Best Salad Ever (My Most Requested Salad Recipe) (2024)

by Mary Neumann ·

Today I am sharing one of my most requested recipes, The BEST SALAD EVER!! If you like the ingredients, you will LOVE this! Gorgonzola, apple, cherries (or cranberries), pecans and bacon, with a sweet balsamic dressing. Trust me, you will be going back for seconds…maybe thirds – it’s that good!

Read the rave reviews from people who tried this recipe on Pinterest!

Read more reviews from my original post for this salad.

Best Salad Ever (My Most Requested Salad Recipe) (1)

The Best Salad for Dinner Parties, Holidays, Special Occasions!

I created this over twenty-six years ago when I was pregnant with my first child, trying to cure my salty, sweet, tart craving. Since then, it has been my go-to and one of my most requested recipes. I make it for dinner parties, holidays, special occasions, and it’s what my first child requests every single birthday – fitting.

I highly recommend using my saladdressingrecipe below – no substituting. All the flavorstogether is what makes this salad so delicious.

Best Salad Ever (My Most Requested Salad Recipe) (2)



Mary’s Best Salad Ever (My Most Requested Salad Recipe):

Print Recipe

Save to Pinterest

Ingredients

  • 1 bag spring salad mix
  • 1 bag romaine
  • 3 oz bag of Oscar Mayer real bacon (It’s best to make your own bacon – but I almost always cheat – applewood smoked bacon is awesome with this salad)
  • 1/2 cup dried cherries or cranberries
  • 1 large granny smith apple, chopped
  • 1/2 cup toasted pecans or almonds
  • 5 oz Gorgonzolaor blue cheese crumbled


Directions
Clean lettuce, place in large bowl and top with ingredients – toss.

Mary’s Sweet Balsamic Dressing


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
  • 1/8teaspoondry mustard (or a little squeeze of yellow or Grey Poupon mustard)
  • Few twists of fresh cracked pepper Or use 1/8 tsp of reg ground pepper

Directions
Whisk all the ingredients together, until sugar and oil are blended. It takes a few minutes for the oil and sugar to blend. Keep whisking….it will blend.

Tips

You can substitute dried cherries with dried cranberries and sub Gorgonzola/blue cheese with goat or feta cheese.

The dressing is easy to adapt by adjusting the amount of sugar. If you like less sweet, add a little sugar at a time until you reach the desired sweetness.

Some people have made the dressing with olive oil and enjoyed the results. I have not used olive oil, so I am unable to tell you if it changes the taste of the salad. If you want to use olive oil, make a small batch to taste test.

Chop the apple right before serving to prevent it from browning.

Top with chicken (grilled is wonderful) for a meal.

Best Salad Ever (My Most Requested Salad Recipe) (3)

If you make the salad, please let me know what you think.

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

More Gorgonzola Apple cherry Bacon Pecan Salad

Dinner Made Easy with Slow Cooker

Tried-and-true recipes to make cooking in your slow cooker simply & delicious!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Megan

    How many does this serve?

    • Mary Neumann

      Serves 6-8 people Megan.

  2. Kristy

    A friend of mine made this salad for our Christmas party last year, and I immediately had to ask her for the recipe. It’s so good! It’s been my go-to salad ever since.

  3. Debi

    Made this for Thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved it. Will definitely make over and over. I don’t like gorgonzola so substituted with crumbled goat cheese. Delicious!!

  4. JJeanie Schuler

    I apologize if I missed this information – how many servings are there in this recipe? It sounds like the perfect salad for our neighborhood ladies’ progressive lunch next week. Thank you!

    • Mary Neumann

      When I make this, it serves up to 8 people.

  5. Julie

    I made this salad and brought it to my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. It was so delicious and I was asked to share the recipe. This is a keeper! Thank you for posting it!

  6. Debbie

    Hi Mary….I am an avid and very adventurous cook and so when I came across your balsamic dressing, I had to chuckle bc I’ve throwing those ingredients together with a few others and everyone goes wild. I also will throw some tortilla shells on the grill and brush some of the dressing onto it and flip and do the other side until it’s as soft or crisp as you like. I use honey and brown sugar in place of regular sugar. I also throw in some garlic, onion powder, and some herbs, and I mix in some apple cider vinegar as well. Try it and let me know your thoughts!!! Thanks for sharing!!! I love it!! 🙂

  7. Martha Merrill

    What is the size of each bag of salad? I need to know so I am making the correct amount of salad.

  8. Dede

    Best. Salad. Ever.
    I never comment or write reviews but this is worth it.
    I followed recipe exactly. Unbelievable combination of tastes.
    Thank you so much for the recipe!

  9. Debby

    I am highly allergic to blue cheeses -what can I sub?

    • Mary Neumann

      You can sub with feta or goat cheese, Debby.

« Older Comments

Best Salad Ever (My Most Requested Salad Recipe) (2024)

FAQs

Best Salad Ever (My Most Requested Salad Recipe)? ›

The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert.

