14 Apple Salad Ideas That Should Be on the Menu All Year Long

Apples are totally crisp and refreshing, so putting them in a salad is a no-brainer. Whether you opt for a sweet variety like Honeycrisp or a tart variety like Granny Smith, the crunchy snap of an apple makes a great addition to all types of salads. They add flavor, texture and heft — elevating wholesome sides and seasonal mains alike. While apples are typically synonymous with fall, there’s no reason to save them for just one season — incorporating them into salads is a good idea any time of year.

Read on for some of our favorite ways to use apples in salad. They can be sliced, shaved or even cubed, and the crisp texture just adds to the overall freshness of the salad. (You can even prep them ahead, as long as you follow a few simple steps to prevent browning.) From quinoa salads to ones with roasted beets and fennel, apples are a versatile add-in that makes every dish taste just a little bit more refreshing.

Ready in just 15 minutes, this fresh and flavorful salad is raw and crisp. The raw kohlrabi has a neutral flavor, so it easily soaks up the flavors of the dijon vinaigrette it’s tossed in. Granny Smith apples add tart, juicy complexity.

Hearty, healthy and perfect for fall, we love that this quinoa salad gets extra sweetness from sliced apples. The homemade vinaigrette is packed with toasty flavor from cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon, so it’s complex and layered with deep flavors throughout. Dried cranberries are dotted throughout the salad to add sweet, tangy flavor.

Bright, bold and beautifully colorful, this salad makes for an impressive dish when feeding a crowd. The sweet, earthiness of the beets balances out the crisp, tart flavor of the apple — and a bit of extra sugar helps bring out the natural sweetness. Chopped walnuts act as the perfect garnish to add even more crunch.

For a fun and inventive appetizer, try this apple chicken salad that’s served inside the perfect little cup: a cherry tomato! It’s an easy finger food that doesn’t require any cutlery, so it’s perfect for a party any time of year.

This light dessert salad is sweet and refreshing. Orange marmalade, almond extract and dried cherries make a fragrant and flavorful dressing that coats every bite. Dried cherries add just a bit of tart chewiness to the otherwise sweet and crunchy salad.

This super healthy recipe is packed with antioxidant-rich kale. While it can be tough when eaten raw, a light lemon dressing helps soften the leaves, making it extra tender and flavorful at the same time. Honeycrisp apples add juicy sweetness and crisp, crunchy texture.

If you love chopped salads, you’ll surely love this shredded version with apples and beets. Once the fruits and vegetables are prepped, we drizzle the salad with a shallot vinaigrette and top it all off with candied walnuts. It’s sweet, tart, crunchy and perfectly refreshing.

In this hearty recipe, pork chops get brushed with apple jelly and grilled to crispy perfection. Next, a simple vinaigrette made of Dijon and vinegar gets tossed with the apples, turnips, lettuce, pork and blue cheese. The result is a hearty salad that’s easy to eat all on its own.

Sweet, crisp apple helps add complexity to this hearty salad. Crispy wontons and almonds add flavorful crunch to the filling recipe that can be served as a side or main dish. The sesame-ginger dressing is key to adding complex, just-sweet-enough flavor.

In this recipe, we’ve chopped the apples to make them easier to eat without a knife. Blue cheese adds creamy tanginess, and chopped walnuts add extra crunch. It’s a crunchy, refreshing salad that’s perfect for lunch, dinner or a side dish.

Squash and apples go together perfectly because they’re both earth and sweet, and the contrasting textures — apples are crisp and squash are tender — make for a complex and unexpected combination. We love using them together in a salad by gently mixing them with a tangy mustard dressing, like this one. Roasted sunflower seeds add extra crunch to the final dish.

Earthy, sweet and just a bit savory, this refreshing salad has it all. It’s crisp and crunchy from the shaved fennel and apple, and bits of salty ricotta salata add creamy bits dotted throughout. The best part? The whole thing takes just 15 minutes to toss together.

Hearty, crunchy and totally nutritious, this rich salad makes a fantastic summer entree when you want something that’s filling and refreshing. A simple Dijon vinaigrette coats every leaf, and Granny Smith apples add just-tart-enough freshness. Top with toasted walnuts and serve.