Paula Deen Fall Chopped Salad

Paula Deen fall chopped salad is an easy chopped salad made with crisp lettuces, Gala apples, dried cranberries and toasted pecans, ready in 20 minutes. Save this make-ahead fall potluck side for the holiday table, church supper or Sunday dinner, because the sage dressing keeps in the fridge for 3 days.

Chop everything small and even, because each forkful should get a bit of apple, jicama, cranberry and pecan. Big chunks leave you chasing lettuce around the bowl with nothing on your fork.

Paula stirs minced fresh sage and Parmesan into a buttermilk mayonnaise dressing, so it tastes like a creamy fall salad instead of a plain ranch. She also folds in crunchy jicama and celery, which keep the salad snappy even after it sits for a few minutes.

Paula Deen Fall Chopped Salad

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SaladCuisine: American, SouthernDifficulty: Easy

Servings

10

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking timeminutes

Calories

420

kcal

Crisp lettuces, sweet apples, chewy cranberries and toasted pecans get tossed in a creamy sage and Parmesan dressing. Every bite stays crunchy because the dressing goes on right before serving.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
  

• ½ cup buttermilk
  

• ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
  

• 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage
  

• 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
  

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  

• 1¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  

• 1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped
  

• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
  

• 1 seedless cucumber, chopped
  

• 1 small jicama, peeled and finely chopped
  

• 1½ cups finely chopped celery
  

• 2 Gala apples, cored and finely chopped
  

• 1 (5-ounce) bag dried cranberries
  

• 2 cups chopped toasted pecans
  

Directions

• Make the dressing: Whisk 1 cup mayonnaise, 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan and 2 tablespoons minced fresh sage in a small bowl. Add 2 teaspoons champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon pepper and 1 1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Chop the produce: Chop 1 head iceberg lettuce, 1 head romaine, 1 seedless cucumber, 1 peeled small jicama and 1 1/2 cups celery. Core and finely chop 2 Gala apples too, so every piece stays small and even.
• Toss the salad: Toss the lettuces, cucumber, jicama, celery and apples in a large bowl with 1 (5-ounce) bag dried cranberries and 2 cups chopped toasted pecans. Then add the dressing and toss until everything is coated.
• Serve right away: Serve the salad immediately while the lettuce is still crisp. For a crowd on the go, pack individual servings in Mason jars.

Tools for this recipe

• Victorinox Fibrox 8-inch chef's knife, Pyrex 3-piece glass mixing bowl set, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Parmigiano Reggiano wedges, aged 24 months. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

Make the dressing up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Chop the produce the day before if you like, but toss everything together only right before serving, because the dressing wilts the lettuce.

What can I use instead of jicama?

Water chestnuts or extra celery give you a similar crunch. Jicama is mild and slightly sweet, so a crisp pear or more apple also works if you can't find it.

Can I use a different apple?

Honeycrisp or Fuji work well because they stay crisp and sweet when chopped small. Granny Smith makes the salad tangier, so you may want a few more cranberries to balance it.

How do I take this salad to a potluck?

Pack the dressing in a separate jar and the chopped salad in a big container, then toss them together when you arrive. Individual Mason jars work too, with the dressing in the bottom and the lettuce on top.

What's the most common mistake with this salad?

Dressing it too early is the big one, since the buttermilk mayonnaise makes the lettuce go limp within minutes. Also skip the fresh sage substitute of dried, because dried sage tastes dusty in a cold dressing.