Whole Baked Apple Arugula Salad
Combine the sweet and salty whole baked apple stuffed with bacon and shallots with the peppery notes of arugula leaves and red cabbage. Transform an otherwise simple salad with a bit of imagination and fun!
Why This Apple and Arugula Salad Works Every Time
Apple and arugula are one of those pairings that work incredibly well as the sweetness from the fruit balances out the peppery and bitter notes of the arugula or rocket leaves.
At the same time, bacon and apple also goes well together for those sweet and salty notes. So why not combine them all together?
But I didn’t just want to slice the apples into matchsticks, add bacon bits and just toss all the ingredients together.
To add an element of wow, I decided to bake the apples stuffed with fried bacon and caramelised shallots and drizzle them with a honey lemon salad dressing.
They turned out beautifully, and the flavours all combined so well. Every mouthful was singing with all sorts of tasty treats and textures.
Whole baked apples stuffed with bacon and shallots on a bed of arugula/rocket, cabbage, and pomegranate, drizzled with a honey mustard dressing. Sweet, savoury, crunchy, and refreshing — an apple salad dish that’s as show-stopping as it is simple.
Recipe Overview
Flavour/Texture: There is quite a lot going on in this salad. From a flavour perspective, we have sweet apples stuffed with caramelised shallots and salty bacon bits. That on its own is a flavour bomb.
Serve it on a bed of peppery arugula, crunchy red cabbage and fresh tart pomegranate to create a salad that works incredibly well with the stuffed baked apples.
From a texture perspective, the apples mellow beautifully, softening enough to cut through easily while housing delicious bacon and shallots.
The cabbage and pomegranate give crunch, while the pine nuts have a nice buttery finish.
Ease: There is a little to do with this salad with a few components needing some care, but the effort is truly worth it.
Follow the instructions carefully when it comes to coring and slicing the apples. This step is perhaps the most challenging if you’ve not done it before.
Time: This salad does take a bit of time to put together; however, the majority of the time are the apples baking away in the oven.
Maximise your time by preparing the rest of the ingredients while that is baking.
Ingredients You’ll Need for This Apple Salad
Bacon: Don’t get bacon that is too fatty. If you can’t find a leaner cut, opt for shortcuts instead. If you love bacon, feel free to add more!
Shallot: A small shallot will be enough for this recipe. It will give the salad a little bite to counteract the saltiness from the bacon and sweetness from the apple.
Red apples: Get sweet and crisp apples that will withstand the baking process and keep their shape. Floury apples won’t give you the texture you need, while the likes of Granny Smiths are too tart.
Arugula: This peppery leaf is fantastic for creating a base and giving the recipe a sharp flavour.
Pine nuts: Nothing quite like toasted pine nuts tossed through a salad. Pine nuts have a mild and sweet flavour with a slightly buttery texture.
Pomegranate: These arils provide the tart yet sweet pops of crunch amidst the peppery arugula and salty bacon. It will also add much freshness to the salad. Just as we have with our Pomegranate Cauliflower Salad with Chestnuts or Pomegranate, Barley and Freekeh Salad.
Red cabbage: Mixed through with the arugula to create a lovely blend of raw vegetables for the baked apples to sit on.
Salad dressing: This is an easy salad dressing that is also incredibly versatile. All you need are pantry staples such as olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and lemon.
Red apples, bacon, shallots, arugula, red cabbage, pine nuts, pomegranate, and a simple salad dressing with mustard and honey — a mix of textures and flavours that make this salad unforgettable.
Variations and Substitutions
Vegan version: Omit the bacon entirely or use vegan bacon. You can use the seitan version of even the tofu version marinated in soy to give the much needed saltiness.
Replace honey with maple syrup or organic rice malt syrup.
Green cabbage: You can certainly use green cabbage for this recipe if you’re unable to find red cabbage.
Cabbage substitute: You can substitute cabbage with kohlrabi or Brussels sprouts. These vegetables will still give the salad crunch and will work well with the arugula.
