This Salad with Grapes, Walnuts & Blue Cheese Dressing is a new favourite. It’s made with simple ingredients and is packed with flavour thanks to contrasts of textures and flavours. It’s made of of crisp greens (romaine lettuce and radicchio), sweet, juicy grapes, crunchy celery and nutty-flavoured toasted walnuts, and tossed together with a chunky blue cheese buttermilk dressing (no-mayo). The combination is seriously delicious.
Grapes, Walnuts and Blue Cheese — a classic pairing
This salad is all about classic pairings: grapes, cheese and nuts. It’s no wonder that is tastes so absolutely delicious. Even for non-blue cheese fans. This magic combination transforms a simple bowl of lettuce to the next level. Even celery is one of those things that are terrific with blue cheese. Just think about how good a Celery Salad with Apple & Blue Cheese salad tastes. Another classic combo.
Ingredients Tips
Lettuce: Mini romaine lettuce is the perfect choice here. Its crisps leaves are a perfect base for this salad. I like to add radicchio leaves as well, as it gives the salad a pop of color and also compliments to the other ingredients.
Grapes: I recommend seedless red grapes (black grapes are also great), they are naturally sweet and pair best in this salad. In contrast, green grapes are sour and tangy. However, feel free to use your favourite varieties or a mix.
Blue cheese: Roquefort is my go to choice here, but you could also use gorgonzola piccante (aged and more crumbly than gorgonzola dolce). There are other blue cheese options too, the main thing should be that the cheese is rich and creamy while firm enough to crumble or to be cut into small pieces.
Celery: Most importantly, be sure you are using fresh, crisp celery (not limpy stalks). Crunchy celery is what is needed here. If you don’t have it on hand, you can also skip it.
Walnuts: For salad’s like this; I toast the walnuts in a dry skillet on the stove. It only takes a few minutes and brings out their delicious nuttiness.
How to adapt this Salad with Grapes, Walnuts & Blue Cheese Dressing
- Try a mix of greens — romaine, spinach, endive are all great choices.
- Add some shaved fennel instead of celery.
- Sub out grapes for peeled and sliced apple or pear.
- Skip the shallot and add chopped chives.
- Try hazelnuts instead of walnuts, or toasted sunflower seeds a nut-free option.
- Add some protein. Shredded roasted chicken would be a perfect add-in.
Looking for other ideas with blue cheese?
Try one of these delicious recipes:
- Celery Salad with Apple & Blue Cheese
- Parsnip Salad with Chickpeas, Apple, Walnuts & Blue Cheese
- Mushroom Wellington with Spinach and Gorgonzola
- Green Bean Salad with Walnuts, Dates and Roquefort
- Grilled Steak Salad with Balsamic Glaze & Roquefort
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Salad with Grapes, Walnuts & Blue Cheese Dressing
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 1/2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 75 g crumbled Roquefort cheese, or to taste
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
For the salad:
- 2 mini heads romaine lettuce (or a mix of greens such as endive, radicchio and romaine), chopped (300 g)
- 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved (160 g)
- 2 stalks of celery, diced
- 1/4 cup walnut halves, lightly toasted and coarsely chopped (25 g)
Method
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In a small bowl, add the shallot, garlic, lemon juice and vinegar, then slowly whisk in olive oil, followed by the buttermilk, mustard, cheese, salt, pepper and parsley. Set aside for a few minutes so that the flavours can develop.
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Meanwhile, prepare the salad. In a large serving bowl, add the lettuce, grapes, celery and half of the toasted walnuts. Pour over the dressing toss well to combine. Sprinkle over the remaining walnuts and serve. Enjoy!.
Notes
- if you don’t have buttermilk, you could try using 2 tablespoons crème fraîche, plus a little cold water to thin.
- If you like your dressing a little richer you could also add a tablespoon of mayonnaise to the original recipe.
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