Leek, Green Apple, and Walnut Salad

Salads

By Dixya

“It is a very beautiful day. The woman looks around and thinks: ‘there cannot ever have been a spring more beautiful than this. I did not know until now that clouds could be like this. I did not know that the sky is the sea and that clouds are the souls of happy ships, sunk long ago. I did not know that the wind could be tender, like hands as they caress – what did I know – until now?”― Unica Zürn

Last week as I opened the window to my bedroom, a gentle breeze brushed against my face. It felt like a luxury after a long, dreary winter this year. It feels like the warmth of the sun is filling every corner of my apartment screaming the arrival of Spring, something I have been craving for so long. To celebrate this, I made an ideal salad utilizing leeks, a quintessential Spring vegetable and a close cousin of white onion.Gina has a great post on leeks if you are interested.

I am using green apples here but I have used the red variety and it works great as well. The salad has a strong onion taste (duh..) but the sweetness from the apples and the acidity from the vinaigrette balances the salad very well. Walnuts adds a nice crunch plus somehow works with the remaining ingredients.

It’s a pretty sturdy salad that can be made ahead of time and packed for lunch too. Personally, I didn’t mind the onion-y taste but if its little too strong for you, throw in some cooked quinoa or chickpeas, chopped tomatoes, cilantro and make yourself a substantial salad.

Leek, Green Apple, and Walnut Salad

for 2 servings

Ingredients

1 leek, thinly sliced(use only the white and very tender green parts)

1 green apple, chopped into small pieces (any other apple works too)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2.5-3 tablespoon vinegar

salt, pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

-In a salad bowl toss sliced leeks and chopped apples.

-In a small bowl, whisk olive olive, vinegar, salt and pepper then pour it over the salad mix and combine everything together.