Harvest Apple Salad with Cinnamon Walnut Clusters and Shaved Pecorino
A beautiful salad showcasing fall's best flavors: sweet and tart crisp apples, crunchy cinnamon nut clusters, ruby cranberries and peppery pecorino. All dressed up in a tangy dijon mustard vinaigrette.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 222kcal
Ingredients
Cinnamon Walnut Clusters
- 115 g (1 cup) raw walnuts
- 100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar packed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp water
Apple Salad
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ tbsp dijon mustard
- 1½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp maple syrup or agave
- 300 g (3 big handfuls) romaine or arugula
- 2 pcs sliced apples mix of granny smith, honeycrisp, cameo, etc.
- 50 g (¼ cup) dried cranberries
- 30-50 g block of parmesan shaved
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Cinnamon Walnut Clusters
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat and set aside.
- In a medium sized dry pan on high heat, toast your walnuts until lightly roasted, about 1-2 minutes. Taste/break one nut, if it's not crunchy or crisp continue to toast. Let cool and set aside.
- In a small pot combine the rest of your ingredients and give it a quick stir. Heat this mixture until it bubbles and froths (all over not just the edges) or until it reaches 300-310°F on a thermometer (hard crack stage). Avoid stirring the sugar and if needed just swirl the pan.
- Once the mixture is very bubbly and has risen, toss in the toasted walnuts gently and lightly stirring as to not agitate the sugar making sure to coat each nut. Leave the pot covered for 1 minute then turn off the heat. Transfer the nuts to the lined pan a few pieces at a time while the rest stay in the hot pot to make sure you don't end up with a huge ball of solidified candied nuts.
Harvest Apple Salad
- In a mason jar, add in the olive oil, mustard, vinegar and maple syrup. Close with the lid and give it a good shake to combine.
- Wash the greens and dry, tearing the large leaves to make it easier to eat. Season with some salt and pepper then give it a light toss. Add in the dressing, walnut clusters, sliced apples and cranberries over the greens, tossing to mix. Top with shaved parmesan. Serve and enjoy!