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 crowd-pleaser 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.
“I have made this salad multiple times—for Christmas, Thanksgiving, luncheons, etc. Every time people ask for the recipe…a simple salad with a delicious combination of flavors.”
What You’ll Need To Make Mixed Green Salad With Maple Dijon Vinaigrette
You’ll need mixed greens, shallots, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, pepper, maple syrup, vegetable oil, pecan halves, and goat cheese (or blue cheese).
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the pecans. In a small bowl, combine the pecans and maple syrup and toss gently to combine.
Step 2: Bake the pecans. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and roast until the syrup is bubbling vigorously, about 5 minutes. Immediately scrape the glazed pecans onto another lined baking sheet (to stop them from continuing to cook), sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool.
Step 3: Make the vinaigrette. In a jar, combine the garlic, shallots, salt, pepper, maple syrup, mustard, vinegar, and oil. Give it a good shake to blend.
Step 4: 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. 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
Ingredients
For the Pecans
- 1 cup (4 oz) pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- Pinch salt
For the Vinaigrette
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots, from one shallot
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons 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 oz goat cheese (or blue cheese), crumbled
Instructions
For the Pecans
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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This has become my go-to salad for entertaining. The dressesing is delicious and of course anything with goat cheese is better! Depending on how much time I have to prep, I buy candied pecans pre-made from my grocery store rather than making them myself. I have left the dressing in a sealed container up to about a week and it has been fine. A must eat recipe!
fabulous..added 2 more cloves of garlic and a tad more vinegar, half a tbsp…just to suit our taste..have been printing the recipe off for all our friends.
I also tried a variation and it worked very well.
I grilled the pecans in a frying pan with some olive oil (carefully so as not to burn, as it can happen quickly), then took it off the stove and added fig jam instead of maple syrup. Careful, as it caramelizes quickly! Delicious too!
Thanks for the ideas!
Peter C
This salad dressing has become a staple. Love it!!!
I tried this recently and loved it. The salad dressing (which I did indeed store in a jar in the fridge) was so delicious I recently made another batch to keep around as my go-to homemade salad dressing. Thanks so much for sharing this.
Hi
I made this for Christmas dinner and added pomegranate seeds for color and extra crunch and taste. Rave reviews!
We made this for Thanksgiving and it was a HIT with our whole family. Thank you!
I *love* this salad! The shallots give the vinaigrette such a nice subtle flavor…
I used some Trader Joe’s lightly glazed pecans that I had on hand, and it was absolutely delicious! I plan on a repeat performance for lunch tomorrow *grins* 🙂
This is our new favorite salad. We made it for company over the weekend and everyone raved about it. The glazed pecans make a great snack too. Thanks!
I made this salad for dinner this evening with a few small changes due to my allergies (substituted the veg. oil for rice bran oil and eliminated the garlic). My boyfriend was completely blown away with the flavor and said it was the best salad he’s tasted in ages. Thank you for a fantastic, simple recipe that is delicious and quick! I look forward to trying your other recipes!