Blue Cheese Chopped Salad with Craisins and Candied Pecans is packed full of so much flavor in every bite. Chopped romaine, red cabbage, red onion, dried cranberries, blue cheese crumbles, and candied pecans are combined with a creamy blue cheese balsamic vinaigrette.
It is one of my favorite salads. It reminds me a little of Outback’s Blue Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad which is my alltime favorite restaurant salad.
The sweetness of the pecans and craisins pairs wonderfully with the tanginess of the blue cheese and vinaigrette.
The key to a good chopped salad is getting everything cut into little pieces so you get lots of flavors in every bite. For this salad, I like to really give the lettuce a fine chop.
The pecans and vinaigrette can be made well in advance. Once they are made this salad is quick and easy to prepare.
THIS BLUE CHEESE CHOPPED SALAD WITH CRAISINS AND CANDIED PECANS IS EASILY CUSTOMIZABLE.
Ways to Customize This Recipe:
- Add grilled chicken, steak or shrimp to the salad to make it a main dish.
- Add additional veggies. Cucumbers, cauliflower, red bell pepper, grape tomatoes, and carrots all work well.
- Add chopped bacon for some salty, crunchy flavor.
- Instead of using romaine lettuce, you can use iceberg or a combination of the two.
- Try using halved red grapes, diced apple or pear instead of the craisins.
- The dressing has a little sour cream to give it a little creaminess. Mayonnaise can be used instead of sour cream.
NOTE: The vinaigrette will keep for about a week in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
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Blue Cheese Chopped Salad with Craisins and Candied Pecans
Equipment
Ingredients
Pecans
- 1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 4 teaspoons water
- 2 cups pecans
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper
Salad
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded red cabbage
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, salt, cayenne pepper, and water.Add pecans and stir until evenly coated. Spread out on prepared baking sheet.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Cool.
- Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toss together all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Add desired amount of vinaigrette.
- Add 1 cup of the candied pecans to the salad.
Notes
Nutrition
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