Fall Salad with Apples, Brussels Sprouts, and Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Active Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 50 mins
Servings: 6

This is the definition of a simple but delicious salad. Baby arugula, shaved brussels sprouts, and thinly sliced radicchio give the salad a chopped-salad texture, allowing you to easily get every ingredient in one bite. The apple cider vinaigrette is sweet and tangy, with a bold apple flavor that coats the layers of bitterness, pepperiness, and earthiness from the other ingredients to give the salad a nice depth of flavor. Crunchy walnuts, salty prosciutto, and crisp apple pull it all together to create a gorgeous fall salad. For a bit of extra sweetness, opt for candied walnuts, and if you’d like to make it a full meal, add some cooked farro to make it a grain salad. 

What is the best apple to use in this salad?

Choose an apple variety that’s sweet, crisp, and doesn’t brown quickly for this recipe, such as Honeycrisp.

Can you eat radicchio raw in a salad?

Absolutely. Radicchio is bitter, so it’s important to build your salad with ingredients that’ll incorporate the salty, sweet, and fatty flavors needed to balance that bitterness. In this salad, we opt for nuts, prosciutto, and cheese. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

The dressing can be shaken in a jar instead of whisking in the bowl. Assemble the dressing in a jar, and shake to combine instead of whisking in a bowl. 

If you don’t want to shave the brussels sprouts by hand with a knife, a food processor with the slicer blade makes it quick and easy.

Make ahead

Once dressed, the salad should be served immediately. Arugula does not hold up well and will wilt very quickly. Make the vinaigrette up to three days in advance, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let come to room temperature before using. 

This recipe was developed by Nicole Hopper; the text was written by Breana Killeen.

Ingredients

Vinaigrette

• 1 cup fresh apple cider

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons very thinly sliced shallot

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/3 cup extra virgin-olive oil

Salad

• 1 head radicchio, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups) 

• 3 cups baby arugula

• 8 ounces fresh brussels sprouts, thinly sliced or shaved (about 2 1/2 cups)

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts, plus more for garnish 

• 2 ounces Asiago cheese, shaved (about 1 cup), divided

• 6 prosciutto slices (about 3 ounces)

• 1 sweet apple (such as Honeycrisp), unpeeled and thinly sliced (about 1 1/3 cups)

Directions

1. Make the vinaigrette: Bring apple cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high. Boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1/4 cup, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour into a small heatproof bowl; set aside, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes.

2. Whisk vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper into cider until well combined. Gradually whisk in oil, whisking constantly, until emulsified, about 2 minutes. Set aside.

3. Make the salad: Toss together radicchio, arugula, brussels sprouts, and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add walnuts, half of the cheese (about 1/2 cup), and 1/2 cup reserved vinaigrette; toss to coat.

4. Arrange prosciutto and apple on top of salad, and sprinkle with remaining half of shaved cheese (about 1/2 cup). Garnish with additional walnuts, and serve with remaining vinaigrette (about 1/4 cup) on the side. Serve immediately.

Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, September 2025