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):

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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

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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.

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

FAQs

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 to add to a salad to make it better? ›

Add one or more of these protein-rich foods to your salad:
  1. lean meat: chicken or turkey breast, lean steak.
  2. lower-fat cheese: light cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, feta, goat cheese.
  3. legumes: kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, white or black beans.
  4. eggs: hard boiled.
  5. soy products: cubed tofu, edamame.

What are the five most common types of salads? ›

What Are the Most Popular Salads?
  • Macaroni Salad. This is a pasta salad, which makes sense given the name. ...
  • Fruit Salad. As its name suggests, fruit salad goes heavy on fruit instead of vegetables. ...
  • Greek Salad. ...
  • Caesar Salad. ...
  • Coleslaw.
Aug 16, 2022

What is the number 1 salad dressing? ›

Ranch Dressing

The ranch is hands down America's most beloved salad dressings. It is made from a number of ingredients such as buttermilk, mayonnaise, mustard, garlic, onion, chives, salt, and pepper. A creamier and richer version often features sour cream or yogurt for enhanced taste.

Which salad green is the most popular one used in the USA? ›

Iceberg lettuce may be the most popular of all the salad greens, but it's definitely not the healthiest base you can choose.

What are the three keys to a quality salad? ›

The three keys to ensuring a quality salad are:
  • The freshness of ingredients.
  • Having all the ingredients blend together in harmony.
  • Making sure the salad is appealing to the eye.

How can I jazz up my salad? ›

Simple ways to spice up your salad
  1. Use a lettuce that you actually like! ...
  2. Add roasted veggies: I love adding roasted sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts or broccoli to a salad! ...
  3. Mix it up & Chop it up! ...
  4. Add a little crunch: A little texture difference is a big thing in a salad!
Aug 5, 2019

What is the healthiest salad mix? ›

Best: Spinach or Kale Salad

They have the most nutrients. Case in point: Kale and spinach have over 10 times more immune-boosting vitamins A and C than iceberg lettuce. Not a fan of those? Turn over a new leaf: Boston, bibb, and romaine lettuces have a mild flavor, while arugula and watercress have a peppery bite.

What is the most common lettuce for salad? ›

One of the most popular lettuces in the country, romaine lettuce is crispy and fresh and perfectly mild-mannered. You can buy romaine hearts, which are the tighter-curled and crunchier inner leaves of a head of romaine, or you can buy a whole head of romaine, which includes the larger, fluffier outer leaves.

What are 5 components of a satisfying salad? ›

But today, I am going to teach you how to make a salad without using a recipe so you, too, can become a salad artist. Sound like a deal? There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

What are the basic greens used in most salads? ›

Common greens
  • crisphead (also known as iceberg): a round, tightly packed head of light-colored, crunchy leaves.
  • romaine: long, crisp leaves often used in Caesar salads.
  • butterhead: a loosely packed head of lettuce that resembles a blossoming flower (such as Boston lettuce)
Apr 19, 2021

What is the most common salad green used? ›

The most popular of this type, and perhaps most popular of all the greens on this list, is iceberg lettuce. It was created in the 1940s as a sturdy head of lettuce that would hold up well to shipping. Though it's not the best source of nutrients, it does have a terrific crunch that's hard to beat.

What was the world's first salad? ›

The first recordings of people enjoying salad date back to Ancient Roman times. The salads of that time were not much different than the modern-day garden salads of today. They consisted of fresh, edible herbs, lettuce, and raw vegetables, and the dressing of the time was a simple mixture of oil and salt.

What is the most popular American lettuce? ›

Crisphead, or iceberg, is probably the best-known lettuce in the U.S., in part because of its shrink-wrapped presence at nearly every grocery store in the country. Look for a round, compact, pale green head.

What is the most popular lettuce in the world? ›

1. Crisphead lettuce. Crisphead, also known as iceberg or head lettuce, is one of the most widely used lettuces.

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