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Autumn harvest apple cranberry orzo salad with pecans, spinach and feta in a bowl

Autumn Harvest Apple Cranberry Orzo Salad

A vibrant Mediterranean-inspired fall harvest orzo salad loaded with crisp red apples, sweet dried cranberries, toasted pecans, baby spinach, and crumbled feta cheese, tossed in a sweet apple cider dressing.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Calories: 290
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Orzo Salad:
  • * 8 oz 225g orzo pasta
  • * 1 large crisp red apple Honeycrisp or Fuji, cored and chopped
  • * ½ cup 60g dried cranberries
  • * ½ cup 60g toasted pecans (whole halves)
  • * ½ cup 75g feta cheese (or goat cheese), crumbled
  • * 2 cups 60g fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • * Fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped (for garnish)
For the Apple Cider Dressing:
  • * ¼ cup 60ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • * 2 tbsp 30ml apple cider vinegar
  • * 1 tbsp 15ml honey (or pure maple syrup)
  • * 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • * ¼ tsp salt or to taste
  • * ⅛ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Method
 

Cook Pasta:
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 8 oz orzo pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente (about 8-9 minutes). Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water to cool completely.
Whisk Dressing:
  1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and black pepper until fully emulsified.
Assemble Salad:
  1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooled orzo, chopped red apple, dried cranberries, chopped baby spinach, and toasted pecans.
Dress and Coat:
  1. Pour the apple cider dressing over the ingredients and toss gently until everything is evenly glossy and coated.
Add Cheese:
  1. Fold in the crumbled feta cheese carefully right at the end so it doesn't dissolve into the pasta paste.
Garnish:
  1. Transfer to your serving dish and top with fresh chopped parsley and a few extra pecan halves.

Notes

* Apple Selection: Use firm, high-density apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady to ensure long-lasting crunch.
* Cheese Options: Feta offers a salty, Mediterranean flavor contrast. Crumbled goat cheese provides a creamy alternative.
* Toasting Pecans: Toast pecan halves in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until fragrant before adding to the salad.
* Make-Ahead Tip: If making a day ahead, reserve 1/3 of the dressing and fold in the cheese right before serving to keep the texture fresh.