Mixed Green Salad with Goat Cheese, Glazed Pecans & Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
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This elegant mixed green salad is my go-to for company—maple-glazed pecans, creamy goat cheese, and a tangy-sweet vinaigrette make it a hit every time!
If you’ve had dinner at my house, chances are you’ve had this salad. It’s a favorite—the glazed pecans and goat cheese dress it up, and the vinaigrette is one of those salty-sweet-tangy flavor combinations that everyone loves. The original recipe was printed in The Washington Post many years ago, but I had it for the first time at my friend Kelly’s house for a holiday dinner, and I wouldn’t leave without the recipe! I make my version with mixed greens and goat cheese, but Kelly makes hers with romaine and blue cheese, as specified in the original recipe. If that sounds more up your alley, feel free to follow her lead.
What You’ll Need To Make Mixed Green Salad With Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare the Maple-Glazed Pecans
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil or line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the pecans and maple syrup and toss gently to combine.
Spread the pecans in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets.
Roast in the preheated oven, stirring once, until the syrup is bubbling vigorously, about 5 minutes. Immediately scrape the glazed pecans onto the other prepared baking sheet, spreading them in a single layer. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
Make the Vinaigrette
In a jar, combine the garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, and oil.
Shake vigorously to blend.
Assemble the Salad
Place the greens in a large bowl or on a platter, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again.
Divide among individual plates, sprinkle with the cheese and reserved pecans and serve immediately.
The dressing will keep for a few days in the fridge so feel free to make it ahead of time; just toss it with the greens right before serving. You can also make the glazed pecans in advance — they’ll keep at room temperature, in an airtight container, for up to a week.
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Mixed Green Salad with Goat Cheese, Glazed Pecans & Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
This elegant mixed green salad is my go-to for company—maple-glazed pecans, creamy goat cheese, and a tangy-sweet vinaigrette make it a hit every time!
Ingredients
For the Pecans
- 1 cup (4 ounces) pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- Pinch salt
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons real maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the Salad
- 10 cups mixed greens such as green or red leaf, boston, bibb, romaine, or mesclun
- 3 ounces goat cheese (or blue cheese), crumbled
Instructions
For the Pecans
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil or line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the pecans and maple syrup and toss gently to combine. Spread the pecans in a single layer on one of the prepared baking sheets. Roast in the preheated oven, stirring once, until the syrup is bubbling vigorously, about 5 minutes. Immediately scrape the glazed pecans onto the other prepared baking sheet, spreading them in a single layer. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
For the Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, maple syrup, mustard and vinegar. Whisking constantly, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. (Alternatively, add all your ingredients to a jar, cover with lid, and shake vigorously to blend.) Set aside.
For the Salad
- Place the greens in a large bowl, drizzle with about half of the vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add as much of the remaining vinaigrette as desired and toss again. Divide among individual plates, sprinkle with the cheese and reserved pecans and serve immediately.
- Note: Nutritional information assumes that all of the salad dressing is used.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 335
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 4 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 224 mg
- Cholesterol: 7 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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This salad sounds amazing! I’m going to bring it to a family Thanksgiving dinner, there will be about 20 people, however, I think I will just double the recipe as there will be tons of other dishes. My question is, at what point do I add the dressing? Or would it be best on the side? I just don’t want it to be soaked in dressing and yet it seems the dressing would separate if on the side? If I blend the dressing in a processor, does it change the taste? Sorry for all the questions.
I’d toss the salad with about half the dressing immediately before serving. You can serve the remainder on the side so people can help themselves if they’d like. And a food processor isn’t necessary for this, but it won’t change the taste. Hope that helps!
This salad is absolute perfection!
I made this for Thanksgiving. Huge hit! The glazed pecans were a favorite pre-dinner snack. I loved the ease of this salad!
This was absolutely delicious! This is a fun salad to put your own spin on it. I used spinach instead of mesclun and added cubed roasted sweet potatoes and dried cranberries. Next time I may try instead adding apples and bleu cheese instead of goat cheese.
Jenn,
This was a delicious salad, “ was” being the operative word. One of our guests is allergic to the soybean oil in vegetable oil. Can you recommend an alternative?
Thank you for so many outstanding recipes with the best instructions.
Hi Elaine, So glad you like the recipes! I just googled it and canola oil doesn’t have soy, so that would be a good alternative.
Another incredibly delicious recipe! Thank you for such perfection. The flavors are perfectly balanced. We love all of your recipes. Each salad is better than the last. We love salads and you have the best recipes.
Loved this salad. Used a combination of romaine and a bag of mixed greens. It’s delicious. I do not drench my salad with dressing.
Would honey be a good substitute for the maple syrup in the vinaigrette?
It will have a slightly different flavor, but it will work. Hope you enjoy!