When I first started cooking, or should I say when I first started TRYING to cook, I searched for a place to get easy, yummy recipes. My mom always had Taste of Home magazines laying on her coffee table and when I felt emboldened with courage, I would skim through looking for something simple. I wanted something I couldn’t screw up. Something that would give me confidence, didn’t involve the stove, and looked pretty on the plate. I came across this apple blue cheese salad recipe that was fairly uncomplicated. I even had all of the ingredients in my fridge. When my husband came home and saw the pretty colors on his plate, I knew I had found a keeper. Now I make it regularly and everyone loves it. Here’s how to make it:
First, start with a head of lettuce. You can use romaine, red leaf, spring mix, or whatever you like. I prefer a combination of romaine and spring mix. The romaine adds a nice crunch, and the spring mix adds more color and delicate leaves.
Now, chop up a sweet apple. I go for Gala or Fuji apples because they are the sweetest. Green apples are too tart and red apples are too grainy. It is important that the sweetness from the apple balance with the tang of the cheese and tartness of the mustard to make the most delicious apple blue cheese salad.
Put the apples into a medium sized bowl and chop 4 green onions into small pieces.
Now put the onions in, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard. Extra light olive oil seems to blend the best. However, if you like the robust flavor of the extra virgin olive oil, heck, go for it! Regular mustard works if you don’t have dijon on hand, but it will taste more tart and the finished salad will have a yellowish tint.
Next, sprinkle in 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Freshly ground pepper will kick it up a notch if you have it in the cupboard.
Mix it all up and leave it off the lettuce until you are ready to serve. If you are transporting the salad for a party, it is best to keep the cheese and dressing off until you are ready. The lettuce easily wilts and the yummy apples will sink to the bottom.
But if you’re like me and you’re salivating already, dump the apple mixture in and top it off with 3-4 oz of crumbled blue cheese.
Now you are ready to eat! Take this apple blue cheese salad to your next family dinner or ladies night out, and you’ll be the talk of the table! For more ideas and recipes, visit my Recipe Index or follow me on Pinterest. Happy cooking y’all!
Apple Blue Cheese Salad
Ingredients
- 1 head Romaine lettuce
- 1 Gala apple
- 3-4 green onions
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 4 oz blue cheese
Instructions
- Chop the lettuce. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add the apple, onions, oil, mustard, sugar, and salt and pepper.
- Stir apple mixture until well coated.
- Pour apple mixture on lettuce and top with blue cheese.
- Toss and serve.
I just tried this tonight
I made a smaller version of it. I was the only one eating tonight.
I wish I would have made the full recipe. I would have devoured it.
Such a simple salad with a whole lot of flavor.
Thanks for trying it Wendy! This salad is to die for…hence why I always make it when lots of people are around and I won’t be tempted to eat it all myself!
I made this salad for my family for Easter – everyone loved it! I never make “fancy” salads because it always felt like a lot of effort in my mind… like, it was too much effort to cut up some onion, etc, just to make a salad (I know – how lazy am I?)… but this salad is so easy and delicious! My new favorite! Thank you so much!
Thank you SO much for commenting and letting me know you tried it! I’m so glad your family tried it at Easter! Now you’re going to be known for that salad and they’re going to expect it at every holiday. 🙂
So my husband and I are pretty much addicted to this salad! Amazing simple salad that I can make and have made like three times this past week!!! I found out that if I took some of the salad out before adding the blue cheese my kids even loved it! Kroger was out of blue cheese yesterday and I stood in front of the cheese display and googled “substitution for blue cheese” and bought Gorgonzola (don’t judge, I am sooooo not a cook!) instead. It worked just fine and I was happy because I could have this salad again. Served it with some grilled chicken and saffron rice. My kids ate their portions up! Thanks Heidi for helping me get back into cooking again! Gave me a spark to try some new things and get back into the kitchen!
Gorgonzola is a great substitute! I’m so glad you looked into it. And yes…this salad is sooooooo addicting. Sometimes I make it for myself and eat it over a few meals. If you like this one, you’ll probably like the blue cheese, cranberry, and candied pecan salad also underneath the salad section.
*drooling* you know this is my favorite salad you make!
It was just for you, Harm-diggle!
Heidi, This looks tasty, simple and healthy! I’m gonna try this recipe. Thank you!!
Let me know what you think of it!