Description
This gorgeous, festive Christmas Wreath Salad is made with endive, candied walnuts, crispy prosciutto, parmesan, apple, dried cranberries and a whole grain mustard vinaigrette.
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 ounces arugula
- 3-4 heads of endive, leaves separated
- 6 slices prosciutto
- 1 honeycrisp apple
- 1/4 cup shaved parmesan
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup chopped candied walnuts (recipe below)
Mustard Vinaigrette:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar (can use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Candied Walnuts:
- 1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted walnuts
- 1/2 of an egg white*
- 1 teaspoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Start by making the candied walnuts. Preheat oven to 250˚F and lightly grease a nonstick sheet pan.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, water and vanilla until frothy. Add in the walnuts and toss to coat.
- In a separate bowl, mix together both sugars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cayenne. Sprinkle on top of the walnuts and toss until well coated.
- Spread into an even layer on the sheet pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes total, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool completely before chopping up.
- Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients. To crisp up the prosciutto, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 2-3 slices of prosciutto to the pan and lay flat. Let it crisp up for 1-2 minutes (it will start to crinkle and shrink), then flip and cook another minute or so, until crispy.
- Repeat, then let the prosciutto cool before roughly chopping.
- Slice the apple and (optional) toss in 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice to prevent browning. Separate the endive leaves.
- Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients until well incorporated.
- To assemble the salad, start by arranging the arugula in a wreath shape on a circular platter. Arrange endive on top, then add apple slices, crispy prosciutto, cranberries, parmesan and chopped candied walnuts. Drizzle with vinaigrette just before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
*Measuring 1/2 of an egg white is a bit tricky, but unless you want to make 3 cups worth of candied nuts, it's worth the effort. We weigh the egg white on a scale, then remove half. It doesn't have to be perfect – this recipe doesn't need much egg white to work.
If you're making this salad ahead of time, toss the apple slices in a small amount of lemon juice to keep them from browning.
Make ahead: You can make this Christmas wreath salad a day before serving. Assemble the salad (but wait to pour the vinaigrette on top until just before serving). Wrap the salad tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. The salad will start to get soggy the longer it sits.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Salads
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 270
- Sugar: 10.3 g
- Sodium: 1101 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.6 g
- Fiber: 9.3 g
- Protein: 16.9 g