Arugula Salad with Apples & Manchego in Cider Vinaigrette

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With tart apples, nutty manchego, and a cider vinaigrette, this autumn arugula salad hits all the right taste buttons.

Bowl of arugula salad with apples and manchego in cider vinaigrette.

All I can tell you about this arugula salad is that I made half the recipe the other day to photograph it for Serious Eats and I ate the entire thing standing at my kitchen counter at 10:30 AM. Definitely not my proudest moment but delicious nonetheless!

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Arugula, Apples & Manchego in Cider Vinaigrette

Bowl of arugula salad with apples and manchego in cider vinaigrette.
With tart apples, nutty manchego, and a cider vinaigrette, this autumn arugula salad hits all the right taste buttons.
Servings: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients 

For the Salad

  • 5 ounces arugula or baby arugula
  • 1 crisp apple, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp
  • ounces Manchego, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted if desired

For the Vinaigrette

  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots, from 1 shallot
  • Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  • Make the vinaigrette by whisking all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Place the arugula in a serving bowl. Whisk the vinaigrette again until well combined, then add to the salad, little by little, until the greens are well dressed; you may have a little left over. Right before serving, cut the apple into thin slices and toss into the salad along with the Manchego and almonds. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve immediately.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (4 servings)Calories: 391kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 9gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 356mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9g

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

4.99 from 66 votes

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122 Comments

  • 5 stars
    This is the only salad my adult son will eat!! It’s become a tradition for me to bring it to an annual (end of season/summer kickoff) gathering of our church small group. Everyone always raves over it, every time I make it! Taking it this evening to said gathering! Tripled it for 16!

    • — Mandy on May 31, 2026
    • Reply