Name: Apple Arugula Sumac Salad
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 1 Red Onion (thinly sliced ); 1 Red Apple (thinly sliced ); 1½ Sumac; 20 ml Olive Oil; 2 teaspoons Honey; 10 ml Lemon Juice; 1 teaspoons Mustard (Whole Grain or Dijon)

In my previous post (The Everything Salad), I confessed how bad I used to be at making salads. That was true—I was definitely not the go-to person for a good salad. But I think I’m slowly shedding that reputation (at least, I hope so!). This salad was my first step toward becoming better at salads. When I first tried my hand at making salads, I struggled a lot. My main issue was fear—fear of making mistakes because with raw ingredients, there’s nowhere to hide. I didn’t know which flavours would work well together, especially when it came to creating dressings. Every recipe I found online seemed to have a laundry list of ingredients that honestly just overwhelmed me. But as I practised more of my cooking skills, I began to understand how flavours interacted. That’s when this Apple Arugula Sumac Salad came to me. For a whole year, this was my go-to salad whenever I needed a quick and simple side dish. I’d mix it up by adding different ingredients each time, but the dressing always stayed the same. It’s super easy, fuss-free, seriously addictive, and only takes 6 minutes to make.

This Apple Arugula Sumac Salad is mix of tangy, sweet, tart, and fresh—all the flavours you need for a beautiful salad. So go ahead and give it a try! If you love it, I’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!

BEE ROLL

TIPS & TRICKS / SUBSTITUTIONS

TIPS & TRICKS

Onion

The sharp taste that raw onion has tends to hit you in the gut—for some, that’s delicious (that’s me), while others avoid it like the plague. The best way to mellow them out is to soak them in cold water after you’ve sliced them thinly. Soak them for 5 minutes, and that will do the trick. Then, simply drain them and proceed with the recipe.

Apple

No one likes it when their apple turns brown—it doesn’t look appetizing or aesthetically pleasing, especially if you’re serving guests. The best and most inexpensive way to keep apples from turning brown is to use water and salt. Add about a tablespoon of salt to a bowl of cold water. Start peeling the apple, coring the center, and cutting it as desired. Place all the apple pieces in the water and mix them around with your hands to ensure they’re fully submerged. Let them soak for 5 minutes, then drain. Add fresh water, mix, and drain again to remove any remaining salt. The apples may taste slightly salty, but it’s barely noticeable. You’ll want to move quickly, as some types of apples may brown faster than others, but be sure to take extra precaution while cutting. However, this trick applies only to red apples, as green apples tend not to brown as much or as quickly.

SUBSTITUTIONS

You can also use this salad recipe for my upcoming dish — just omit the apple. Stay tuned to find out what the recipe is!

STEPS ON MAKING APPLE ARUGULA SUMAC SALAD

Begin by peeling the onion, halving it, and slicing it into thin slices. Then, peel, core, and quarter the apple. Slice the apple into thin slices as well (see TIPS & TRICKS to keep them from turning brown). Set aside.

In a small mason jar, add all the ingredients for the dressing. Attach the lid, screw it tight, and shake vigorously until everything is well mixed. If you don’t have a mason jar, add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk well with a small whisk.

In a large bowl, add the arugula, onion slices, apple slices, and dressing. Mix until everything is well incorporated and coated with dressing. Optionally, add some croutons as a topping.

Serve as a lunch, appetizer, or side dish, or add a protein like my Baked Parmesan Chicken, and you have yourself a delicious dinner.

STORAGE

It is advisable not to store this and to make it on the day you intend to consume it.