Arugula substitute: If you don’t like arugula, you can try watercress or purslane. You do need some peppery notes to complement the sweetness from the apple and the saltiness from the bacon.
Or, to tame the sharp taste of arugula, you can mix it with some other leaves such as baby spinach, romaine, frisee, mizuna and tatsoi.
Dried fruit: Dried pomegranate or cranberries would work well if pomegranates are not in season.
Try different apples: Substitute with Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Honeycrisp — each brings its own balance of tart and sweet.
Change the dressing: Mix wholegrain mustard with maple syrup for a deeper, smoky sweetness.
Wow, what a great idea. Looks delicious. Such a simple salad recipe yet so healthy and impressive.
How to Make This Apple and Bacon Salad
How to Cook Bacon and Shallot Stuffing
Peel and slice shallots thinly.
Remove the bacon rind and cut into small pieces.
On medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a small fry pan.
Fry shallots for a minute. Add bacon and fry for 5 minutes. Set aside.
How To Make Whole Baked Apples
Preheat the oven at 180°C or 350°F.
Using an apple corer, remove the core.
Set mandoline at 3 cm thickness and slice the apple.
After slicing each apple, put the slices back to resemble a whole apple.
Baste 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a ceramic baking dish.
Stuff each apple with bacon and shallots and bake at 180°C or 350°F for 30 minutes.
How To Make The Rest Of The Salad
Slice red cabbage thinly.
In a small fry pan, dry toast pine nuts until golden brown.
How to Make Honey Dijon Dressing
In a small mixing bowl, add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard and the juice of ¼ lemon.
Mix until well combined.
How To Assemble The Salad
In a medium size mixing bowl, add arugula, red cabbage, ½ pine nuts and ½ the pomegranate seeds.
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Mix until well combined.
Place the salad onto a large platter.
Put the whole baked apples on top.
Sprinkle the rest of the pine nuts and pomegranate on top.
Drizzle the dressing on top of the apples.
Season with cracked pepper to taste.
Serve.
Bake cored apples stuffed with bacon and shallots, toss the greens with red cabbage, pomegranate, and pine nuts, then drizzle everything with a tangy honey mustard dressing. Serve the baked apples whole on top for a restaurant-worthy presentation.
How To Make This Salad Perfectly [Expert Tips]
Choose firm apples: Use crisp varieties like Pink Lady or Jazz — they hold their shape when baked.
Core carefully: Leave the base intact so the stuffing stays inside.
Don’t overbake: Apples should be soft but still hold structure after 30 minutes.
Balance your dressing: 2 parts acid (vinegar) to 1 part sweetness (honey) make the best honey mustard dressing recipe.
Toast pine nuts lightly: Watch closely; they brown fast and add key nuttiness.
Add dressing just before serving: Keeps the cabbage and arugula crisp.
Layer textures: The contrast between warm apples and cold greens enhances every bite.
Use fresh lemon juice: Brightens the entire salad and keeps apples from browning.
Assemble the greens and dressing first, then add the hot baked apples last — the warmth slightly wilts the rocket, releasing beautiful aromas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can, although the balance of the sliced baked apples could be a bit precarious.
Either you’d have to hold it very tightly while you’re in transportation, or you can assemble it at the destination.
Ideally, you would want the apples to be served warm, but it’s not necessary. You could wrap each stuffed apple in aluminium foil when it has cooled down and then place them on the platter when it’s time to eat.
It won’t hold for too long, so if you’re attending a party at 3 pm, but you won’t be serving up the salad until dinner time, this may not be the perfect recipe for you.
If you have a vegetable peeler with a pointed end, you can use it to core a whole apple.
The peeler should have a long vertical blade, and the plastic behind it shouldn’t be too thick.
Place the peeler on the stem of the apple and towards the centre of the core.
Push the peeler down, and then pull it back out.
Turn the apple and do it again until you create a circle. It won’t be as clean as an apple corer, but it will do the trick.
