Honey Dijon Apple Bacon Cranberry Salad -- A Side Worth Celebrating

June and the heat has arrived with the subtlety of an uninvited guest. Ninety-one Thursday. Moved cooking outside — the fire pit is my summer kitchen. Grilled chicken thighs Tuesday, marinated in buttermilk and hot sauce overnight, onto the grill over medium coals, finished with honey and soy and garlic. The skin was charred and the meat juicy from the buttermilk.

Clay got the job. Part-time at the outdoor store, three days a week, afternoons. His voice was different — not excited exactly, something in the neighborhood of excited. I said that's good. He said it's just a retail job. I said there's no such thing as just a job. A job is a place to go and a thing to do and a check that says you earned something. He said I guess. I said you don't guess. You know.

Amber called about James. They're talking about moving in together. She wanted my opinion by telling me what she'd already decided and asking if I agreed. I said do you love him. She said yes. I said then what do you need me for. She said I need you to say it's okay. I said Amber Beth Hensley, you are twenty-seven years old and a registered nurse and the first college graduate in this family and you do not need my permission for anything, but you have it, for everything, always. She said thank you, Daddy. She hasn't called me Daddy since she was twelve.

That Tuesday dinner — charred skin, juicy meat, the smell of coals in the summer air — deserved more than just the main event. And with Clay starting his first job and Amber finally saying “thank you, Daddy” again, it felt like a week that called for something with a little sweetness and a little bite alongside it. This Honey Dijon Apple Bacon Cranberry Salad has been my go-to fire pit side all summer: it holds up in the heat, the honey dijon dressing echoes the glaze on the chicken, and the bacon keeps it honest enough that nobody complains it’s a salad.

Honey Dijon Apple Bacon Cranberry Salad

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 10 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1 large Honeycrisp or Fuji apple, thinly sliced
• 6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta or gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• Honey Dijon Dressing:
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon. Cook bacon strips in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8–10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool, then crumble into bite-sized pieces.
2. Toast the nuts. In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast pecans or walnuts for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and minced garlic. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Whisk until fully emulsified.
4. Slice the apple. Core and thinly slice the apple just before assembling to keep it from browning. If prepping ahead, toss slices in a little lemon juice.
5. Assemble the salad. Place chopped romaine in a large serving bowl. Arrange apple slices, crumbled bacon, dried cranberries, cheese, toasted nuts, and red onion over the top.
6. Dress and serve. Drizzle honey Dijon dressing over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately alongside grilled chicken or your main of choice.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 320 | Protein: 9g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 26g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 480mg