The combination of these ingredients makes a beautiful salad. Use the best-quality Parmesan you can find; it makes a world of difference.–Gena Knox
Apple, Parmesan, and Mixed Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe
Ingredients
- For the dressing
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- For the salad
- 5 cups mixed greens
- 1 Braeburn or Gala apple, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese curls
Directions
- 1. Combine the mustard, water, honey, vinegar, and olive oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
- 2. In a large salad bowl, combine the greens, apple slices, and walnuts. Toss with the dressing. Add the Parmesan curls and gently toss to combine.
- 3. Serve immediately.
Apple, Parmesan, and Mixed Green Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette Recipe © 2008 Fire & Flavor Grilling Co. Photo © 2008 Erica George Dines. All rights reserved.
[Julie Chang-Cheekmore] This salad was simply delicious. The spoonful of honey helped to round out the bite of the mustard and vinegar, and the flavor of the mustard shone through without being overpowering. The apples, nuts, and Parmesan were a complimentary combination. I thought there was a bit too much dressing and Parmesan, so next time I’ll add those ingredients to taste, but otherwise this was a very easy and wonderful salad.
[Leanne Abe] I know it’s a simple recipe, but sometimes even those need to be noted and placed in a file. I may make this dressing without the water, but I will definitely leave in the sherry vinegar. It leaves a milder finish than balsamic or other vinegars, and I like the balance against the apples in the salad. I like my salad lightly dressed, so I had enough dressing for the four plates. I think it would also be nice to switch the Parmesan for some good goat cheese.
[Anne Upton] Great salad! The meaty toasted walnuts and the sourness of the mustard balanced the sweetness of the sherry vinegar and honey. The apple provided crispness. As I write this, I am thinking some bits of smoked bacon would round out the flavor even more. I will make this salad again.
[Tracy Hahn-Burkett] This was a refreshing switch from the standard mixed-green side salad. I’ve used dozens of different and increasingly unusual ingredients over the years to bring something original to salad, but this recipe accomplished the task with few ingredients and very little effort. Even the honey-mustard dressing tasted new; the sherry vinegar lent it a tang not generally found in dressings of this variety. Also, though I can’t explain this, the dressing alone had a hint of apple in the taste, even before I added it to the salad. The individual components of the salad-whole mustard grains, sherry vinegar, lightly toasted walnuts and Parmesan cheese blended together with a unique and pleasing flavor, and putting this dish together could not have been easier. I will definitely make this again.
One of the best salads I’ve ever tried. Simple ingredients, but they all get well together, and the dressing helps to get the full taste!! I specifically bought whole grain mustard (though I usually never eat it) and sherry vinegar (which is hard to find in my town). Made it several times already.
Lovely to hear, Nadya. I agree, the whole-grain mustard with its roly poly seeds is perfect with sherry vinegar and apple. Curious, since you’ve made it several times, if you’ve tried any variations on this salad or kept true to the recipe…
This is a lovely salad. I added thinly sliced fennel tossed in lemon juice, and omitted the water from the dressing. Excellent as a light but interesting side salad for Thanksgiving.
Thanks for letting us know, Alisha. And a lovely long weekend to you…