California Cherry and Walnut Salad

After buying almost this exact salad for $4 each at my local Target store's cafe, I decided to buy ingredients to make my own at home. I made my first today, and came across this while searching for a dinner recipe using that goat cheese I bought! My version of this salad uses a delicious poppyseed dressing (which I highly recommend as I don't care much for raspberries.) You will love it!

This salad is great as a full meal too. I use dried cranberries, instead of cherries and use the Good Seasons Italian Dressing mix but make it with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The combination of tart, sweet, salty feta is great. It's one of the few salads where there is rarely a drop left in the bowl after dinner! I am not big on Raspberry Vinaigrette but think the Balsamic is terrific. I don't even add chicken and find is still quite filling because of the walnuts and cheese adding the protein.

This was okay. I did use fresh cherries because that's what I had. I feel like it needed something more. Maybe shallots chopped up into the pre-made dressing.

This is a delicious salad. I am a big fan of sweet/salty, leafy/fruit combo salads and this combination really works. I made a few minor adjustments, one being crumbled feta for the goat cheese I didn't have, and a citrus vinaigrette in place of the raspberry I also didn't have, otherwise I would absolutely have made this exactly as written. Salad heaven!

Fabulous! I used fresh cherries instead of dried and sunflower seeds instead of walnuts. Also used raspberry vinaigrette from this site.

I had a salad like this at a restaurant years ago and decided I could make it myself, a lot cheaper. I make it all the time - one of our family favorites! I also add thinly sliced tart apples and sometimes, even strawberries. Anything goes! Yummy

Followed directions to the T. This is a keeper in my book, and I my husband really enjoyed it too.

I too love the salad similar to this at Target. This one is great and just like it when you change the dressing to poppy seed. Yummy!

Delicious!

i've tried this several times and it's really good. you can also use spinach, topped with tuna, raisins and feta cheese.

I did not have any walnuts, so used pecans instead. It was quite good, but I have other salads that I like better.

Delicious and easy! It's a great combination of sweet and tangy. I omitted the chicken, and I made my own simple vinaigrette with raspberry vinegar, walnut oil, Dijon mustard, and agave. I also added some feta because I didn't have enough goat cheese. Coarse black pepper really adds to this salad. This is a definite keeper!

I have made this salad twice now for two separate occasions and everyone complemented me on what a great salad it was.

Simple and delicious! A great summer recipe.

I pretty much stuck to the recipe, except I just didn't use chicken because I don't care for meat on my salads. Great meal to have while watching calories. Quick to whip up too! Yum!

just perfect, this is a keeper.

A delicious salad, especially with the addition of the dried cherries. I've had this with dried cranberries before, but I love the bigger punch of flavor from the dried cherries.

so good and so easy!!! i didn't have cherries so i used cranberries, i didnt have walnuts so i chopped some almonds and used them instead. everyone loved it!!

I used the raspberry vinegarette recipe by jan w from this site. I omitted the chicken since I wanted a side salad for another meat dish.

As with many of these salad recipes, the combination of flavors is what makes it da bomb. The walnuts complement the cheese, the cheese complements the chicken...Well, you get the picture. The chicken strips makes this a more substantial salad, and served with a nice baguette, will make a wonderful lunch or dinner. After I eat one of these salads I feel a huge blast of good nutrition blow through my body. So much better than junk food! IMHO, a cheddar can sub for the goat cheese, if that's what you have, but the other ingredients are kinda critical to the body of the salad. I don't like to deviate too far from the original recipe. What's the point?

excellent!

My wife loves this stuff so I made it for her and I'll be darned, it came out pretty good. We have it a couple of times a month now.

Made it last night without the chicken and loved it.

Love this salad! Very good taste. I have also used bluecheese in the salad Tks

Yummy

Made this at Tgiving using cranberries...it was a nice change from the mayo based salads.

I love this! I have been using this with cranberries and mandarin oranges for years!! The cherries made a new zest , I added fresh pineapple,spinach, and mandarin oranges. I am making it for Christmas Dinner.

Wonderful flavors and fabulous color. This is a restaurant-quality salad that you can put together at home within minutes, feel proud of eating healthy and saving money at the same time. This is a dish to serve to company.

I made this for a dinner party and got rave reviews. I used dried sweet cherries instead of tart and I omitted the chicken since I was serving chicken as my entree. I also made my own raspberry vinaigrette and toasted the walnuts first

Delicious recipe...I made sure season my chicken and I tried out a honey chevre I found for the goat cheese and it was incredible.

I've made this recipe and love it. The great thing is you can change items if they don't appeal to your taste. Great Job...keep these wonderful recipes coming.

Easy and tastes great, what more could you ask for. I added chopped green onion for a little kick.

i added spinach, cherry tomatoes, red onion & avocado to beef it up more w/out the meat. cant go wrong with this salad.

Very good!!!

This is a good salad that is easy to throw together. I used romaine in lieu of a bagged salad (that stuff scares me - lol) but otherwise followed the recipe. Good - but not my favorite....Thanks for sharing your recipe, Arci!