Spring Salad with Apple and Manchego

As much as I mumble and groan sometimes about salad (I get tired of it if I eat it too often), there are also times when I just love a big bowl of leafy greens with all sorts of vibrant, colorful ingredients.

I couldn’t stop photographing the radishes I bought because they are just so ridiculously beautiful.

I try to think of salad as kind of like an ice cream sundae, but healthy and made with nature’s jewels. You take a base of leafy greens and add whatever toppings you want to it.

It may not taste like a creamy delicious bowl of ice cream, but sometimes a salad can be truly delicious. Pick ingredients that go brilliantly together and be generous with them, and I think you can truly rave about a salad.

This salad is made with spring mix, shaved radish, tangerine segments, apple cubes, pecans, and manchego, and I think they all pair really well together, not to mention the fact that they make for a vibrant and colorful salad.

Here’s the recipe!

Spring Salad with Apple and Manchego

Yield: Serves 2, easily doubles, triples, etc

Ingredients:

• 2 handfuls of spring mix
• 2 baby radishes
• 1/2 a crisp apple
• 1 tangerine
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• 1/4 cup cubed manchego cheese
• 1-2 tbsp balsamic dressing*
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Slice the radishes super thin with a mandolin (you can also use a knife if you don’t have a mandolin. This is the mandolin I use)
   Cube the apple (here’s a video for it if you don’t know how). Segment the tangerine (here’s another video on how to do that).
2. Toss all of the ingredients together and taste a piece of lettuce. Add salt and pepper if necessary.

Recipe Notes:

*I don’t bother making my own dressing, as I like the storebought kind better. My favorite is the creamy balsamic from Whole Foods, but use your favorite dressing here.

All images and text ©Fifteen Spatulas.