You can also just use a small paring knife. Cut straight down, remove, turn the apple and cut down again until you get all sides of the core.
The best way to slice whole apples would be to use a mandoline.
Set it to the level of thickness you would like and start shaving. You’ll find that the slices will come out evenly.
If you have good knife skills, you can slice them by hand.
It is a bit tricky because the apple is round, and it can’t lay flat on the chopping board, so it’s susceptible to movement. So do be careful if you’re going to cut freehand.
Absolutely — replace it with toasted nuts or crumbled feta for a vegetarian version.
Yes, prep the greens and dressing in advance but bake the apples just before serving.
At The Sidesmith, we love transforming simple ingredients into extraordinary sides. This Apple Arugula Salad balances sweet, smoky, and tangy elements — with whole baked apples, crispy bacon, and a luscious honey mustard dressing that pulls it all together. A creative apple salad recipe that feels both rustic and elegant.
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Whole Baked Apple Arugula Salad
Ingredients
Salad
Salad Dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ lemon
Click on the toggle below for conversion to US Cooking Units.
Instructions
Salad
- Preheat the oven at 180°C or 350°F.
- Remove the bacon rind and cut into small pieces.
- Peel and slice shallots thinly.
- On medium heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil to a small fry pan. Fry bacon and shallots for 5 minutes or until medium brown. Set aside.
- Using an apple corer, remove the core. Set mandoline at 3 cm thickness and slice the apple. After slicing each apple, put the slices back to resemble a whole apple.
- Baste 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a ceramic baking dish.Stuff each apple with bacon and shallots and bake at 180°C or 350°F for 30 minutes.
- Slice red cabbage thinly.
- In a small fry pan, dry toast pine nuts until golden brown.
Salad Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey and the juice of ¼ lemon.
- Mix until well combined.
Assembly
- In a medium size mixing bowl, add arugula, red cabbage. ½ pine nuts and ½ the pomegranate seeds.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix until well combined.
- Place the salad onto a large platter.
- Put the whole baked apples on top.
- Sprinkle the rest of the pine nuts and pomegranate on top.
- Drizzle the dressing on top of the apples.
- Season with cracked pepper to taste.
- Serve.
Notes
- For a vegan salad, omit the bacon or use vegan bacon. You can use the seitan version of even the tofu version marinated in soy to give the much needed saltiness. Replace honey with maple syrup or organic rice malt syrup.
- You can certainly use green cabbage for this recipe if you’re unable to find red cabbage.
- You can substitute cabbage with kohlrabi or Brussels sprouts.
- If you don’t like arugula, you can try watercress or purslane. You do need some peppery notes to complement the sweetness from the apple and saltiness from the bacon.
- Dried pomegranate or cranberries would work well if pomegranates are not in season.
- Core carefully so as to leave the base intact so the stuffing stays inside.
- Don’t overbake the apples as they should be soft but still hold structure after 30 minutes
Nutrition
*Disclaimer: Nutritional information provided is an estimate only and generated by an online calculator.
Hey there! We’re The Sidesmith!
Phenie
I tell the stories behind our recipes and capture the bits that make us human.
Sammy
I create delicious sides, often Asian-inspired. Easy for everyday meals or great for entertaining.
Amy
Love turning everyday salads and sides into fancy recipes jammed packed with flavour!
Wow, what a great idea. Looks delicious. Such a simple salad recipe yet so healthy and impressive. I’ll give it a try.
Enjoy Natalie!
Oh my… what a salad. I love all the ingredients you used here. Sounds quite delicious. I will def make this. Thanks!
Thanks Natalie! Hope you do and enjoy!
Such a delicious and healthy salad! Love apples in my salad.
We do too! Gives the salad a natural sweetness.
It looks delish, and it has an inspiring flavor combination!
Apples and arugula go so well together. Sweet and peppery.
I have never thought about baked apple and arugula together but they’re two of my favorites!
Hope you’re inspired to try this recipe!
Such a simple but elegant salad!
Thank you so much!