Cape Cod Chopped Salad

When it comes to salad, I amost always make the same dressing. Obviously I love it, which is why I have it all the time, but sometimes it's nice making something different.  While flipping through one of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks, I came across this salad recipe and thought it sounded delicious. It also looked like a great Thanksgiving salad with its use of toasted nuts and cranberries. The dressing is simple to make and can be prepared ahead of time, and the rest of the salad comes together really easily.

In the last week I've had this salad twice, so clearly I think it's great. As with most Ina recipes, I reduced the amount of dressing she uses. Trust me, there is no need for 2/3 cup of olive oil in this recipe. Also, I know some people don't like blue cheese, so you could add something like crumbled goat cheese instead since the cheese adds great flavor and texture to the salad. The original recipe calls for 8 ounces of bacon, but I omitted it and did not think that the salad was lacking anything. Serve this colorful salad at any occasion for a welcomed change to your average vinaigrette dressing.

Adapted from Ina Garten
Serves 4

For the Dressing:
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (I used raspberry red wine vinegar)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon orange zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice (about 1/2 an orange)
2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
salt and pepper, to taste (about 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)

For the Salad:
8 ounces of arugula (if you can't find arugula, use a spring mix)
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans
1 apple, peeled and diced

In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the dressing.

In a salad bowl, combine the arugula, cheese, cranberries, nuts, and apple. Add the salad dressing and toss. Serve immediately. Pin It Now!