For a recent post-Thanksgiving brunch, we had to figure out what kind of side salad to bring. Should we do a fall roasted vegetable salad, a simple green salad, or something else that would be light and yet tasty?
While driving to the grocery store, I was struck by inspiration that I should make a salad with crisp red apples to fit the tremendous apple growing season in NY this time of year. A salad with apples quickly led me to think about adding in some blue cheese, a bit of shallots or red onion, and maybe some sort of hard crunch (I am allergic to walnuts and pecans, so maybe something else?). Below is the final salad I assembled, which I later prepared a few more times later in the week for fantastic work lunches.
The great thing about this salad (actually with all salads) is that you can customize the ingredient ratios to meet your needs, and it can still be a great seasonal salad that works as a main lunch dish or a side for a large brunch. And the preparation time is all of five minutes, so even better for a large event or a weekday lunch.
Apple Gorgonzola Salad
Salad Ingredients:
- 4 cups spring lettuce mix
- 1 apple, cored and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
- 2 tbsp. crumbled gorgonzola
- 2 tbsp. chopped red onion
Vinagrette Ingredients:
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 - 3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. finely chopped red onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Directions:
- Toss the salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl. If you would like, you can also just layer the ingredients for presentation, with the lettuce on the bottom of the bowl and then apple, gorgonzola, and red onion on top.
- Blend the vinagrette in a small bowl with a fork or whisk, and toss with salad immediately before serving.
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