mwcelebratesInteresting and attractive, this is a good salad to begin or end any fancy meal. The idea of Maple Mustard Dressing may startle you at first, but it’s wonderful on the crisp apples and fennel and offset by the juicy grapes, nuts, and Stilton cheese. This is not just any old green salad; this one has character. For a more casual meal another time, try it with just soup.

Crisp Autumn Salad

Recipe type: Salad
Prep time: 35 mins Total time: 35 mins
Serves: 8

Ingredients

Salad

  • ½ pound mesculn or spring mix
  • 3 crisp apples, cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups thinly sliced fennel bulb
  • 24 large grapes, halved and seeded
  • ¾ red onion, thinly sliced
  • ¾ cup toasted walnuts*
  • ¾ cup crumbled Stilton cheese (about 2 ounces)

Maple Mustard Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 6 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. * Toast walnuts in a single layer on an unoiled baking tray at 350° for about 5 minutes, until fragrant and brown.
  2. Arrange the mesclun on individual salad plates or on a large flat platter.
  3. Top with the rest of the salad ingredients in an attractive tangle.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together with a fork.
  5. Pour over the salad and serve.

Crisp Autumn Salad is reprinted with permission of the authors, the Moosewood Collective, from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates, Copyright 2004, Moosewood, Inc., Clarkson N. Potter, publishers.

Translate »