Apple Sausage Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette

Total Time

Prep: 25 min. Bake: 10 min.

Makes

6 servings

Updated: Sep. 22, 2022
Making croutons with cinnamon-raisin bread is sweet genius. Toss together the rest of the salad while they toast. —Kim Van Dunk, Caldwell, New Jersey
Apple Sausage Salad with Cinnamon Vinaigrette Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Ingredients

  • 4 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
  • Dash pepper
  • 1 package (12 ounces) fully cooked apple chicken sausage links, cut diagonally in 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 2 packages (5 ounces each) spring mix salad greens
  • 2 cups sliced fresh Bartlett pears
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup dried sweet cherries

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cut each slice of bread into 12 cubes; scatter over a 15x10-in. pan. Bake until toasted, 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway. Cool 5 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, combine next six ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until blended. In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until browned and heated through, 2-3 minutes per side.
  3. Divide salad greens among six dinner-size plates; add sausage to each plate. Top with pear slices, walnuts, cherries and croutons. Shake dressing again; spoon over salad and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 404 calories, 23g fat (4g saturated fat), 40mg cholesterol, 441mg sodium, 39g carbohydrate (23g sugars, 5g fiber), 14g protein.