Mixed Green Salad Recipe with Apples

Mixed Green Salad Recipe with Apples and Spiced Pecans

A simple green salad is always a welcome addition to a hearty and heavy holiday meal. The nice part about a salad is that it can be prepped ahead almost entirely, so the day-of work is lightning fast. Make the dressing and nuts a week in advance, and wash lettuce 2 days in advance. Use the lettuces recommended , or choose whatever looks the best at the farmer’s market or grocery store to make this mixed green salad recipe.

COOK:

20 minutes
for nuts

PREP:

10 minutes

YIELD:

6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 head red leaf lettuce, cored and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 head butter lettuce, cored and torn into bite-sized pieces
⅓ cup fresh tarragon, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
2 apples (any variety), cored and thinly sliced

Spiced Pecans

1 egg white
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
1 ½ cups pecan halves

Champagne Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons Champagne vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Set aside.
To make the pecans, place the egg white in a bowl and whisk vigorously until frothy, about 30 seconds. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, cumin and smoked paprika. Add the pecans to the bowl with the egg white and toss to coat. Add the spice mixture, and stir well to make sure all the pecans are covered. Transfer in a single layer to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Set aside to cool on the baking sheet.
To make the vinaigrette, stir the champagne vinegar, shallots, mustard, salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil and set aside.
To prepare the salad, toss the salad greens, tarragon and basil leaves in a large mixing bowl. Toss with Champagne vinaigrette, to taste. Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and top with sliced apple and spiced pecans. Serve at once.

Note(s):
How to store lettuce: wash and dry well. Wrap in paper towels (to absorb excess moisture so lettuce stays crisp) and store in a Ziplock or resealable bag.

Tearing lettuce by hand will keep the leaves from bruising, which can result from cutting with a knife.

Dressing can be made 10 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The dressing recipe can be used as a guide for use with other acidic ingredients such as lemon or blood orange juices or rice wine and red wine vinegars.

Using a shallow platter, as opposed to a deep bowl, prevents garnishes from settling at the bottom of the container.