Chillier temperatures don’t have to spell the end of salad season! Now is the time to swap delicate lettuces for sturdier ingredients like Belgian endive, a crisp winter green with a slightly bitter flavor. With its vibrant mix of texture, flavor, and color, this Apple Walnut Salad proves that winter salads can be just as enticing! Sweet sliced apples, earthy walnuts, and tangy Apple Cider Vinaigrette are traditional partners for endive, but it’s the addition of dates that gives this recipe extra flair and a pop of chewy sweetness in every bite. What makes it irresistible to me, though, is the way the crumbled cheese breaks down and coats the ingredients with creamy, tangy goodness. Yum!
What is in Apple Walnut Salad?
Though this salad boasts a restaurant-level elegance, it’s made with easy-to-find ingredients. You’ll need:
Apple Cider Vinaigrette: Made with apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, and extra virgin olive oil, this homemade dressing pairs beautifully with the sweet Pink Lady apples and fresh salad greens. Since you’ll need only a few tablespoons for this recipe, transfer the rest to a small jar and store in the fridge for up to 7 days. WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER DRESSING? Use for just about any simple salad throughout the week, or to make these Roasted Beets with Labneh and Chives. Belgian endive: With a pleasantly bitter flavor and crisp, juicy leaves, sliced endive contrasts with the sweetness of the apples and dates. Endives are traditionally paired with strong cheeses, such as the chevre we’re using in this salad. Their color varies and can be either reddish purple or light green. Baby arugula: Adds a peppery bite and color to the salad. Pink Lady apple: These rosy-hued apples are sweet and tart, and help cut the bitterness of the endives. They are also a variety that tend not to brown as quickly. Deglet Noor dates have a rich, honey-like flavor. It’s easy to find them already pitted, and they have a firm texture that makes them easy to slice. Feel free to substitute other types of dates, such as the larger Medjool variety. Toasted walnuts Rich and earthy, walnuts add both flavor and crunch to the salad. Toasting them helps draw out their sweet and buttery flavor. Chevre (goat cheese): With its tangy texture and buttery texture, this soft French cheese is sold in small logs. When chilled, it’s easy to crumble with your fingers, like feta cheese. At room temperature, it becomes soft and spreadable. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper heighten the acidic flavors of the vinaigrette and the salad ingredients.
Best Apples for Salad
While you can use any apple variety have on hand, I like sweet Pink Lady apples for this apple walnut salad. Besides adding a gorgeous rosy hue and sweet-tart flavor, they tend not to brown as quickly as other red-skinned apples like Fuji or Honeycrisp. Other varieties that are slow to turn brown include Empire and Courtland.
How to Prevent Apples from Browning
Of course, you can always use a trick to slow the browning process of whatever apple you have on hand. The easiest way to keep apples looking fresh is to toss the cut slices in a bowl with a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. The citric acid in the juice slows the chemical reaction that happens when cut apples are exposed to the air. It also helps to slice the apples just before you plan to serve the salad, and toss immediately with the vinaigrette.
How to Make Apple Walnut Salad
If you already have the vinaigrette on hand, this salad takes just a few minutes to prepare. Be sure to slice the apples just before serving to prevent them from turning brown.
Toast the nuts: Preheat an oven or toaster oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup walnuts on a small baking sheet and bake in the hot oven until they turn golden brown and smell toasty, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely before roughly chopping. Meanwhile, make the Apple Cider Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Stir in 1 minced garlic clove. Then, whisking continuously, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup olive oil until fully emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Slice the endive: Rinse 2 medium heads of endive under cold, running water and pat dry. Clean and dry 2 ounces of arugula, if necessary. Slice the endive in half lengthwise. With a sharp paring knife, make a small, triangular notch to remove the cores. Then, slice endive quarters crosswise into strips and transfer them to a large salad bowl or serving platter. Mix in the arugula. Mix: Pit and slice 1/4 cup dates lengthwise into thin strips and sprinkle on the salad. Cut 1 apple into thin slices and add to the bowl. Add the walnuts and sprinkle with chevre cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces). Dress and serve: Divide the salad among plates and top with the more crumbled chevre. Season with a pinch of salt and more ground pepper, if you like.
Ways to Mix it Up
While there’s no fail-safe formula for the perfect salad, this one comes close, combining sweet and bitter flavors, and crunchy and creamy textures, all brought together by a tangy dressing. As long as you keep this general formula in mind, feel free to play around with the ingredients. Here’s how:
Vary the salad greens: Use spicy watercress and bitter purple radicchio in place of the endive and arugula. Change up the cheese: Use crumbled feta, shaved Parmesan, or salty ricotta salata instead of goat cheese. Pears: While I love the crispness of the apples, sliced, ripe pears are equally delicious. I’d use a firmer-fleshed variety like Bosc. Switch up the nuts: I love the combination of fall fruit and chopped, toasted hazelnuts, which are sweeter than walnuts and add a nice crunch.
What to Serve with Apple Walnut Salad
Since this salad is already packed with flavor, it doesn’t need much competition from a main course! I recommend serving it with a simple dish like our Lemon Garlic Chicken, made with chicken breast cutlets that are quickly cooked on the stove-top. For an easy, weeknight dinner, nothing beats soup and salad. I like this hearty one-pot, vegetarian Healthy Potato Soup, flavored with warming spices like cumin and paprika. And when the weather gets chilly, I find myself craving this classic Simple Mushroom-Barley Soup, brimming with the umami-rich flavors of mushrooms and tomatoes. It’s also elegant enough for the holidays or any dinner party roast. Kleftiko, a show-stopping Greek dish of lamb in parchment, will match the salad’s wow-factor. Browse all Mediterranean recipes.
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