Manchego, Pepperoni and Green Apple Salad

 Yes, it's a manly salad...but I like it too!

We are lucky enough to have a very good cook in the family...my son-in-law.  At our last invitation to dinner at our daughter's home, we were served this delightful salad as a side to a beautiful, grilled hangar steak.  Spicy pepperoni, mellow Manchego cheese, crisp and crunchy green apple and red onion...what an explosion of flavors!

My husband and I both loved it!  It hits the palate with so many wonderful flavors and textures. I decided that it could stand on its own as a light, week day meal and that's exactly what it turned into last night. With a hearty pretzel roll from my favorite bakery, it was a wonderful dinner.

I'm so happy I'm growing both mint and cilantro in my garden right now so I had fresh herbs for the dressing right outside my back door.

Manchego, Pepperoni and Green Apple Salad
Printable Recipe


These are the approximate ingredients I used to make a dinner salad for two since there is no 'real' recipe.  My son-in-law only gave me the list of ingredients and the rest was up to me :)  Adjust according to your taste and how many people you are serving.

4 ounces Manchego (sheeps' milk) cheese, sliced into thin strips or diced
1/3 pound thinly sliced Pepperoni (I like Boar's Head Sandwich-style), sliced into ribbons
1 Green Apple, sliced into bite-sized strips
Red Onion, sliced thin, about 1/2 of a small, red onion
Red leaf lettuce, one large head

Vinaigrette Ingredients (A simple formula for a vinaigrette dressing is 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Click here for a good tutorial.)

1/4 cup Champagne or other good, white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

The vinaigrette is best is allowed to rest at least 15 minutes for the flavors to meld.  Toss salad ingredients with vinaigrette to taste and enjoy!