Honey Crisp Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette

Thanksgiving. The whole family, under one roof, for the first time since James was born. Twelve people, five of them under the age of seven, in a farmhouse built for a family of four. It was loud. It was chaotic. Helen's clipboard was consulted seventeen times by my count. And it was, as it always is, the best day of the year.

I made the turkey. Helen supervised. This is the arrangement — I handle the bird, she handles everything else, and we pretend this division of labor was my idea when we both know she assigned it in 1982 and I've been reporting for duty ever since. The turkey was beautiful. Twenty-two pounds, golden-brown, the skin crackling, the meat moist. I carved it at the table while everyone watched, which is the closest a retired English teacher gets to performance art.

The note on Helen's recipe card — "If Walt is making this, remind him to take the bag of giblets out first" — was unnecessary this year because Helen was right there, standing in the kitchen, making sure I checked the cavity. I checked. The giblets were out. The system works.

The sides: mashed potatoes (mine), cranberry sauce (Helen's mother's recipe), green bean casserole (Karen brought it), roasted Brussels sprouts (Sarah's contribution, which was controversial because Brussels sprouts are controversial and always will be), stuffing made outside the bird because Helen read somewhere that stuffing inside is a food safety risk and she's a nurse and you don't argue with a nurse about food safety.

Sarah's pie was apple. Double crust, lattice top, the apples from our tree sliced thin with cinnamon and sugar. She learned from Helen, who learned from my mother. The crust was perfect — flaky, buttery, golden. I told Sarah it was as good as her grandmother's. She said, "Better, actually." Confidence. She gets that from her mother. She gets the pie crust from her mother too, which is genetics at its finest.

After dinner, the adults sat at the table with coffee and the children ran through the house like a small, sugar-fueled army. Ben, nearly three, showed James his toy truck. James, four months old, showed no interest in the truck but enormous interest in Ben's face. Teddy read a book in the corner. Anna fell asleep on the couch. The house was full and warm and loud, and I sat at the head of the table that my mother served Thanksgiving dinners on for fifty years and thought about her and my father and Helen's hand on my arm and the twelve people in this house who exist because two families from Vermont decided, a long time ago, to stay.

Helen's clipboard has one final entry for Thanksgiving: "Be grateful." Check.

That table—full of coffee cups and crumbs and twelve people who are mine—deserved a recipe that felt as fresh and unforced as the evening itself. The apple salad had been Helen’s idea, something bright to cut through all the richness, and it earned its place on the clipboard. Here’s how we made it.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the Salad
2 large Honeycrisp apples, cored, halved, and thinly sliced
10 oz mixed greens or baby arugula
1/2 cup sharp white cheddar, shaved or crumbled
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup candied walnuts (see note below)
1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
For the Apple Cider Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh apple cider or unfiltered apple juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
For Quick Candied Walnuts (optional shortcut: use store-bought)
1/2 cup walnut halves
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Make the candied walnuts. In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter, then add the sugar and walnuts. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until the sugar melts and coats the walnuts in a golden glaze. Immediately transfer to a sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle with salt, and let cool completely. Break apart any clusters once hardened.
Whisk the vinaigrette. In a small bowl or jar, combine the apple cider vinegar, apple cider, honey, Dijon, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk together, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified and smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. The dressing can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated — shake well before using.
Prep the apples. Slice the apples just before assembling to minimize browning. If you need to slice them ahead, toss the slices in a tablespoon of lemon juice and refrigerate until ready to use.
Assemble the salad. Spread the greens across a large serving platter or in a wide salad bowl. Arrange the apple slices over the top. Scatter the dried cranberries, red onion, shaved cheddar, and candied walnuts evenly across the salad.
Dress and serve. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad just before serving — start with about half the dressing and add more to taste. Toss gently or serve family-style and let guests toss at the table. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Honey Crisp Apple Salad with Cider Vinaigrette — The Apples From Our Tree