Fresh Apple Pear Salad Recipe with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
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Fresh, crisp, and bursting with flavor—this vibrant Apple Pear Salad with Poppyseed Dressing is everything you need for a perfect side dish or light and delicious lunch!
Sweet apples and juicy pears pair beautifully with crunchy greens, salty nuts, and tangy crumbled cheese, all tied together with a creamy, slightly sweet poppyseed dressing. Whether it’s a busy weeknight or a festive gathering, this salad is easy to make and full of vibrant fall flavors that will leave everyone coming back for seconds!
I NEVER used to eat salad as a meal. The salad was a side dish that started the meal. That is until I started eating salads that satisfied my cravings and felt like a complete meal like this Apple Pear Salad, our Greek Salad with Lemon Dressing, and our Popeye Salad. These recipes will not leave you hungry 30 later.
Please note, that the printable recipe card has the full list of ingredients, quantities, complete instructions, and nutritional information. The following is a quick overview of the recipe.
Apple Pear Salad Ingredients
One of the benefits of this salad is that you can enjoy it all year long and I can’t think of a soul that wouldn’t like the Lemon Poppyseed dressing.
We recommend fresh and crispy apples over a soft apple such as Delicious varieties. The choices are endless. Honey crisp, Braeburn, and Fuji work well. If you like tart apples, a Granny Smith is for you.
The best pears are the ones you like to eat straight from the bowl. For us, that’s a Bartlett pear (Williams pear). Anjou pears either red or green, Bosc or Comice pears are also great options.
Greens are also a matter of personal choice. Romaine, spinach, and iceberg lettuce are sturdy enough to hold up to the other ingredients and can be prepared beforehand. For convenience, you can use a blend of greens.
Swiss Cheese contrasts nicely with the sweet fruit. Other delicious options include Feta, Blue Cheese, aged Cheddar, shaved Parmesan, or even Goat cheese.
Pro Tip: We pair the cheese with additional toppings like candied nuts or dried cranberries to create a balanced, flavorful bite in every forkful! Oh, and don’t forget the Homemade Croutons!
Adding protein makes it a complete meal. Lean turkey or chicken is what we suggest. Crumbled bacon is one of our favorite additions.
Add veggies such as carrots, cucumbers, snap peas, bell peppers, and radishes, to just name a few.
The lemon poppyseed vinaigrette can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. We take it out of the refrigerator to let it warm up a bit. This makes it easier to shake and mix before serving. As delicious as this dressing is, our Balsamic Vinaigrette is a great choice too.
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How to choose fresh apples and pears
Look for fruit that feels slightly firm with no bruises or soft spots.
Allow them to ripen at room temperature if needed. They will be sweeter. Pears are ripe when they yield slightly when pressed gently at the stem.
Hostess Tips
It’s best to add the fresh apples and pears right before serving. If that’s inconvenient, spritz them with lemon juice to keep them from browning.
There’s no reason to peel the apples and pears.
We recommend grating your own cheese. It’s soft and more flavorful than store-bought which often contains non-clumping ingredients that dry it out. It’s also more economical than buying pre-shredded cheese.
To make this salad ahead of time you can prepare the ingredients and then just assemble it before serving. I let my guests make their own so they can use exactly what they like.
Storage
One of the benefits of assembling the salad right before serving is that you can store the ingredients separately. Refrigerate fresh ingredients for up to 3 days. The vinaigrette will last for 1 month. Dressed salad doesn’t store well and leftovers should be discarded.
I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.
Apple Pear Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing
Ingredients
Dressing
- ½ cup white granulated sugar you can substitute with honey
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice 1½-2 lemons
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3 green onions chopped (white and green parts)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- 2/3 cups vegetable oil or canola (neutral) oil
Salad
- 2 heads Lettuce greens of your choice torn to bite-size pieces
- 1 cup cashews lightly chopped
- ½ cup craisins
- 1 apple diced
- 1 pear cubed
- 1 cup Swiss cheese shredded
Instructions
- Combine dressing ingredients and mix well. Right before serving, combine salad ingredients and drizzle with dressing. Reserve any extra dressing in the refrigerator for future use.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
If you love a great salad like we do, here are a few of our favorite salad recipes.
- Chicken Pear Salad with Goat Cheese
- Popeye Approved Vegetarian Spinach Power Salad
- Honey Yogurt Parfait with Pears and Granola
- Peg’s Salad – Italian Raw Veggie Salad
- Warm Goat Cheese Salad
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This Apple Pear Salad recipe was first released on August 11, 2019. It has been updated to improve our readers’ experience. We added simple details and new images. No changes were made to the actual recipe.
I have serves this salad three times recently and am serving it to guests again in a few days — even though it’s almost spring!
Thank you, Margaret! It’s perfect for Spring even though the weather is a little slow on getting idea!
Love the sweet and salty crunch this salad offers!
Thank you, Jess! It’s one of our favorites!
We loved all the bright fresh flavors of this salad – 5 stars!!!
Thank you! We love this one too!
My grandma used to make pear salads all the time but this one blows her out of the water!
Poor G-ma LOL! Thank you, Jennifer!
This salad is absolutely awesome! It has so much flavor going on and it’s perfect as a main dish!
Thank you, Lisa!
Hearty salads are the best meals for me to pack up and eat for my lunch on the go! I kept the dressing separate and add just before eating. The Swiss cheese really compliments the flavors in this apple pear salad! Will definitely be making again.
I agree, Sandra! Thank you!
The dressing looks just fantastic, I love making my own! Lovely salad – on the menu this week!
Thank you, Deb!
I had so many pears from the farmers market it was an easy way to use them up! The poppyseed dressing was delightful with the sweetness of the pears! Thank you
Thank you Michele!
The lemon poppyseed dressing paired perfectly with the other flavors of this salad! We will be making again and again!
Thank you, Michaela!
This salad is a MUST TRY!!!! Love that homemade dressing!
Thank you Brani!
I really enjoyed this salad. Who would have thought that the combinations of ingredients would compliment each other so well? Very light and refreshing. Will make again.
Thank you so much Malissa!