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.
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!
Arugula, Apples & Manchego in Cider Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 5 ounces arugula or baby arugula
- 1 crisp apple, such as Fuji or Honeycrisp
- 3½ 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
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.
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This salad is SO YUMMY! I fallowed the directions exactly and have already made it three times in one week. It’s so easy to make and everyone I’ve served it to loved it! I served it as a side, but would totally eat this as a meal on it’s own. Such a great salad, I want to eat it every day.
This is one of my favorite dressings and the salad combination was amazing. I’m a Texas girl so I added some rare flat iron steak sliced on top! Sooooooo good!
I was unable to find Manchego cheese so decided to substitute Feta (any other suggestions?). I also had to substitute a bag of arugula/baby spinach mix. Still, the dressing was nice and zingy and the salad was a big hit and has inspired me to start adding to fruit to most of my winter salads.
This salad sounds amazing
Can chick peas be added rather then the nuts. Also if not a fan of mustard what else can you use?…thank you!!
Hi Michele, Sure, chickpeas would work here. And you could try a bit of horseradish in place of the mustard, but it will give the dressing a slightly different taste. LMK how it turns out!
I can’t wait to try this recipe…I love all your recipes, as so many do!! Would I be able to take this to a tennis luncheon?? Not sure if this can be prepared in advance unless I put the apple slices in lemon juice?? What do you suggest? Thanks in advance.
Sure, Wendy – you could try that or just slice the apple at the last minute. Glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
5 stars!
This was delicious! The salad is lovely.
I did not change the ingredients but I did make it a second time with Parmesan shavings. Both times it was scrumptious!
Any recipe I try of yours is always excellent as is without changes!
This salad dressing is the first homemade dressing I’ve loved for a very long time. It is so delicious that a few hours after dinner, I was thinking about how I’d like to use it in my lunch the next day. Combining it with the softly crisp, lightly sweet Fuji apple slices; the mildly bitter baby arugula; the gently crumbling, salty Manchego; and the smooth crunch of the sliced almonds is … well, heavenly. I will be making this many more times!
Thank you ! Perfect for Advent Social of Knights of Columbus , was enjoyed by all not drop left !!!
Was not easy task this afternoon to cook two roast beef to the sounds of loud Army- Navy game , the recipe for this lovely salad which I increased for 40 people and served in giant antique punch bowl , well I thank you again St Marys and St,Joseph’s Parish Old Town Alexandria enjoyed to the last drop !!! Oh and thanks to our Valentino at whole foods who always advises so well !!!
This is one of my favorite recipes and I often bring it to pot-lucks: easy to double!
Depending on the time of year (and if they are ripe) I have substituted pears for the apples and for an added kick, have thrown in some candied walnuts.
Delicious no matter what!
Fantastic salad! I love how light the dressing is, let’s all the flavours come through. I’ve tried three of your salads so far and loved them all!