What are the five main types of salad? ›

The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert.

What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

What makes a salad more delicious? ›

Season the greens & vegetables

This also creates layers of flavor, giving your salad depth. Another way to add layers is by adding prepared ingredients to your salad like pickles, marinated or grilled veggies, or anything brined, like olives or capers.

What are the 4 types of salads? ›

salad, any of a wide variety of dishes that fall into the following principal categories: green salads; vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads.

What are popular salad items? ›

Toppings like tortilla strips, croutons and nuts offer a pleasant crunch, while creamy, salty cheeses add unique flavor. Of course, meats, beans and tofu add a protein boost, and berries and dried fruits lend a touch of sweetness. Whatever you're in the mood for, there's something for you here.

What does the perfect salad contain? ›

ADD A MIX OF COLORFUL NON-STARCHY VEGETABLES.

Throw in some orange veggies such as carrots which are rich in contain beta carotene and add tomatoes which contain lycopene. Other great options are vitamin C-rich yellow and red peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, and mushrooms.

What are the three keys to a quality salad? ›

The three keys to ensuring a quality salad are use high quality iceberg lettuce, blend the ingredients together, and make sure the salad focuses on two main ingredients. 2. The four basic parts to any salad are the base, body, garnish, and dressing.

What is the secret to making a good salad? ›

Season, taste, repeat

Every salad component should taste good enough to eat on its own, so season your leaves, your dressing, and your add-ins (raw veg, roasted veg, croutons, nuts, and protein), tasting for salt and acid as you go. Toss, taste, and—maybe, just maybe—season again.

How do restaurants make salads so good? ›

Why Do Salads Taste So Much Better at Restaurants?
  • Restaurants use really good ingredients. ...
  • Restaurants toss salads in their biggest bowls. ...
  • Restaurants salt their salads. ...
  • Restaurants make salad dressing from scratch. ...
  • Restaurants understand balance.
Apr 1, 2022

What gives good flavor to salad? ›

Fresh Herbs

Herbs are the leaves, seeds or flowers of plants that can add flavor or fragrance to your dishes. Popular fresh herbs to add to salads or salad dressings include basil, mint, rosemary, parsley, sage and cilantro. Herbs not only add flavor but may also provide various health benefits.

What is a house salad made of? ›

ingredients
  • 12 head lettuce, chopped.
  • 5 slices bacon.
  • 1 large tomatoes, diced.
  • 1 -2 carrot, diced.
  • 12 onion, diced.
  • 1 -2 garlic clove, crushed.
  • 3 eggs, hard boiled.
  • 34 cup cheddar cheese.

What is the most popular American lettuce? ›

Iceberg lettuce is the most common crisphead lettuce variety. Look quickly, and you might mistake it for a green cabbage, but it's worlds away in texture and flavor. It's mild and refreshing, like biting into crunchy water.

What is an appetizer salad? ›

Appetizer salads – light, smaller-portion salads served as the first course of the meal. Side salads – to accompany the main course as a side dish; examples include potato salad and coleslaw.

What are the 7 basic types of salad? ›

7 Types of Salad to Add Color and Crunch to Your Plateau
  • Caesar Salad.
  • Greek Salad (Horiatiki Salata)
  • Caprese Salad.
  • Cobb Salad.
  • Waldorf Salad.
  • Nicoise Salad.
  • Macaroni Salad.
  • Coleslaw.
Sep 5, 2023

What are the six major salad categories? ›

6 Classification of Salads
  • Appetizer Salads.
  • Accompaniment Salads.
  • Main course Salads.
  • Side Dish Salads.
  • Separate Course Salads.
  • Dessert Salads.

What are 5 types of other ingredients that can be used for salads? ›

A typical salad starts with raw greens, such as lettuce, spinach, kale, mixed greens or arugula. However, you can also add several other raw vegetables. Some popular raw veggie toppings include chopped carrots, onions, cucumbers, celery, mushrooms and broccoli.

What are 5 salad greens that can be used as a foundation for salads? ›

Great Greens to Add to Your Salad Bowl
  • Romaine Lettuce. The crisp, elongated leaves of this lettuce are the main ingredient in classic Caesar salad.
  • Butterhead Lettuce. These beautiful rosette-like heads have soft, buttery-textured leaves. ...
  • Iceberg Lettuce. ...
  • Mâche. ...
  • Watercress. ...
  • Dandelion Greens. ...
  • Belgian Endive. ...
  • Frisée.
Jul 21, 2023

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Van Hayes

Last Updated:

Views: 6622

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (66 voted)

Reviews: 81% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Van Hayes

Birthday: 1994-06-07

Address: 2004 Kling Rapid, New Destiny, MT 64658-2367

Phone: +512425013758

Job: National Farming Director

Hobby: Reading, Polo, Genealogy, amateur radio, Scouting, Stand-up comedy, Cryptography

Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.