Apples With Honey and Crushed Walnuts

By Alison Roman

Published April 1, 2020

Apples With Honey and Crushed Walnuts
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Kalen Kaminski.
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(435)
Comments
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Tradition is a beautiful thing, unless it requires you to make something you don’t enjoy making or eating. For me, that’s charoset. Classically, it’s an apple-walnut mixture (occasionally including a touch of cinnamon or dried fruit, or a combination) that ranges from chunky-relish to chunky-paste, and it’s never been my favorite thing on the table. I’ve always wanted it tangier, crunchier and, well, I wanted a salad. This is that salad. It’s meant to be more acidic than sweet, but adjust with vinegar and honey as needed to suit your preference. A note: Nearly everyone who ate this salad said it was their favorite part of the whole meal, which bruised my matzo ball ego, but I thought you should know.

Featured in: Alison Roman’s Seder Table

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings
  • 1cup raw walnut pieces or halves
  • 4Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples, or a comparable sweet-tart variety
  • 2tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

141 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 215 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spread walnuts in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast walnuts until golden brown and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. (You can also do this in a toaster oven.) Let cool. Using your hands or a knife if you like, crush or finely chop walnuts. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Thinly slice apples (with a mandoline or a sharp knife) any way you please. (Rounds are excellent if you don’t mind eating the edible core.) Scatter the slices onto a large serving platter or bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar over apples, and season with salt and pepper; give them a little toss and drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey. Taste an apple slice and adjust seasoning with more vinegar or honey, as needed. Sprinkle with walnuts, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, flaky salt and pepper.

Tips
  • If you have pears on hand and want to use them here, I think that’s a lovely idea.
  • No walnuts, no problem: Any nut, especially almonds or pistachio would be great.
  • Use fresh lemon or white-wine vinegar in lieu of the apple cider vinegar.

Ratings

4 out of 5
435 user ratings
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Comments

uauage

Made this today following the recipe to the letter, and served for lunch instead of a green salad. It was lovely! Salad and dessert, 2 birds 1 stone. My kids asked me if it was an Alison Roman recipe: they are her fans by proxy.

Marlette

Though Alison mentions Passover and charoset in it's traditional forms, She states that she wanted to come up with something different. It doesn't represent the "mortar" and isn't intended to be a variation of the original but, instead, a substitution. This is a great salad even with the pecans that I prefer.

Karen P.

Never ever heard of vinegar and olive oil in Ashkenazi charoset. My reaction is "Ewww." We grate apple, add grated walnuts, cinnamon, and sweet wine. It's actually good. Other cultures make charoset with dates and nuts, or other fruits and nuts. Some chop the ingredients. Others grate them. It's supposed to be a sweet blend that tops a piece of matzoh, a symbol reminiscent of the mortar that the Israelites used during forced labor in Egypt. An apple salad does not that symbol make.

Jackie T.

Fabulous combo ! Love it !

Babs

This is a great way to get rid of excess apples! Tart, sweet, savory.

StuckinTX

Really enjoyed this to round out our “slip into fall”dinner menu. My mother, who is particular and has an exceptional pallet asked me to share the recipe, which is very high praise. I will make again. Used Chandler walnuts, instead of English.

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