This Red Leaf Lettuce and Apple Salad with Parmesan Crisps is light, easy to make and absolutely delicious.
I remember vowing that I would be sharing more salads didn’t I? The thing with salads is that I so often just throw one together; including the dressing, and then after the fact the next day have to not only recreate it for a photo but first things first…I have to remember exactly what I used. I’m glad I made a point of that with this Apple Salad with Parmesan Crisps.
I haven’t bought a bottled salad dressing in years preferring to grab things from the fridge and the pantry and often make something as simple as olive oil, balsamic vinegar and whatever the spirit moves me. Blogging about it is usually not on my mind…until after I’ve enjoyed the results!
This salad is my version of a recipe I saw in a Bon Appetit magazine from last year so I just had to make a couple of notes during preparation. I’ve made some major changes; red leaf lettuce was perfect and a trip to the grocery for specialty lettuces really was not necessary.
I’ve changed up the dressing quite a bit too. I wanted garlic and decided to saute it and the shallots to mellow them a bit and this dressing was so good I can only recommend that as an absolute necessity.
This was simple and absolutely fantastic. Despite my modifications, it has the same spirit with the apple slices and Parmesan cheese crisps and it is an absolute winner. I’ve made Parmesan crisps before and wonder why I’m not making them every single day of my life and then I eat them up with such abandon that I answer my own question. I would be rolling around like a Parmesan wheel!
Crisp apples and Parmesan cheese, especially slightly melted and crispy Parmesan cheese. Really how could this be wrong?
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Apple Salad with Parmesan Crisps
A beautiful light salad combining apple slices with Parmesan crisps and a delicious honey and mustard dressing.
Ingredients
For the Parmesan Crisps:
- 4 oz grated Parmesan
For the Dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 ounces Parmesan, grated
For the Salad:
- 2 medium heads red leaf lettuce
- 1 large Pink Lady apple, thinly sliced
- Flaky sea salt (such as Maldon) and pepper
Instructions
To Make the Parmesan Crisps
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- On a baking sheet using either a silicone mat or parchment coated with nonstick spray, divide 4 oz. grated Parmesan into 8 mounds.
- Press with your fingers to flatten. Bake until the cheese is golden and melted, 6–10 minutes.
- Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool; break crisps into coarse pieces.
To Make the Salad Dressing
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the chopped shallots and saute for 3-4 minutes; add the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Remove from heat and add honey; mix well. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, whisk together and allow to cool down.
- Add Parmesan and mix well.
- Plate salad greens; add apple slices and Parmesan crisps and drizzle with dressing.
- Season with sea salt and pepper.
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