French cuisine · Salads & Mezze

Auvergne Salad with Blue Cheese

Leaf salad with tangy Bleu d'Auvergne, crisp apple wedges and toasted walnuts.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 head lettuce
• 150 g Bleu d'Auvergne (or Gorgonzola)
• 100 g walnuts
• 1 tart apple
• 3 tbsp walnut oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp medium-hot mustard
• 1 shallot
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Separate the lettuce into individual leaves, wash thoroughly, spin dry and tear into bite-sized pieces.
2. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan over medium heat for 3–4 min, until fragrant, and let cool on a plate.
3. Whisk the mustard with white wine vinegar, the finely diced shallot, salt and pepper, then slowly whisk in the walnut and olive oils.
4. Quarter and core the apple and cut into thin wedges, tossing them immediately with 1 tbsp of the vinaigrette so they don't brown.
5. Toss the salad in a wide bowl with the remaining vinaigrette gently — the leaves should only be coated in a thin film.
6. Scatter the apple wedges and walnuts over the top, crumble the blue cheese coarsely on top, and serve the salad immediately.