• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Classy Baker
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes

    Gorgonzola Apple Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

    Published: Mar 31, 2022 · Modified: Mar 31, 2022 by Lara ·

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This Gorgonzola Apple Salad topped with a homemade honey balsamic dressing is simple, refreshing, and ready in under 20 minutes!

    three servings of gorgonzola apple salad.

    Salads are great - they're healthy, light, and quick and easy to make. But they can become quite boring, especially if they only contain simple plain veggies.

    That's why this Gorgonzola Apple Salad is loaded with flavorful ingredients and paired with a simple, sweet honey and balsamic dressing.

    one serving of gorgonzola apple salad.

    This gorgonzola salad is great at any time of year; it's perfect as a starter or side dish with a larger meal, or as a light refreshing lunch during the hot summer months.

    The balsamic honey vinaigrette requires 3 simple ingredients and gives this gorgonzola salad a sweet twist. The salad comes together in just under 20 minutes, making it a super quick and easy meal for busy days!

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Gorgonzola Apple Salad
    • Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Making Ahead and Storing
    • Other Salad Recipes
    • Gorgonzola Apple Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

    Ingredients

    You'll only need a few fresh ingredients for this flavorful salad, and only 3 basic ingredients for the honey balsamic dressing!

    ingredients for gorgonzola apple salad with honey balsamic dressing.

    For the Gorgonzola Apple Salad, you will need:

    • Leafy Greens: Use a mixture of your favourite leafy greens or baby greens. Some ideas include: Romaine lettuce, baby lettuce, arugula (rucola), red chard, tatsoi, and baby spinach or baby kale.

      Use whatever is in season and available to you.
    • Gorgonzola Cheese: For this salad, I recommend using gorgonzola piccante as opposed to gorgonzola dolce. The piccante type crumbles more easily, making it perfect to toss with the salad. You can add more or less cheese to your liking.

      Gorgonzola dolce is typically more creamy and does not crumble. It's better suited for creamy sauces or as a spread.
    • Apple: When using apples for salad, you'd want one that is crispy and doesn't brown quickly. I recommend using Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Golden Delicious, or Red Delicious apples for this salad.
    • Onion: Use a red or purple onion for this salad. These onions tend to have a mild-to-spicy flavour, a crispy texture, and a bright colour.
    • Walnuts: Walnuts pair beautifully with Gorgonzola and give this salad an extra crunchy texture. You'll need a handful of coarsely crushed walnuts to sprinkle on top of the salad.

    For the Honey Balsamic Dressing, you will need:

    • Olive Oil - Use good-quality, extra-virgin olive oil for the best taste.
    • Honey - Honey gives this salad and dressing its sweetness and pairs wonderfully with gorgonzola piccante. You can add more or less honey to your liking.
    • Balsamic Vinegar
    • Salt

    See the recipe card for quantities.

    How to Make Gorgonzola Apple Salad

    To make this salad, simply wash and toss your leafy greens and onions.

    Then, add the crumbled Gorgonzola and walnuts.

    Prepare your dressing by combining all ingredients together and stirring well until combined.

    Before serving, slice and add the apple (make sure to do this right before serving to prevent browning), and finally, drizzle with honey balsamic vinaigrette.

    Hint: Do not slice/add the apples early on as some apples tend to brown quickly. This should be the last step before adding the dressing and serving.

    apple gorgonzola salad with balsamic honey vinaigrette.

    Substitutions

    If you know how to make the recipe fit a certain diet, let the reader know here. Don't fake it - only provide guidance on topics you have actual experience with.

    • Salad greens - Use whatever salad greens are in season, available, and to your liking.
    • Gorgonzola - Although gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese, feel free to use other types of crumbly blue cheese if Gorgonzola is not available. However, I suggest decreasing the amount of other types of blue cheese. Gorgonzola tends to be one of the "milder" types of blue cheese and other types may be too strong or overpowering for this salad.
    • Walnuts - If walnuts are not available, you can substitute with pecan nuts, almonds, or pine nuts.
    a close-up of apple gorgonzola salad.

    Equipment

    This salad requires minimal and basic kitchen equipment:

    • Colander - to wash and drain your salad greens.
    • Apple corer
    • Kitchen knife - to cut vegetables, and to slice the onion and apple.
    • Large salad bowl
    • Gravy/dressing bowl - for the salad dressing

    Making Ahead and Storing

    You can prepare the honey balsamic dressing up to 2 days ahead and store, covered, in a refrigerator.

    The salad (without apples) can also be prepared up to 1 day ahead and stored in a refrigerator. Slice and add the apple before serving to avoid browning.

    gorgonzola apple salad drizzled with honey balsamic dressing.

    Other Salad Recipes

    Arugula, Pear and Pecan Salad

    Lemon Orzo Salad

    Mediterranean-style Tuna Pasta Salad

    Gorgonzola Apple Salad with Honey Balsamic Dressing

    This Gorgonzola Apple Salad topped with a homemade honey balsamic dressing is simple, refreshing, and ready in under 20 minutes!
    No ratings yet
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Course Appetizer, Side Dish, starter
    Servings 2
    Calories 685 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Gorgonzola Apple Salad

    • 100 g mixed leafy greens or baby greens e.g, Romaine lettuce, baby lettuce, rucola, red chard, tatsoi, baby kale
    • 100 g Gorgonzola cheese ideally Gorgonzola Piccante (or other crumbly blue cheese)
    • 1 large red or green apple e.g., honeycrisp, Granny Smith, golden delicious, red delicious, Fuji
    • 1 medium purple onion thinly sliced into rings
    • 2 tbsp. walnuts coarsely crushed

    Honey Balsamic Dressing

    • 60 mL extra-virgin olive oil (¼ cup)
    • 2 tbsp. honey
    • 2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
    • salt, to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Wash and drain leafy greens. Place in a large mixing bowl or salad bowl and add sliced onion rounds.
    • Make the salad dressing: place all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl or a dressing server. Stir well until all ingredients are combined.
    • Divide salad between two serving bowls/plates. Top with crumbled gorgonzola cheese and crushed walnuts.
    • Before serving, core and slice apple and add to salad. Drizzle with dressing and serve immediately.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 685kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 15gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 11gMonounsaturated Fat: 27gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 587mgPotassium: 541mgFiber: 6gSugar: 30gVitamin A: 4801IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 320mgIron: 2mg
    Keyword apple, gorgonzola, salad, walnuts
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
    « Mini Egg Sheet Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
    Simple Caprese Bruschetta »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Thanks for stopping by! At The Classy Baker you will find sweet and savory baking recipes inspired by Mediterranean and Asian ingredients and influences.

    To learn more, click here →

    Newest Recipes

    • Raspberry Crumble Cookies
    • Eggless White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins
    • Almond Matcha Energy Balls
    • Rustic Cherry Galette

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    info

    • about
    • contact
    • privacy

    recipe index

    • baking
    • mediterranean
    • under 30-min
    • vegan

    Copyright © 2021 The Classy Baker

    0 shares