Our Favorite Apple Salad Recipe!

Who doesn't love a salad that includes fresh seasonal ingredients? Many of us are baking with those delicious seasonal fall apples (making apple crisp, apple pie or apple cobbler) but those juicy apples are also such great addition to savory recipes (like this autumn sheet pan chicken dinner) and side salads like this.

Apples are the crowing star of the show in this salad and they are highlighted beautifully by the other ingredients like the tangy feta and rich smoky bacon. Bacon makes everything better though right?

This salad is simple enough to be an addition to weeknight meal but it's also delicious enough to be served at a holiday gathering or a weekend party.

If you want to make it a main dish just add some chopped rotisserie chicken to it for more protein or consider tossing in a grain like farro, barley or even seedy tri color quinoa.

So much to love about this colorful, vibrant, sweet and savory salad!

Tossed together and ready in only 10 minutes, it’s a crowd-pleasing summer recipe! 

Easy Spinach and Strawberry Salad

Strawberries are one of my favorite summer fruits, and while I love sweet treats like strawberry shortcake trifles and a freshly baked strawberry rhubarb crumb bars, one of the best ways to put them to use is in this strawberry and spinach salad.

It’s made with a base of fresh spinach and strawberries tossed in a homemade poppyseed dressing, and you may love to include almonds and feta cheese, too. 

You’ll find it comes together in minutes and makes a large batch perfect for feeding a crowd. Whether you need a quick side dish or a nutritious meal (with added rotisserie chicken), this salad always has your back. Plus, the dressing can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge so you can make this salad on repeat. 

This may quickly become a go-to summer recipe for you! It's a breeze to throw together, has such a refreshing satisfying flavor, and you can easily modify the recipe using ingredients you have on hand (think spring salad blend, or blueberries or raspberries work well too).

So much to love about this super fresh salad!

Club Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a family favorite pasta salad! It's similar to the taste of a club chicken sandwich meets a ranch salad. In other words it's completely irresistible!

It has all the best flavors including the unmistakable taste of dill, sweet corn, vibrant tomatoes, crave-able cheese, meaty bacon, bone-in cooked chicken, and a rich tangy dressing. And if you want one more summery mix-in you can also include in a buttery avocado.

It makes an extra large batch which is perfectly fitting for a summer cook out of about 12 people, but the recipe can easily be halved as well for a smaller family lunch or dinner (amounts are included at the bottom of the recipe).

Though you'll find it also keeps well in the fridge so you may opt to just make the full batch and have the extra for lunch that's ready to go the following few days.

This chicken pasta salad is chilled and refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day. Plus it's such a tasty upgrade from traditional pasta salad. So much delicious goodness in every serving!

Easy Sour Cream Ranch Dip Recipe

A cool veggie ranch dip that's better than packet mixes but nearly just as easy to make!

It's brimming with fresh flavor, it's supremely creamy, and the added fat in the dip may help better absorb the nutrients of fresh vegetables.

It only requires a handful of ingredients and there are several variations to switch the flavor profile up.

Ways to Use It

And it isn't limited to just use as just a condiment for vegetables. You can use this ranch dip to dunk chicken nuggets or chicken tenders, pizza, baked fries, chips, or crackers.

You could also use it as a spread for a sandwich or over a turkey burger. So many possibilities with this deliciously tasty, abundantly herby dip!

An upgraded coleslaw that's crunchy, fresh and delicious. Made with cabbage, apples, cranberries and almonds and it's all coated in sweet and tangy dressing. It's the perfect side for BBQ's, parties or picnics!

Apple Slaw Recipe

Who doesn't love coleslaw? It's crunchy, it's creamy, it has just enough sweetness, and it goes with just about anything. It's always quick to be polished off.

Here you get the perfect blend of textures and flavors with the mix-in additions of apples, cranberries, almonds and optional cheese. And it's covered in a more wholesome, lighter Greek yogurt dressing (versus a classic coleslaw dressing that has as much as a cup of mayonnaise in it).

This apple slaw recipe has a pleasant mild flavor to it, but if you'd like a more pronounced flavor you can add in a tablespoon of dijon mustard to the dressing.

And if you want to skip a step and go with a shortcut, you can use a coleslaw mix in place of the shredded cabbage and carrots. Also just chop the apples instead of getting paticular and cutting into matchsticks to save time.

I think it's time for pulled pork or pulled chicken sandwiches this week for dinner, don't you? And then of course this homemade coleslaw to go with it!

Lentil Salad

This makes a great lunch or dinner side. It has an abundance of freshness along with a good heartiness to it, and it's easy to make.

You'll find it has a great blend of textures and flavors and it pairs beautifully with chicken or salmon.

You can use a variety of herbs based on what you have. I always like to include parsley then for the second herb addition opt for either cilantro, basil or mint - each will give a different flavor profile so it's nice to switch things up.

Serve it room temp or nice and chilled for a refreshing salad (just keep in the fridge within 2 hours of preparing).

Crispy Onion Rings

When the craving for onion rings strikes sometimes you just don't want to leave the comfort of home to get them. Or perhaps you have a hungry crowd to feed and want to impress with this crave-worthy appetizer or side dish.

Luckily making onion rings at home is easier than you may think and once you learn the method it's a breeze from then on out.

You follow a simple breading process to coat the onion rings, then deep fry in hot oil in batches until beautifully golden brown and crisp. You'll just need a little patience to work in batches.

From there serve with your favorite sauces. Excellent choices are fry sauce, ketchup, ranch dressing, or bbq sauce. Then just prepare for them to disappear as quickly as you put them out!

Note that I've shared other options to cook them if you'd prefer not to deep fry. You can bake in the oven or cook in an air fryer as well.

With any of the three options though you'll end with something completely delicious!

Easy Balsamic Dressing

This classic balsamic vinaigrette is a must in your recipe collection.

It takes just a few minutes to make, only needs a handful of ingredients, and it's one of the most flavorful dressing recipes. Plus it's a hundred times better than anything you'll buy in a bottle on the shelf.

For a slightly thicker, refreshingly cold dressing just prepare an hour or two ahead to allow some time for it to chill in the fridge.

Serve it over a classic crisp green salad with tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, or over a spinach salad with strawberries and feta. You can't go wrong with either one!

Easy Orzo Pasta Salad

This is the perfect thing to make year-round. It's a nutritious, well rounded, veggie-packed pasta salad.

You can make as is or toss in some cooked chicken or shrimp (just make a little bit of extra dressing). And if you want to make it even healthier you can use whole wheat pasta in place of the standard semolina based orzo.

This is brimming with fresh Mediterranean flavor and it is so easy to throw together. It's mostly just a bit of chopping, cooking orzo pasta and whisking a quick dressing.

We love it for lunch but it's always so welcomed at dinner too, and it's delicious paired with salmon or grilled chicken. It may likely soon be one of your favorite recipes to make with orzo!

Healthy Lemon Kale Salad

To say kale salad took us by surprise is an understatement. You may think kale salad, how boring, but with the right dressing and a few complementary mix-ins you can make bold earthy flavored kale turn into something truly delicious!

We've been eating this apple kale salad almost every week since I shared it (my kids even request it for school lunch believe it or not). So I thought it would be nice to throw another one into the rotation. One with the tantalizing flavor trio of parmesan, lemon and garlic.

I think you'll love this one paired with a pasta main dish or just add some chicken and turn it into the main course. Just hold the crouton crumbles until you're almost ready to serve it so they don't get soggy.