Apple ‘n Root Veggie Slaw with Manchego
Who says eating salads is just for Spring and Summer? Perk up your Autumn and Winter meals with this gorgeous fusion of sweet root vegetables, tart crisp apples and earthy Manchego cheese. Finished with just the right touch of citrus vinaigrette…an exciting explosion of colors, flavors and textures awaits!
Recipe inspired by: Root Vegetable Slaw with Labneh from Jerusalem, A Cookbook by Yotam Ottoleghi and Sami Tamimi, Ten Speed Press, 2012
Recipe inspired by: Root Vegetable Slaw with Labneh from Jerusalem, A Cookbook by Yotam Ottoleghi and Sami Tamimi, Ten Speed Press, 2012
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 medium red beet peeled
- 1 small butternut squash peeled, seeded
- 1 large carrot peeled
- 1 medium jicama peeled
- 1 large Granny Smith apple peeled if desired
- 2 ounces Manchego Viejo cheese or Pecorino Romano or Asiago
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons snipped chives
Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons almond oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or unseasoned brown rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey optional
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Large bowl of cold water
Instructions
- Cut all vegetables, apple and cheese into matchstick-sized pieces. Place vegetables and apples into bowl of cold water; set aside for 10 minutes. (Tip: place beets in a separate small bowl of cold water to minimize “bleeding.”)
- Vinaigrette: in a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
- Drain vegetables and apples and dry the bowl. Place vegetables and apples onto several layers of paper towels and blot until as dry as possible; return to bowl.
- Toss with cheese and as much dressing as desired. Taste, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Let stand for 10 minutes at room temperature.
- Transfer salad to a decorative bowl or plate. Garnish with orange and lemon zests and snipped chives.
Notes
Make Ahead and Storage Tips: salad may be prepared without dressing, cheese and garnishes up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. (Store beets wrapped in a few layers of paper towels to minimize “bleeding” onto other vegetables.)
Before serving, combine salad with beets; toss with cheese and dressing. Garnish with orange and lemon zests and snipped chives. Salad is best enjoyed the same day as vegetables can start to become limp and beets will “bleed.”
If you have never tried eating raw beets and butternut squash, you are in for a treat. When cut into very small pieces, they add a pleasingly sweet taste and crunchy texture to salads.
For a great tutorial about cutting and peeling butternut squash, click here.
Manchego Viejo is a hard sheeps’ milk cheese with a complex earthy flavor, hailing from the La Mancha region of Spain. It has been produced there for thousands of years, specifically on the Iberian Peninsula. Manchego can be found in some supermarkets as well as in specialty and natural food stores. Read more about this incredible cheese and its history as well as recommended substitutions here.
Another lovely salad featuring Manchego cheese is Sweet Autumn Salad with Creamy Pear Vinaigrette.
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