Among my many claims to fame, one of the most important is that I am the daughter of an amazing salad maker--truly, my mom is famous for her legendary salad, dressing included. She never measures anything out, it consistently comes out perfect and people are always asking her for her recipe. I'm giving you this background not because I'm jealous of her salad talent (well, maybe I am just a bit) but so that you fully understand how much it means when I say I am in LOVE with this Autumn Salad, particularly the Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette part of it! Sorry Mom, but you may have seriously found a new rival!!

I find that where salads are concerned, it's easy to get into a rut, making the same kind over and over again, especially where the dressing is concerned. I would say I eat salad, if not every day, then at least 4-5 times per week and generally it doesn't vary by more than an ingredient or two. It always tastes great, but it can get a little boring. If you're feeling like this too and looking for a way to bring a little "autumn" into your greens, you're gonna love this!

What makes this so special is the balsamic maple vinaigrette. The small amount of maple syrup really goes a long way here, thickening and deepening the flavor of the balsamic somehow. The vinaigrette is slightly sweet, slightly tangy and a whole lot yummy! And it's super easy to make too. In fact, you can double or triple the recipe and keep a bottle of it in the fridge to use whenever you like.

The rest of the salad is a breeze to pull together and incredibly versatile too, You can sub in or out anything you do or don't like, but I think the toasted walnuts, combined with the tartness of the Granny Smith apple and the craisins paired with the creamy/saltiness of the feta cheese really work well together. This salad is so good, it just might pass muster with the salad lady herself!!

Autumn Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Serves 2-3 people as a main course, 4-6 as a side dish

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Salad

• ! large bag baby arugula (about 6-8 cups-or any other kind of salad green you like)

• 1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and cut into thin slices (you can use any apple you like)

• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

• 1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled (Gorgonzola or blue cheese would work well too)

• 1/2 cup chopped, toasted walnuts (toasted pecans would be good here too)

For the Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

• 2 teaspoon minced shallot

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

The Recipe

1.  Into a large salad bowl, place the arugula, apple, cranberries, feta and walnuts. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, maple syrup, shallot and mustard. Gradually add the oil, whisking constantly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3.  Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently. Serve immediately.

4.  Leftover vinaigrette can be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for at least a week.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe for salad is my own. Recipe for Vinaigrette is adapted from Raising the Salad Bar by Catherine Walthers.