Apple Walnut Salad
A 15-minute Jain apple walnut salad with mixed greens, toasted walnuts, optional goat cheese, and lemon-honey dressing. No onion or garlic.
Equipment
- Dry skillet
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
Salad
- 2 medium crisp apples Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Pink Lady; thinly sliced or diced
- 1/2 cup walnuts toasted and roughly chopped
- 5 ounces mixed greens about 5 to 6 oz; washed and spun dry
- 1/3 cup soft goat cheese optional; crumbled; or use paneer cubes
Lemon-honey dressing
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey or up to 1 1/2 tablespoons to taste
- pinch salt
- black pepper freshly ground, to taste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
- pinch roasted cumin powder or chaat masala optional; bhuna jeera
Instructions
Toast the walnuts
- Warm a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and toast 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and a shade darker. Tip onto a plate to cool, then chop roughly.
Whisk the lemon-honey dressing
- In a small jar or bowl, whisk olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt, black pepper, and optional lemon zest until combined. Taste. You want it bright and lightly sweet, not sticky or oily.
Prep the greens and cut the apples
- Place dry mixed greens in a wide serving bowl. Core and thinly slice or dice the apples. Toss the apple pieces with 1 spoon of the dressing so they stay bright.
Assemble gently
- Add most of the apples and most of the cooled walnuts to the greens. Drizzle over most of the remaining dressing and fold once or twice so the leaves are lightly coated, not swimming.
- Scatter optional goat cheese and the remaining apple and walnut on top. Fold once more. Taste. Add a pinch of roasted cumin or chaat masala if the apples were mild. Serve right away.
Notes
Cut apples last and toss in a spoon of dressing so they do not brown.
Toast the walnuts; raw nuts make the onion-free salad taste flat.
Check mustard, spice blends, and flavored nut packs for onion or garlic powder on Jain days.
Dress lightly and serve soon. Fully dressed leftovers wilt overnight.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 day. Refresh with a squeeze of lemon and a few fresh greens if needed.
For dairy-free, skip goat cheese or use a firm vegan feta. Paneer cubes work as a Jain Indian kitchen swap.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!