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This crisp romaine salad recipe with apples and feta is light, fresh, and always a crowd favorite. Perfect for family meals or casual entertaining.
I’ll admit it…salads I make at home don’t usually excite me the way restaurant salads do. But this romaine salad recipe changed my mind. The crisp, fresh romaine hearts paired with sweet Honeycrisp apples, tangy feta cheese, and a light homemade dressing create a combination that’s both simple and satisfying. I’ve served this salad many times, and there’s never a bite left in the bowl!
Why This Recipe Works
This romaine salad recipe is a perfect balance of textures and flavors—crisp romaine, sweet apples, tangy feta, and a simple homemade dressing that ties everything together. It’s easy to make with basic ingredients, and it’s versatile enough to serve alongside just about any meal. Whether you’re hosting a dinner or just want to elevate a weekday lunch, this salad always hits the mark.
Ingredient Notes + Variations
- The simple ingredients that make up this romaine lettuce salad recipe go together beautifully…but any of your favorite vegetables can be substituted.
- Good substitutions for the feta cheese are goat cheese or shredded parmesan.
- Any kind of vegetable or salad oil can be substituted for the olive oil. If you prefer a milder taste, canola or safflower oil are good choices.
- More tasty additions: red onions, garlic, bacon, avocado, cherry tomatoes.
- The apple juice concentrate is found in the frozen food section of your grocery store with the other fruit juice concentrates. Use the full strength, do not add water. If you can’t find the concentrate, substitute apple cider or apple juice.
How to Make
- Prepare & chop the salad ingredients.
- Place the romaine, cucumber, tomato, feta, and apples in a large bowl.
- Place the salad bowl in the refrigerator while the dressing is made.
- Put all the salad dressing ingredients in jar with a tight lid.
- Shake well.
- Drizzle the dressing on the salad, using your preferred amount.
- Toss well.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Tips
- Simply add grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, or tuna to turn this side salad into a main course.
- This romaine salad recipe makes four generous side dish servings. It serves two people when used as a main course.
- The dressing can also be prepared using a small bowl. Blend with a whisk.
Homemade vs. Bottled Dressings
I often serve bottled salad dressing because it’s convenient and delicious, but when time allows, making a fresh vinaigrette really elevates a salad. You can adjust the seasoning to your own taste, and it’s incredibly simple to make. A basic vinaigrette uses a 3-to-1 ratio of oil to vinegar, though that can be tweaked depending on how strong the vinegar is. For this romaine salad recipe, I was inspired by Private Selection Crisp Apple Honey Vinaigrette from Kroger. Other bottled options I recommend are Panera Fuji Apple Vinaigrette, Good & Gather Apple Cider Vinaigrette, and Chick-fil-A® Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette Salad Dressing.
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This romaine salad recipe with apples and feta is fresh, flavorful, and easy to make—perfect for everything from weeknight dinners to holiday gatherings. If you enjoy simple salads with a sweet twist, you might also like my Romaine Lettuce Salad with Cranberries and Pears. Both are beautiful options that highlight the versatility of crisp romaine and seasonal fruit.
Romaine Salad Recipe with Apples + Feta
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 romaine hearts, washed and chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber (I used an English cucumber)
- 2 Campari tomatoes, washed and chopped
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1/2 cup Honeycrisp Apple, chopped
For the Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate (Thaw before adding to jar.)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Prepare & chop the salad ingredients.
- Place the romaine, cucumber, tomato, feta, and apples in a large bowl.
- Place the salad bowl in the refrigerator while the dressing is made.
- Put all the salad dressing ingredients in jar with a tight lid.
- Shake well.
- Drizzle the dressing on the salad, using your preferred amount.
- Toss well.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
If you make this recipe, and love it, please come back to leave a comment and a 5-star review. I would really appreciate it, and it would help me so much. Thank you!
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Thank you for the recipe….and thank you for figuring out whatever was keeping me from seeing your wonderful posts! So happy to be able to check in with your blog now.
Made this for a casual dinner party and it was a big hit!
Made this salad and dressing and it was delicious, all three of us loved it!
Hi Virginia…thank you so much for the rating. I truly appreciate it!
Ann, this recipe sounds so good! I am going to make this for supper tomorrow!
Thanks for sharing!
Always good to have a simple salad that will go with anything! I cover my apples with lemon or salted water, then rinse, to keep them from browning so quickly in salads.
A delicious and refreshing salad. I did not have the apple juice concentrate on hand but substituted it with water and still turned out delicious. Also substituted Granny Smith apple for the honey crisp apple.
I made the honey crisp salad his week and it was delicious!!! The dressing will be one of my go to’s!!! Thanks for sharing!
Loved the combination of ingredients. Added grilled chicken. It was delicious. Will definitely use it as one of my go to salads.
Made this salad last night as a main course with extra romaine & it was delicious. Using bottled dressing made it extra easy. It’s going into regular dinner rotation.
Great recipe. I tried it with slight modification in spices and it came out fabulous. Thanks you for your sharing this.
I love salads made with romaine! I have made one for years with pears and Swiss cheese that was a recipe of my mother in laws. It has a simple honey mustard vinegrette that does make it seem special. I am looking forward to trying this one! Thanks Ann!
I made this salad last night for a dinner party, and it was just amazing!
Thank you for sharing this, it’s a keeper!
Made it last night Ann, it was delicious!
Happy New Year, Ann! Thanks for this simple yet tasty recipe. We had it tonight with the addition of some chicken breast strips.
Mmm this look great.. perfect for spring.
Can’t wait to give this salad a try. I made a salad for News Years day lunch that had Spring mix greens, mandarin orange slices, dried cranberries and candied pecans. .Made a honey mustard dressing and the salad was a huge hit. This is the time of year I crave salads and a little lighter eating after all the rich foods of Christmas.
Wondering if anyone has tried it with a different variety of apple–specifically one that does not brown so that it does not have to be made at the last minute.
My granddaughter made this salad at Thanksgiving & I have made it since. Love it! The only thing we added is pecans. Really tasty!!!!
I used to make Good Seasoning Italian dressing with apple cider vinegar all the time. Thanks for the reminder. Plus, what a delicious combination!
Looks yummy ! Happy New Year to you and your family.
The apple salad recipe looks delicious! Happy New Year you and your family 🎉🤗💕
Hi Ann,
Looks like a great salad. What do you mean by apple juice concentrate? Is that the frozen concentrate before it is mixed? Or is it the liquid apple juice from the bottle of apple juice made from concentrate?
Hi Christine…yes it’s the frozen concentrate before it’s mixed. I’m sorry for the confusion. I edited the recipe so it’s clearer. Thank you!
This 5 star rating is actually for your Eggnog Bread recipe. We loved it! I’m now looking for the smaller loaf tins you recommended; it did take forever to bake in the regular loaf pan.
I’m definitely planning to try this salad. I love fresh salads and generally, try to keep Romaine on hand. Thanks for all your great recipes and decorating tips.
Thank you so much for the rating!
Hi Ann, this looks great! Help me with the apple juice concentrate … is that frozen like other juices that you add water to for juice you’d drink? Or is it something else altogether? Google wasn’t very helpful. Thanks!
Hi Shannon…yes it’s the frozen kind before it’s mixed. I edited the recipe and am sorry for the confusion!
What a great recipe, I will try it today! I am the same. I labor and fuss over my salads. Everyone likes them, I don’t really. They are all right, but, not quite right. I think the addition of apple is the key here. I am sensitive to raw fruit but I will chop it tiny and eat just a bit. Thank you for a refreshing, new idea! Happy New Year!