If you’re looking for fun ways to make your next salad more exciting, you can’t go wrong with our blue cheese pecan chopped salad. This nutrition-packed salad combines crunchy elements like candied pecans with bright and salty blue cheese for an excellent addition to any table.
A Salad for Any Season
While you may think of pecans as a fall food that’s best in pies or on top of sweet potatoes, their buttery crunch makes them a perfect addition to various dishes you can serve throughout the year. Depending on the season, you can also add different mix-ins — such as dried cranberries — to further highlight the bright flavors present.
What You’ll Need to Make Your Salad
You’ll need ingredients for the candied pecans, dressing and base to make your salad.
Ingredients for the candied pecans:
- 1 tablespoon of melted butter
- 1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- ½ cup of whole or halved pecans
Dressing ingredients:
- 2 ounces of blue cheese crumbles
- 1 tablespoon of fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tablespoons of sour cream
- 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup of white vinegar
- ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil
Salad ingredients:
- 3 cups of bibb lettuce or butter lettuce, chopped
- 3 cups of red leaf lettuce, chopped
- 3 cups of iceberg lettuce, chopped
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 ounces of blue cheese crumbles
How to Make Your Salad
This blue cheese pecan chopped salad is simple to create, making it a great dish to throw together before guests come over or as an easy weeknight meal. Start by combining the pecans, light brown sugar, ground cinnamon and melted butter in a bowl. Toss the nuts to coat them, pour them onto a baking sheet and cook in a 375-degree Fahrenheit oven for three to five minutes.
As you let the nuts cool, you can start making the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients until they are well combined. Then, mix the lettuce and scallions in a mixing bowl before adding the dressing and pecans. Add the extra blue cheese crumbles and serve.
Add Irresistible Flavor With Pecans From Pecan Nation
Pecans are the glue that ties this delicious salad together, making it essential to choose the best-quality nuts possible. At Pecan Nation, we are in charge of the production process from picking to shipping, so you can feel confident your nuts will arrive at the peak of freshness. If you’d like to switch up your recipe, we also offer various flavored pecans, such as cinnamon and maple crumbles, for endless flavor combinations. Shop our selection of pecan flavors, or explore our recipes for inspiration for your next meal today!
