Pacific Northwest Salad Recipe
Fresh watercress, kale, mizuna greens, pickled onions, white aged cheddar, dried blueberries, apricots, roasted hazelnuts with cranberry-thyme dressing.
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Ingredients
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Greens
Pickled Onions
Cheese & Fruit
Nuts
Cranberry-Thyme Dressing
Finishing
Method
Pickled Onions
- 1
Quick-pickle onions
Place thinly sliced red onion in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer to dissolve sugar and salt. Pour hot brine over onions, press slices down so they’re submerged, and let sit at least 15 minutes while preparing other components (can refrigerate up to 24 hours).
Nuts
- 2
Toast and season hazelnuts
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tsp oil or melted butter and 1/4 tsp salt. Roast 8–10 minutes until fragrant and skins blister. Remove, let cool slightly, then rub between towels to remove loose skins if desired. Roughly chop and set aside.
Greens
- 3
Prepare greens
Wash and thoroughly dry watercress, kale, and mizuna. Remove tough kale stems and slice leaves into bite-sized ribbons. Place kale in a large bowl and sprinkle a tiny pinch of salt; massage the kale for 1 minute to soften fibers. Add watercress and mizuna and toss gently to combine.
Cranberry-Thyme Dressing
- 4
Make dressing
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together cranberry sauce (or chopped fresh cranberries), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, chopped thyme, salt, and pepper until emulsified. Taste and add lemon juice if you want extra brightness. Adjust salt and sweetness to taste. If using whole cranberry sauce, mash any large pieces with the back of a spoon for a smoother dressing.
Assembly
- 5
Combine salad
Drain pickled onions (reserve a little pickling liquid for the dressing if you like a tangier finish). Add pickled onions to the bowl with greens. Scatter dried blueberries and quartered dried apricots over the greens. Add shaved/cubed white aged cheddar and toasted hazelnuts.
- 6
Dress and toss
Pour about two-thirds of the cranberry-thyme dressing over the salad (reserve the rest). Gently toss with tongs until ingredients are evenly coated. Taste and add more dressing as needed, or a splash of the reserved pickling liquid for brightness. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- 7
Serve
Transfer salad to a serving platter or divide among 4 plates. Garnish with extra dried blueberries if using and a few small thyme leaves. Serve immediately so greens stay crisp.