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

This Autumn Chopped Salad Recipe is packed with all the best fall flavors—succulent pears, salty bacon, tart cranberries, sharp cheese, and crunchy pecans tossed with crisp romaine and a shortcut creamy, sweet balsamic dressing. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time you need a crowd pleasing side dish! And the best part? You can prep it ahead of time with super easy make-ahead steps, so when it’s go-time, just toss it together and you’re good to go!

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Danielle

Equipment

Ingredients

8 cups romaine hearts chopped
1 pear chopped
8 pieces bacon cooked and chopped
1 recipe Maple Pecans chopped
½ cup sharp cheddar cheese diced
1 cup dried cranberries
½ cup balsamic vinaigrette
½ cup poppy seed dressing

Instructions

Make Maple Pecans according to recipe.
Chop romaine, cheese, bacon, and pears into ½-¾ inch pieces. The point of a chopped salad is to have all the ingredients close in size. Set aside.
Place romaine in the bottom of a large serving bowl. Top with pears, bacon, pecans, cheese, and cranberries.
Add dressings to a jar. Shake vigorously to combine. Pour dressing over salad. Use tongs to gently toss. Serve immediately.

Notes

Tips & Tricks

Make sure the bacon is crispy. Soggy bacon in a salad is a no-go. Our favorite method is oven baked bacon. Not only is it hands-free, it is also much less messy that stovetop cooking.

Cut the pear just before serving. It will begin to brown pretty quickly.

Buy good quality dressing. It really makes a difference.

Substitutions & Variations

Bacon: We love thick sliced bacon pieces, but real bacon bits (not the artificial) will work.

Nuts: Candied nuts like walnuts, pecans or pistachios are all good options.

Cheese: Use pre-shredded or cubed cheese or even switch out the cheddar for feta.

Seeds: Instead of nuts pepitas would be a great option.

Dressing: A good apple cider dressing would be delicious.

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.

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