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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Hi Jen, can I use olive oil or canola for dressing?
Yes, I’d go with canola oil. Hope you enjoy!
I put this dressing on everything. I use dried shallots to make it even faster, and it always turns out great!
This is my all time favorite salad recipe that I’ve made countless times. Always a hit, and often make when cooking for company. Thank you so much for your recipes!!
This salad was fantastic!!
Every time I make this salad for my family they rave about it! And it’s in regular rotation at least a few times a month. It’s simple and delicious. I add sliced fresh ripe pears in the fall, strawberries in early summer and mandarin oranges in the winter.
Oh wow, this dressing with the gorgeous mix of maple pecans and spicy greens is fantastic! I can’t eat dairy so I left the cheese off, and it was still amazing.
Thank you!
Hi Jenn,
We love this maple Dijon vinaigrette. I make up a jar and keep it in the fridge for our summer salads. It goes with everything, even Greek salad! Thanks for another wonderful recipe. K
Hi Jenn,
We are very health conscious here. I want to make this salad for Thanksgiving but am wary of vegetable oil. Is there a brand or type of vegetable oil that you can recommend as being healthy?
Hi Colleen, I generally use Mazola but I can’t say that I’ve compared it nutritionally to any other vegetable oils. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I make it with avocado oil and it works great!
Fantastic! The vinaigrette is delicious, and very light, not oily. It’s perfect for coating tender greens. The pecans add crunch and the cheese adds tang. Because of its simplicity this salad is very versatile, and would pair nicely with any entree. I made a molasses version of the pecans and tried both goat cheese and gorgonzola. I preferred the gorgonzola. It seemed to add more tang. Excellent!
I have made this salad multiple times, for Christmas, Thanksgiving, luncheons, etc. Every time people ask for the recipe. It is really a simple salad with a delicious combination of flavors. I always make extra pecans for snacking! Thank you for this great recipe!