Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad

What is in Wendy’s Apple Pecan Salad?

Wendy’s signature lettuce blend, grilled chicken, crumbled blue cheese, roasted pecans, red and green apples, and dried cranberries, topped with Marzetti Simply Dressed Pomegranate Vinaigrette. It is the sweet-savory salad in the lineup, built around fruit and nuts rather than a second savory protein like bacon or chili.

How does it compare to Wendy’s other salads?

It is the lightest of the four by calories. Against the Cobb Salad, it carries 150 fewer calories, while still delivering solid protein from the grilled chicken. What it gives up is the protein ceiling: the Cobb Salad’s egg-bacon-cheddar combination outscores it there.

Is it gluten-free?

Yes, uniquely among the four salads. The Cobb Salad’s crispy fried onions and the Taco Salad’s tortilla strips both carry wheat. Nothing in the Apple Pecan Salad, including the pomegranate vinaigrette, does. Wendy’s still does not certify any item gluten-free due to shared kitchen prep, but ingredient-wise this is the cleanest of the four for anyone avoiding wheat.

It is not dairy-free, though, which surprises people who assume gluten-free means dairy-free too. The blue cheese is an obvious source, and the roasted pecans themselves are processed with lactose as part of their coating, a detail easy to miss.

Allergen note: tree nuts

Roasted pecans are a core ingredient here, not a garnish that can simply be left off without changing the dish. Anyone with a tree nut allergy should treat this salad as unsuitable rather than ask for a modification, and should look at the Cobb Salad or Parmesan Caesar instead.