This salad apple and leek salad is everything! I love eating this for a hearty lunch or even a quick dinner when paired with a protein. It is such a balanced combination of sweet, crunchy and bitter. You are not going to be able to resist going back for seconds!
![salad in a bowl](https://saucypantry.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/apple-and-leek-salad-with-candied-pecans.jpg)
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Why you'll love this apple and leek salad
- It is only 331 calories per serving, so it can be added to my weight-loss and weight-maintenance meal plans.
- It has so many green healthy ingredients you are going to be so proud of yourself for getting in your daily intake of green vegetables.
- This is a really filling salad and can be eaten as a side dish or can be eaten as a healthy meal all on it’s own
- It takes under 20 minutes to make, so it’s perfect for a quick lunch or weeknight meal when you are on the goal.
- You can easily make this recipe vegetarian or vegan.
Ingredients
Don't let all the ingredients scare you! Most of them are tings you already have in your pantry.
For the salad:
- Green apple
- Leek
- Radicchio
- Romaine lettuce
For the candied pecans, I have reduced the amount of sugar and butter most recipes use, to try to keep it a little bit healthier. You can also choose use store-bought candied pecans, but I find it only takes a couple of minutes to cook these up.
- Pecans
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Water
- Vanilla extract
- Kosher salt
For the dressing:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Kosher salt
For serving:
- Parmesan cheese
- Freshly ground black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools you will need
- Cutting board
- Sharpe knife
- Large salad bowl
- Small bowl
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Whisk
- Cheese grater (affiliate)
Instructions
Gather all your ingredients and tools together and let’s get to it! Make sure you wash and dry your lettuce before using it. If you already have candied nuts in your pantry you can skip to the ‘mix the dressing’ step. However, do note that my candied pecans recipe uses a little less sugar and butter than most, to keep this salad a little on the healthier side.
The candied pecans will need to have time to cool before you add them to the salad, so that is where we will start with this recipe. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pan and add the pecans. Toast them for about 2-3 minutes, or until you are smelling a nutty aroma.
While the pecans are toasting, mix the brown sugar, water, vanilla and salt together in a small bowl. Add the mixture into the pan and stir to ensure the mixture is evenly covering all the pecans. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 2 minutes. If it seems like the sugar is burning the heat is too high and you need to turn it down.
Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour the pecans onto the sheet and spread them out so they do not touch each other and stick together. Let the pecans completely cook before chopping them.
Add all the salad dressing ingredients – olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, honey, mustard and salt - into a small bowl and whisk them together. Set aside to use later.
Top Tip
Taste test the white part of the leeks before you add them to the salad. Sometimes they can be quite bitter and could potentially overpower the salad. If that is the case, you can saute them in a small amount of butter to soften the flavor. Wait for them to cool before adding them to the salad.
Chop the lettuce and radicchio into small bite sized pieces. Leeks can have quite a strong flavor when eaten raw, so chop the leek into very thin strips so that when you take a bite it does not overpower all the other flavors. You will want to use the white parts of the leek, for this recipe and save the green parts for a recipe where the leeks are cooked. Chop the green apple into matchsticks, leaving the skin on. If you have a julienne tool in your kitchen, you can use that or if you have a mandolin that will help you get consistent size pieces.
Add the lettuce, radicchio, apple and leek into a large salad bowl and mix in your desired amount of dressing. Add the chopped candied pecans, freshly grated parmesan cheese and freshly ground black pepper. I like my parmesan cheese to be grated a little bit thicker, so you get a good taste of it in each bite.
Serve immediately and enjoy!
Substitutions and Additions
- Radicchio – radicchio can be quite bitter so it’s not for everybody. If you are not a fan of radicchio or you simply don’t have any on hand you can opt for arugula, fennel or endive.
- Add protein – this salad would go amazing with pork, veal or chicken Milanese. Crispy bacon or pancetta might also add a yummy flavour to this dish.
- Candied Walnuts – if you don’t have any pecans or you prefer to have walnuts, you can easily swap these in.
- Cheese – if you don’t have any fresh parmesan cheese, or perhaps you prefer something else, then go ahead and swap in goat cheese, feta cheese, or pecorino. It’s totally up to you!
Storage
A salad that has dressing on it will not store well and should be served immediately. However, you will likely have extra dressing and that can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. This means you get to have a round 2 of this salad! Wahoo!
Any left-over candied pecans should be stored in an airtight container in your pantry. They can last for about 3 months and make a luxurious snack.
FAQ
You can eat both the white and green parts of the leek without cooking it. The green part has a stronger flavour than the white part and can sometimes get a bit bitter, which is why the green parts are best when cooked.
Leeks are related to onions, chives and garlic. They have an onion-like flavour and taste delicious in many dishes, like salads and soups. Similar to garlic and onions, leeks have a pungent and sometimes bitter taste when eaten raw and can become sweet when cooked.
Wine Pairings
This salad should definitely be paired with a semi-dry, medium-bodied white wine with crisp green apple notes. I would look for a Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Gris. Here are a few suggestions for you to try:
- Santa Margherita, Pinot Grigio Valdadige, Italy
- Dogwood & Thistle, Sauvignon Blanc, Mendocino Ridge, USA
- Mission Hill Family Estate, Reserve Pinot Gris, Okanagan Valley, Canada
- Leaning Post, Sauvignon Blanc, Niagara, Canada
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this apple and leek salad:
Apple and leek salad with candied pecans
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Large salad bowl
- Frying pan
- Small bowls
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Whisk
- Cheese grater (affiliate)
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 medium green apple
- 1 large leek white and green parts
- 1 head of radicchio
- 1 small head romaine lettuce
For the candied pecans
- ½ cup raw pecan halves
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon water
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1 cloves garlic pressed or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For serving
- ¼ cup fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese coarsely grated
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a frying pan over medium high heat. Melt the butter in the pan and add the pecans. Toast them for about 2-3 minutes, or until you are smelling a nutty aroma.
- While the pecans are toasting, mix the brown sugar, water, vanilla and salt together in a small bowl. Add the mixture into the pan and stir to ensure the mixture is evenly covering all the pecans. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for another 2 minutes. If it seems like the sugar is burning the heat is too high and you need to turn it down.
- Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour the pecans onto the sheet and spread them out so they do not touch each other and stick together. Let the pecans completely cook before chopping them.
- Add all the salad dressing ingredients – olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, mustard, honey and salt - into a small bowl and whisk them together. Set aside to use later.
- Chop the lettuce and radicchio into small bite-sized pieces. Chop the green apple into matchsticks, leaving the skin on. If you have a julienne tool in your kitchen, you can use that or if you have a mandolin that will help you get consistent size pieces.
- Assemble the salad by adding the leafy ingredients into a bowl and mixing in your desired amount of dressing. Then top it off with the chopped candied pecans and parmesan cheese.
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