Name: Healthy Apple Walnut Green Salad {gluten free + vegan option + paleo option}
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: gluten free
Ingredients: 1 5 ounce container of tender salad greens; 1 green apple, very thinly sliced; 1 small bulb of fennel, shaved thin; 1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1/2 cup toasted walnuts; 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional); small handful of fresh parsley leaves; 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon sea salt; fresh cracked black pepper; 1 teaspoon grainy mustard; 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey; 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped

This healthy apple walnut green salad is the best fall + winter green salad! Made with crisp granny smith apples, sweet shaved fennel, crunchy walnuts, flecks of fresh herbs, creamy feta cheese, and a bold and punchy vinaigrette. Gluten free, with vegan and paleo options.

Large green salad on a round plate and a light colored background. Salad greens layered with thinly sliced green onion, thinly shaved fresh fennel, sliced red onion, walnuts, and torn parsley leaves. Drizzled with a mustardy dressing.

Just because the cold temps are here, doesn’t mean that absolutely delicious green salads should fall to the wayside. I actually ADORE the flavors and textures that can be packed into fall / winter salads. Something about the bold flavors, crunchy textures, and robust bite of toasted nuts or seeds never fails to send me swooning.

And this healthy green apple salad is no exception. I would argue that it is the exact opposite of a boring green salad. Because life is too damn short to eat anything other than green salads that leave you wanting more. That’s just my personal opinion, but I have a strong hunch that if you’re here you agree with me on that point 😉

Why you’ll love this healthy apple walnut green salad

This healthy green salad is:

Hearty
Bright
Full of texture
Fresh + crunchy!
Versatile
Packed with flavor
Absolutely delicious!

Side angle shot of a large green salad on a round plate and a light colored background. Salad greens layered with thinly sliced green onion, thinly shaved fresh fennel, sliced red onion, walnuts, and torn parsley leaves. Drizzled with a mustardy dressing. Next to a smaller plate of salad with a fork on the plate.

Healthy apple walnut green salad ingredients

Okay so the basics of building a “not boring” salad starts with a solid ingredient line up. Ideally you’ll want to begin with a layer of fresh and vibrant greens, and then add in lots of texture and flavor with the remaining ingredients.

The ingredients in this green apple salad are versatile and interchangeable, so if you see something on the ingredient list you know you don’t like, feel free to swap it for something that you do! I’ll also include a list of some substitutions that can be made near the bottom of this post if you want some ideas. Just try and stick to ingredients with lots of texture + flavor for a truly mind-blowing salad experience!

(If you’re already ready to get started, scroll all the way down to the bottom for the full recipe!)

Here’s exactly what you need to make this apple walnut salad:

5 ounce container of your favorite salad greens – mixed greens, arugula, baby spinach, or baby kale would all be delicious
Thinly sliced green apple
Small fennel bulb – I know this is a controversial vegetable, but even my non-fennel-loving husband agrees that it’s delicious in this salad! I think the key is in tossing it with lemon juice 😉
Red onion
Lemon juice – By tossing the apple and fennel in a little lemon juice before adding it to the salad you brighten up the flavors and keep the apple from turning brown!
Toasted walnuts – for some satisfying crunch and toasty goodness
Feta cheese – tangy and creamy, feta adds a really nice layer to this salad. But if you’re dairy free you can easily leave it out, or substitute with a vegan cheese option!
Fresh parsley
Herbed lemony dressing – made with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, grainy mustard (!!!), maple syrup or honey, and fresh parsley. This dressing is a legit homemade vinaigrette obsession. Consider yourself warned – once you make it once you may NEED to have it with every green salad you make!

Side angle shot of a plate of salad greens on a light colored background with a green apple in the foreground of the image.

Side angle shot of dressing being drizzled over layered salad of greens, apples, fennel, walnuts, red onion, and parsley.

How to make this healthy apple walnut green salad

It’s all about the LAYERS with this salad. Grab a large wide plate or bowl, and follow the steps below to get started!

Here’s the step-by-step instructions:

Step 1: Start with the greens

Place tender salad greens on a large serving bowl or platter and set aside.

Step 2: Prep the apple, fennel, and red onion

Thinly sliced the apple, shave the fennel, and thinly slice the red onion. Add them all to a medium sized bowl & toss with 1 tablespoon lemon juice to prevent browning + add some zip. Set aside.

Step 3: Make the punchy dressing

In a small jar or bowl combine remaining 2 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, sea salt, maple syrup or honey, & parsley. Shake or whisk together until well combined. Taste and adjust salt / maple syrup / honey if desired.

Step 4: Assemble the salad

When ready to serve, top salad greens with apples, fennel, & red onion. Toss salad with dressing & finish with toasted walnuts, feta cheese, & parsley.

Step 5: Serve!

Serve immediately & enjoy!

What to serve with this fennel and green apple salad

This healthy green salad is a delicious accompaniment to any of your cozy fall or winter meals. The bright and zippy flavors will lighten up any hearty cool weather meal!

It also makes an excellent holiday salad to share for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

You could make it a complete meal by topping it with some perfectly cooked sliced chicken, seared salmon, or my easy garlic basil sautéed shrimp!

Can you make this green salad ahead of time?

This apple walnut salad can be made ahead of time if you keep it separated in several parts and assemble. Since salad greens can wilt quickly after tossing with dressing, dress it only just before serving.

Here’s some tips for how to prep in advance:

Wash greens and store in the bowl you plan to serve it in or a covered storage container in the fridge.
Make salad dressing and store in a jar. If you’re serving within a few hours it can be left on the counter, but if you’re making the dressing a day or more in advance store it in the refrigerator and don’t add the parsley until just before using.
If serving the same day that you prep the salad, the apple, fennel, and red onion can be tossed with the lemon juice and stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. If prepping the day before cover sliced apples, fennel, and red onion in water and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. When you’re ready to assemble the salad drain completely and toss with lemon juice.
Toast walnuts, crumble cheese, and prep fresh parsley. Store in separate containers in the fridge until ready to use.

Substitutions & swaps

This salad is incredibly versatile and there are endless options for substitutions.

To make this salad vegan: Leave out the feta cheese or substitute with a dairy free alternative, and use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing.

To make this salad paleo: Leave out the feta cheese + make sure your mustard doesn’t have any added sugar.

Here’s a few extra substitution ideas to get you started:

Swap red apples or firm pears for the green apple
Thinly sliced celery instead of shaved fennel
Chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds instead of toasted walnuts
Green onions instead of red onion
Kale instead of tender salad greens – by using a hearty green like kale instead of tender greens this salad would actually keep for several days in the refrigerator! For the best flavor massage the dressing into the chopped kale leaves until it starts to soften slightly before layering with the rest of the salad ingredients.
White or red wine vinegar instead of lemon juice in the salad dressing
Goat cheese instead of feta cheese
A vegan dairy free “soft cheese” instead of feta

Love this recipe? Here’s some other healthy salad recipes to try!