This New England Salad is made with romaine lettuce, apples, cheddar cheese, dried cranberries and tossed with a maple vinaigrette. It celebrates foods produced in New England, combining fresh, sweet, salty, and savory flavors in one salad.

New England Salad in a wooden bowl with romaine lettuce, diced apples, dried cranberries, and pecans.

I’ve lived in New England for over ten years, and I’ve loved all that it has to offer. We go apple picking every fall, seen cranberry bogs in Massachusetts, maple lines connecting maple trees throughout New England (and even learned how to set a maple tap and taste the maple sap at various stages in the process), and indulged in Vermont cheddar cheese.

This salad brings all of those flavors together for a distinct New England experience. Even the wooden bowl in the picture above was hand-made from cherry wood in Vermont.

The vinaigrette is easy to put together and does not require any chopping, which means it only takes 2-3 minutes to make. This dressing also pairs really well in this Butternut Squash Salad.

🛒 Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make this New England Salad.

Salad

Romaine: Washed and dried, and cut into pieces that are small enough to fit on a fork. Green leaf lettuce is a good substitute, but mixed greens would also work.
Cheddar Cheese: I like the Seriously Sharp Cheddar Cheese from Cabot (headquartered in Vermont).
Dried Cranberries: Dried cherries work as a substitute.
Red Apple: Choose a crisp red apple. Honeycrisp apples are great in the fall, but they're not as crisp other times of the year. Cosmic Crisp and Gala apples can be good alternatives.
Pecans: While native to the US, pecans are not native to New England, but they pair well with apples, dried cranberries, and maple syrup (like in this Maple Pecan Granola).

Dressing

Olive Oil: Use extra virgin olive oil.
Cider Vinegar: Any brand works.
Maple Syrup: This dressing only calls for a small amount, but if you plan to use it to make other recipes like Maple Oatmeal Cookies or Sourdough Granola Bars, you can buy a large jug at Costco or other wholesale stores for less per unit volume.
Dijon Mustard: This acts as an emulsifier and does not impart much flavor to the dressing.
Salt: To bring out flavor.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

📝 How to Make this New England Salad

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make this New England Salad.

*Note: The recipe card with instructions, ingredient list, and quantities is included further below these step-by-step photos.

The New England Salad in a wooden bowl with salad tongs and a white bowl with the maple vinaigrette and a whisk.

Step 1. Add the Salad Ingredients to a Bowl: Add the diced romaine, diced cheddar cheese, dried cranberries, diced red apple, and pecans to a large salad bowl.

Tip: Add candied pecans rather than plain pecans (if desired). To do so, melt a small amount of brown sugar with a handful of pecans in a sauce pan. Toss to coat, remove from heat and spread the pecans on wax paper until cool.

Step 2. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk the extra virgin olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard, and salt.

Dress the Salad: Dress the salad with the maple vinaigrette to taste. Start with a small amount of dressing, toss the salad, and add more dressing if needed.

🍴 Pairing Ideas

Here are a few ideas for main dishes that can be served alongside this New England Salad.

Hot Honey Salmon: Oven baked salmon with a simple hot honey glaze, broiled until caramelized. Simple and fresh and would work well with this salad.
Ham and Spinach Frittata: A dish that works any time of day, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and pairs well with this salad on the side.
Broccolini Pizza: A veggie focused pizza with broccolini and white wine cherry tomato butter sauce. Pizza always benefits from having a salad on the side.