Apple And Cucumber Springtime Salad

This Apple and Cucumber Springtime Salad combines crisp apples, Persian cucumbers, tender fennel, and pickled red onions with creamy goat cheese and sweet-spicy candied walnuts. Finished with a bright apple vinaigrette and served alongside buttery crostini, it’s a refreshing and elegant salad perfect for spring or light lunches.

Recipe Information

Total Time:

Yield:

4 servings

Ingredients

Candied Walnuts

1 tablespoon salted butter

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash cayenne pepper

1 cup walnut halves

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Crostini

4 tablespoons salted butter

8 (½-inch) slices French baguette

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Vinaigrette

¾ cup apple juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Black pepper, to taste

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Salad

1 (5-ounce) package spring mix salad greens

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced

3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced; plus fronds for garnish

½ cup Pickled Red Onion

½ cup crumbled goat cheese

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Directions

For candied walnuts, line a large rimmed baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium nonstick skillet combine butter and sugar. Heat over medium heat until sugar is melted, stirring occasionally. Stir in cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Add walnuts; stir until evenly coated. Immediately remove skillet from heat to prevent sugar from burning. Spread nuts in a single layer in prepared pan. Cool 10 minutes or until hardened.
For crostini, preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking pan with parchment paper; set aside. Spread butter on one side of baguette slices. Place in baking pan, butter side up. Bake 15 minutes or until slices are lightly toasted. Remove from oven; cool.
For vinaigrette, in a small screw-top jar combine apple juice, vinegar, oil, honey and Dijon mustard. Cover tightly and shake well. Season to taste with black pepper.
To assemble salads, arrange greens, apples, cucumbers, fennel, pickled onion and goat cheese on 4 salad plates. Top with candied walnuts; garnish with fennel fronds, if desired. Drizzle salads with vinaigrette and serve with crostini.