Feta is one of my favourite cheeses and I love the combination of fruit & feta in salad (like this watermelon salad). Another combination that works really well is green apple and feta. It is one of the freshest, brightest salads I’ve had in years!
The salad is extremely easy to make, takes less than twenty minutes and is very tasty. It has the zing from the tart green apples, saltiness from the feta, crunchy sweetness from the candied walnuts, pepperiness from the Arugula and lovely vinaigrette balancing it all out. Sounds perfect? Well it really is!
The candied walnuts add a nice crunch and also a tinge of sweetness to add character to the salad. It’s a really nice pop when you get a piece of that dark, caramelly goodness in each bite 🙂
I used a mandoline slicer, for the first time, to get those apples nice and thin. It’s a magical kitchen gadget, definitely worth getting if you are a fan of uniform, thin slices of food (and fancy presentation :)). I made the mistake of not using the grip and while the first batch was fine, I got super excited in the second batch and ended up cutting my finger. Yup. Not pretty! So use a mandoline if you must, but be careful!
Just look at how uniform, thin and delicate the apple slices are! Beauty!
The vinaigrette is simple, punchy and delicious. It really binds the whole dish together.
I first had an apple-walnut-feta salad at a cafe in Gurgaon. I fell in love and then ended up ordering this whenever I saw it on a menu. There was no way I wasn’t going to make this at home as well, right? This was the salad that introduced me to the idea of sweetness in a salad and it’s something I’ve grown to love and appreciate ever since.
This salad is great for a light meal or as part of a brunch. Try it and you’ll know why I recommend it so highly!
Green Apple,Walnut & Feta Salad
Ingredients
Candied walnuts:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp walnuts
Vinaigrette:
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp mustard
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried parsley
Salt to taste
Salad:
1 green apple – thinly sliced
1 cup lettuce – chopped
1/2 cup Arugula – chopped
3-4 tbsp crumbled feta cheese
Directions
- Pre heat the oven to 175C and line a tray. In a pan, add butter and melt on medium flame. Add the walnuts, sugar and salt and let them brown till the sugar melts and forms a coating on the walnuts. Be careful not to let it burn
- Transfer the candied walnuts to baking tray and bake for 10-15 mins till they harden and become candy like. Let them cool for 5-7 mins and then pulse into smaller pieces
- In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients for the vinaigrette and adjust seasoning (do this while the walnuts are baking, to save time)
- In a large bowl, layer the lettuce, Arugula, apple, candied walnuts (chopped). Pour the dressing over and toss through. Sprinkle feta on top and serve!
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[…] love pairing fruits and cheese in salad (like with watermelon and green apple) and I tend to veer towards salty cheese like feta to balance the […]
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