Are you craving a healthy salad? This apple, blue cheese, and walnut salad is made from tart Granny Smith apples and sweet red Fuji apples that are thinly sliced. To prevent browning, the apple slices are submerged in lemon water while the rest of the salad gets prepped. Lightly toast the walnuts in unsalted butter, slice the blood orange, and shave one carrot.
Now that everything is in its place or mise en place as the French say, it’s time to compose the salad. To start, line your platter with butter lettuce leaves. Decide where you want your colorful veggies or fruits to be displayed then arrange the other salad ingredients around it. You can make your design symmetrical (matching) or asymmetrical. Be creative and have fun arranging. Whip up the light tasting salad dressing in minutes and drizzle it over the salad.
Serve this apple, blue cheese, and walnut salad as a main for a light lunch or pair it with these freshly made garlic and Asiago twists.
Looking for something to round out the meal? Try these other delicious recipes!
Garlic and Asiago Twists: these flavorful knots are soft in the middle with a shiny, crisp crust.
Chilled Cucumber Soup: a refreshing cold soup perfect for a light appetizer or side dish.
Orange Julius: learn how to make these mouthwatering classic drinks!
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Apple, Blue Cheese, and Walnut Salad
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Prep Time: 40 minutes -
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Yield: 4 servings
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Pin RecipeDescription
Apple, blue cheese, and walnut salad is an easy and healthy simple salad that combines Granny Smith and Fuji apples with toasted walnuts, shaved carrots, blood oranges, blue cheese, and currants. Drizzle the dressing over top and you’re ready to serve this composed salad over butter lettuce for a lunch or amazing side.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 8 to 10 pieces of butter lettuce, rinsed and dried
- 1/2 green tart apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 1/2 red sweet apple, cored and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (for soaking the apple slices)
- 1/3 cup walnut pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup blue cheese
- 1/3 cup currants
- 1 blood orange, sliced
- 1 large carrot, peeled and shaved
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon spring onion, finely chopped
- sprinkle of salt and pepper
- 3/4 cup olive oil
Instructions
Making the Salad
- Line the platter with 8-10 pieces of butter lettuce.
- Get two medium bowls and fill them with cold water. Stir in one tablespoon of lemon juice into each one. Thinly slice half of the red and green apples, and keep the slices in the lemon water to prevent browning.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Constantly stir the walnuts until they are toasted. Remove from the heat and pour the nuts onto a paper towel to absorb any excess butter.
- Wash the outside of the blood orange and slice it.
- Peel one large carrot. Using a vegetable peeler, shave off large pieces of the carrot.
- Arrange the sliced apples fanned out in groups of three on top of the butter lettuce. Do the same with the blood oranges. Place the toasted walnuts and the dried currants in the center of the platter with the blue cheese crumbles on either side. To finish, put the carrot shavings near the apple wedges.
Making the Vinaigrette
- In a medium bowl whisk together the lemon juice, white balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add the finely chopped spring onion. Gradually add the oil while constantly whisking.
- Pour into a pretty jug with a spout.
- Drizzle the salad dressing over the composed salad and serve immediately.