Discover your new favorite autumn dish with this apple Swiss salad with cashews! The contrasting sweetness of crisp apples, the wonderful richness of Swiss cheese and toasted cashews, all elevated by a simple, tart apple cider vinaigrette, creates a truly memorable salad. You’re in for an incredibly easy recipe that comes together quickly, promising a light and refreshing starter or side that always makes a nice presentation.
Before You Start…
For the best texture and flavor, use firm, crunchy apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith. A sweet honeycrisp offers a great contrast to the tart dressing.
To keep the apples fresh and bright, drizzle them immediately with the prepared apple cider vinaigrette after slicing. The vinegar’s acidity helps prevent oxidation.
Yes, absolutely! While cashews add wonderful richness, you can easily substitute them with other nuts like pecans or almonds to make the recipe your own.
Pure maple syrup is preferred because it has a lower glycemic index than granulated sugar and dissolves much more smoothly in the dressing, preventing a gritty texture.
For the best texture and ease of grating, it’s recommended to buy Swiss cheese in a block and grate it yourself, as pre-shredded cheeses often contain additives that prevent clumping.
Yes, the dressing is very simple to make and can be prepared in advance. Store it in a sealed container, like a mason jar, in the refrigerator, and shake well before serving.
Here is What You Will Need:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of sugar or pure maple syrup (see notes for clarity)
- 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
- 2 heads of Romaine lettuce
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 4 ounces of cashews
- 4 ounces of grated Swiss cheese
The Apple, Cashew and Swiss Salad Ingredients
For this recipe, the granny smith apples are sliced and then the slices are cut in half. The apples will be bite-sized this way. I usually buy cheese in a block and then grate it. Packaged shredded cheese has an additive to keep it from clumping. Grating the cheese does not take long.
Cashews can tend to be expensive! This recipe calls for broken cashews. Broken cashews are usually less expensive. You can make this recipe your own by using a different type of nut instead of cashews. Pecans, or almonds would be a great choice for this salad instead of cashews! I used romaine for this recipe because it holds up well. Other salad greens get a little overwhelmed with salad dressing.
Crafting the Tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette
The apple swiss salad dressing is very easy to put together. Just combine all the ingredients and whisk! I use pure maple syrup instead of sugar because of the lower glycemic index compared to granulated sugar. I have made the salad dressing with granulated sugar and the dressing was a bit thick. The sugar did not dissolve etc. The onion powder and mustard powder really bring a nice taste to the dressing. It does not end up being overly sweet.
Pure maple syrup is not pancake syrup. Pancake syrup will not work in this recipe. Please be sure to read the label when purchasing. Pure maple syrup has a lower glycemic index than sugar. The ratio for sugar and pure maple syrup is 1:1.
The apple swiss salad would go great with the spiced baked ham recipe! My family has made the apple swiss salad for Easter and Thanksgiving!
More Easy Salad Recipes
- Autumn Broccoli Slaw
- Simple Strawberry Almond Salad
- Strawberry Mango Salad
- Apple Salad with Blue Cheese and Toasted Walnuts
Easy Apple Swiss Fall Salad (with Cashews)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons of sugar or pure maple syrup see notes
- ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon of dry mustard
- ½ teaspoon of onion powder
- 2 heads of romaine lettuce cored and chopped
- 2 granny smith apples sliced then halve the slices
- 4 ounces of chopped cashews
- 4 ounces of grated swiss cheese
Method
- Make the Vinaigrette: In a small jar or bowl, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, dry mustard, and onion powder until creamy and emulsified.
- Assemble the Salad: Arrange the chopped Romaine lettuce on serving plates or a large platter. Top with the sliced apples, grated Swiss cheese, and chopped cashews.
- Serve: Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving to keep the apples crisp and the lettuce fresh.
Nutrition
Notes
Private Notes
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Key Takeaways
- Enjoy a refreshing apple Swiss cheese fall salad with crisp apples, Swiss cheese, and toasted cashews tossed in a tangy apple cider vinaigrette.
- For best results, use firm apples like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, and freshly grated Swiss cheese for better texture.
- Keep sliced apples from browning by drizzling them with vinaigrette immediately after cutting.
- Substitute cashews with other nuts like pecans or almonds to customize the salad.
- Pure maple syrup enhances the dressing’s flavor and has a lower glycemic index compared to sugar.