Autumn Harvest Salad with Cheddar, Grapes, Pear, and Maple Crunch Topping

Autumn arrives with an abundance of cool-weather greens and a new crop of fruit, both of which are made better with the toasty edge this maple crunch topping lends to a seasonal salad. The ingredients are fit for a cheese plate, so opt for the best aged cheddar you can find. Bosc pears add their bronze color and characteristic juiciness to the mix, and a dressing with reduced apple cider contributes more classic fall fruit goodness.

When making the maple crunch topping, feel free to use your preferred nuts and/or seeds or make use of what you already have on hand in the pantry.  A combination of pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds are my preferred choices.

Since cheddar improves with age and develops a more crystallized structure, it crumbles beautifully over the salad.  Its nutty and sharp bite rounds out the rich fruit flavors of fall.  You may even find yourself serving this in lieu of a cheese board.

Ingredients

1 head crisp lettuce such as green leaf
1 ripe Bosc pear
¾ cup halved red grapes
2 ounces sharp aged cheddar
Maple crunch topping (below)
Apple cider dressing (below)

Maple Crunch Topping

2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup pecans and/or walnuts
⅓ cup pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds
Optional: 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Apple Cider Dressing

1 cup apple cider (reduced to 1/4 cup)
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly cracked black pepper and additional salt to taste

How to Make the Maple Crunch Topping

The maple crunch mixture bakes up as one sheet, which can then be broken into pieces and scattered on top. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the maple syrup, olive oil, paprika, and salt.  Add the nuts and seeds (or your preferred substitutes), stirring to combine.  Spread thinly on a parchment-lined baking sheet with no gaps in the mixture.  Bake for about 15 minutes, tossing halfway and spreading again, until the mixture is toasted and caramelized but not too dark.  Set aside to cool

How to Make the Apple Cider Dressing

With concentrated apple flavor, this dressing is one of my autumn staples. Bring the apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes until it is reduced to ¼ cup.  Use a heatproof liquid measuring cup to check the amount of cider periodically.  Set aside to cool before preparing the dressing.

Once cooled, combine the reduced cider with the oil, vinegar, mustard, and salt using an immersion blender and cup or a stand blender until emulsified. Alternately use a whisk to emulsify dressing, adding slowly oil as the last ingredient.

Season with freshly cracked black pepper and additional salt to taste. Let sit for about 15 minutes to allow time for flavors to meld.

How to Assemble the Salad

Halve the pear, remove and discard core, and chop into ½-inch to ¾-inch pieces.

Chop lettuce as desired then wash and add to a large serving bowl. Right before serving, drizzle lightly with some dressing and toss gently.  Add the pears and grapes, drizzle and toss gently again. Serve remaining dressing on the side or save for another salad.

Slice cheddar not too thinly and crumble on top of salad.  Break maple crunch topping into pieces and scatter on top.

For more autumn recipes, try this mulled cider mocktail or cap off your meal with these baked apples.