Autumn Chopped Salad Recipe

A bed of chopped romaine with dried cranberries, smokey bacon, sharp cheddar, maple pecans, and firm red pears in a serving bowl.

4.67 from 3 votes

Autumn Chopped Salad Recipe

We've been making this Chopped Autumn Salad for literally decades, and to this day it is still the most requested salad in our family! We have a go-to combination of juicy pears, crispy bacon, dried cranberries, sharp cheddar, and candied pecans tossed with fresh romaine and a shortcut balsamic poppy seed dressing. But we'll also share the variations we've tried over the years and what we've learned about how to best prep it ahead.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Danielle

Equipment

Ingredients

8 pieces bacon
1 recipe Maple Pecans
½ cup poppy seed dressing
½ cup balsamic vinaigrette
8 cups romaine hearts (measured after chopping in ½-¾ inch pieces)
1 pear
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese (measured after dicing in ½-¾ inch pieces)
1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Prep

To make the bacon, preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment or foil, place the bacon on the sheet, and bake until crisp (this takes about 20-30 minutes for truly thick slices in our oven, but watch yours carefully).
8 pieces bacon
Make the Maple Pecans according to recipe.
1 recipe Maple Pecans
In a pint size mason jar, pour in the poppy seed dressing and balsamic dressing. Close the lid well and shake vigorously until well combined. You can make this up to 2 weeks ahead and store in the fridge.
½ cup poppy seed dressing, ½ cup balsamic vinaigrette

Salad Assembly

Chop the romaine lettuce, pears, bacon, nuts, and cheese. The key here is to keep everything pretty uniform and small (about ½ - ¾ inch pieces). It takes a little bit of effort, but gives it the signature texture of a chopped salad.
8 cups romaine hearts, 1 pear, ½ cup sharp cheddar cheese
Place the romaine in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Top with the pears, bacon, pecans, cheese, and cranberries.
1 cup dried cranberries
Give the dressing another thorough shake before pouring it over the top of the salad. Toss everything together well and serve immediately.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

Make sure the bacon is really crispy. Soggy bacon in a salad is a no-go.
For the best romaine texture, cut out the thick white core from each leaf before chopping. Then keep it stored in the fridge until serving to keep it crisp.
Wait to cut the pear until right before serving so that it doesn't turn brown.
I always suggest tossing the salad with the dressing before serving, rather than leaving the dressing on the side. The salad to dressing ratio always seems to turn out best that way.

Substitutions & Variations

Nuts: Instead of pecans, we have used candied walnuts and pistachios.
Seeds: Instead of nuts, you can use pumpkin seeds or pepitas. They aren't quite as crunchy, but are still good!
Fruit: If pears are not in season or if they do not look great, apples are a really good option. Our favorites are Honeycrisp or Cosmic Crisp.
Dressing: If you don't have access to the dressings listed, this recipe would also pair well with a good apple cider vinegar dressing.

Make Ahead Instructions: The prep can be done the day before. Wash and cut lettuce to size. I like to store mine in this salad spinner because it keeps the lettuce from turning brown on the edges. Prep all toppings except for the pear, which should be done the day of. Store each component separately. Finally, combine dressings and store in refrigerator.

Nutrition