing on a black plate.

Variations

The best thing about this delicious salad recipe is that you can quickly obtain the ingredients in the grocery store in any season. No searching or planning for special ingredients.

If you want to make a few variations, add chopped or thinly sliced red onions. I've added leftover vegan crispy bacon bits to contrast the cranberries' sweetness.

Make an apple cranberry fruit salad by skipping the greens and adding red grapes and chunks of fresh oranges. Anything goes!

Serving suggestions

Cranberry apple salad highlights fall flavors, but it’s a delicious side salad for family dinners or to brighten heavy meals. The bright colors make it a festive salad dish for your next vegan Thanksgiving dinner, special occasions, or holiday potluck.

Storage

If you've tossed the apples in lemon juice, they will last a few days before they get too brown and soft. For best results, wait to dress the salad until you are ready to eat it. Store leftover salad in an airtight container for 1-2 days.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of vegan protein can be added to apple cranberry salad?

Canned chickpeas or beans are excellent choices for quickly adding vegan protein; quinoa only takes about 15 minutes, so it's also a good option. You can make this delicious salad recipe even yummier with tofu bacon, crispy air fryer tofu, or vegan feta cheese.

Should I steam kale before using it in a salad?

If you make this recipe as a kale salad, there's no need to steam or cook the kale first. Naturally, crispy kale can easily be softened by massaging it with half the dressing before assembling the rest of the salad.

Is there a substitute for red balsamic vinegar?

The best substitute for red balsamic is white balsamic or red wine, or merlot vinegar. Red wine vinegar will be sharper, and white balsamic will be slightly sweeter than red. Taste and adjust the added sweetener. You can also use pomegranate molasses.