Big Apple Salad

Recipe summary

A riff on a classic Waldorf salad, laced with apples three ways.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Spicy Walnuts

• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) chili powder
• 1 large egg white, whisked until foamy
• 2 cups (500 mL) walnut halves

Apple Vinaigrette

• 2 Gravenstein apples, peeled, cored and finely diced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh apple cider
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) canola oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper

Marinated Apple Rings

• 2 Gravenstein apples, cored and sliced into 1/8-inch thick rings
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) reserved Apple Vinaigrette
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) thinly sliced flat leaf parsley leaves
• salt and pepper

Blue Cheese Dressing

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) crumbled Danish blue cheese
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) sour cream
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) apple cider vinegar
• salt and pepper

Salad

• 4 bunches watercress
• 1 Gravenstein apple, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cup (250 mL) finely sliced celery hearts
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped celery leaves
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) roughly chopped reserved Spicy Walnuts
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) sun-dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) Blue Cheese Dressing
• salt and pepper