Butter Lettuce Salad with Candied Pecans

Don’t let the long ingredients list scare you away! This lovely salad is one of my very favorites and completely worth the (minimal) trouble. And you can make a big batch of the candied pecans ahead of time!

Salad

1 head butter lettuce, gently torn

1 apple (preferably Pink Lady), unpeeled and sliced thinly

3 tbsp currants or dried cranberries

¼ cup red onion, sliced thinly

Candied Pecans

½ cup raw pecans

⅛ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp water

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Dressing

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

½ tbsp canola oil

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

Make the Candied Pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Add the brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper to a saucepan, then bring to a boil. Add the pecans and stir for 2 minutes.

Transfer the coated pecans to a sheet of cookie sheet lined with wax paper and bake for 6 minutes at 350°F.

Make the Dressing

Whisk all dressing ingredients together to combine.

Make the Salad

Toss the dressing, candied pecans, apple slices, and lettuce together.