A different, fun and healthy recipe to use your apples this fall! This Paleo Candied Pecan Apple Salad with Bacon combines fresh baby spinach with sweet toasted candied pecans, crisp savory bacon, fresh chopped apple, and a tangy sweet apple cider vinaigrette. 
Don’t hate me because I put bacon in everything. Just kidding. Hate me because I haven’t yet worked up the nerve to put it in cookies, yet. As much as I love it, I hesitate to just stick bacon in cookies or brownies and pray. Thoughts? Bacon and apples though, that’s my jam. My bacon jam (another thing I haven’t made yet, oh well.) I’ve been hanging on to this salad recipe for a couple of weeks now waiting for the right time to post it. The pumpkins are getting all the “spice” this season already, but I like to give apples the love they deserve as well. I’ll even forgive them for being high FODMAP and thus difficult for me to digest – I do make exceptions for things like awesome salads and apple crisp! 
Anyway, thanks to my sick day and subsequent missing race recap (that I’d tentatively scheduled in my head for today), now’s the time. I’ve been wanting to try out candy-coating pecans by roasting them with a bit of coconut oil and sugar, but then I also wanted to put them in something. I’m not big on snacking on nuts alone, but I love them in salads! If you were ever in a situation where you were wagering money on what I’d order at practically any restaurant (because that could happen), you’d be safe with any salad involving walnuts or pecans. Bonus if they’re coated in something sweet! Double bonus if there’s goat cheese involved, triple if there’s bacon. So, I decided to make my own version of every beloved restaurant nut-salad. Gee that sounds appetizing, but really, it is. Candied pecans with pink lady apples, spinach, bacon, and an apple cider vinaigrette. This one even your kids will not mind picking at – true story – Diana decided she liked spinach after trying this. I guess she never had spinach with bacon? And I’m calling myself a Paleo Momma? And, for the sake of full disclosure – I have to tell you I threw avocado on mine after I took the pictures, because I was hungry. Hunger will often demand avocado on a salad, so feel free 🙂 
Paleo Candied Pecan Apple Salad
Ingredients
- For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp raw honey you could also use pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
- For the Candied Pecans:
- 1/2 cup raw pecan halves
- 1 tsp coconut oil melted and cooled
- 1 tsp coconut sugar
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- For the Salad:
- 2 large handfuls/bunches baby spinach
- 1 pink lady apple chopped
- 4 slices bacon cooked until crisp, drained, and crumbled
Instructions
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To roast your pecans, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and in a bowl, toss the pecan halves with the coconut oil, sugar, and cinnamon. Line a baking sheet with parchments paper and spread them out evenly. Bake for 5-7 minutes in the preheated oven, checking to make sure they don't begin to burn.
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Combine the Vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well. To assemble the salad, combine the spinach with the chopped apples, roasted candied pecans, and crumbled bacon. Just before serving, toss in the prepared apple cider vinaigrette (or serve the dressing on the side.)
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Makes about two servings - feel free to double or triple the recipe to serve a crowd!
And wait! Before you go, you MUST check out my interview today with Meredith in her post about fueling strategies for runners. Oddly enough, as much as I talk about and show you my food on this blog, I haven’t specifically written concisely about the specifics of my own strategy for fueling!
Now a couple of fun questions for you: If someone had to bet on a menu item you’d order at nearly any restaurant, what would it be? What’s your current favorite apple recipe? Here are a few favorites of mine to check out if you haven’t already!
Roasted Butternut Squash, Apple and Walnut Salad
This salad just may be the perfect salad. I love candied pecans on salads and you can never go wrong with bacon. I’m pretty much obsessed with apples right now – I keep a few varieties on hand at a time and put them in everything.
Thanks 🙂 I like fall for collecting a bunch of different types of apples and experimenting. Plus, we seriously need a strawberry break over here!
Bahahaha! When I put nuts on my bowls of veggies or salads, I either pile them to the side for after or eat them off the top right away! Hahahaha! I like them to be their own savored “course” 😉
A nut course, I like that!
Ok so candied pecans sound freaking amazing right now – and the cinnamon is such a great touch! I need to pick up some organic apples so i can make a salad as well because tis the season!! This looks great, love how simple it is 😉
I really have a thing for pecans once fall rolls around! And thanks, simple good ingredients are where it’s at 🙂
Apples + candied pecans= heaven! This looks amazing!
Bacon makes everything better! Seriously though, this salad looks delicious and I think the sweet / salty combo of the apples & bacon would work really well! I have to try this 🙂
I love apples in a salad and also on a grilled cheese. I love them baked, turned into sauce, fried in fritters or made into cider. Basically, I adore apples in all scenarios, which means this salad is apple perfection.
Put the bacon in cookies. It’ll be good. The perfect sweet and salty combo.
We’re going apple picking today! I love apples too. And bacon, I’ll have to try the bacon cookies 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! Even though I prefer to go out and eat way more, I still check recipes and try them from time to time. Moreover, not so long ago, I discovered food tours There, and for me, it was a great discovery. I stopped having any problems looking for hidden gems abroad, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
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