This recipe was inspired by Cafe Lurcat, which is still one of our favorite date night restaurants in Minneapolis. With all the rich dishes you will have on Thanksgiving this fresh fall salad will be a great accompaniment at the table.
The simplicity of this recipe is really not fair because the outcome will surpass all expectations. It’s simply made with apples, Manchego cheese, and chives—all matchsticked so you can’t tell the difference between the cheese and apples. Manchego cheese has a butter-like smoothness, and leaves a somewhat nutty aftertaste. Finshed with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of chives and voila! When pure, fresh ingredients come together so magically it should be shared with everyone.
Tip:
To speed up the slicing, stack the slices of apples and cheese to form matchsticks.
Thanksgiving Side Dish–Apple, Manchego, and Chive Salad
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 large apples, (Granny Smith or Honey Crisp)
- 4 ounces Manchego cheese
- 1/4 cup chives, minced
- 2 Tbls. fresh lemon juice
- 1–2 Tbls. olive oil
- Fresh ground black pepper and Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Slice apples in matchsticks by cutting the apple into 4 quarters and then thinly slice each quarter. Stack slices and then cut long thin slices to form matchsticks. Cut the long matchsticks in half. Toss the matchsticks in lemon juice.
- Cut the cheese into matchsticks and add to the bowl of apples. Add the chopped chives and stir so the cheese and chives are mixed throughout.
- Drizzle with the olive oil, and season with salt and fresh ground pepper. Toss and serve.
Hi Tonja,
I visited my nephew in Chicago a few weeks ago and he made this salad. We were all surprised at how wonderful this salad was. It went quickly. He used a mandolin to matchstick the apples and cheese. I asked him for the recipe as I’m a big foodie, but I had one question on your recipe listed here.
You say to say to slice in matchsticks the apples and cheese. That’s great. But, you do not say if the apples should be peeled or not. My nephew peeled the apples before slicing them. From your picture, I cant tell if the apples are peeled or not because I think the green in the photo is the chives. Ho did you do yours?
Thanks,
Bill
Hi Bill,
Yes, I did peel them and those are chives in the photo. I’m so glad you enjoyed the salad!
What wine would you recommend for pairing?
I think a sauvignon blanc would be a great pairing. I hope you enjoy!
I’m thinking of making for Thanksgiving. How far in advance can you make this salad?
This can be made 1 hour in advance. The lemon juice will keep the apples from browning too soon.
I hope you enjoy!