Apple and Gouda Mixed Green Salad

Name: Apple and Gouda Mixed Green Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 cups cubed bread (day old works great (size of dice)); 2 tablespoons shredded Gouda cheese; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted); 1 tablespoon olive oil; pinch salt; pinch freshly ground black pepper; 6 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 4 cups baby arugula (loosely packed); 4 cups baby spinach (loosely packed); 1/2 cup shaved Gouda cheese (shaved with a vegetable peeler or shredded); 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion; 1 apple (core removed and cut into small wedges (I used honey crisp)); 1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds; 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Published: November 20, 2017 Updated: September 15, 2018 / By: Dawn | Girl Heart Food 64 Comments

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This apple and Gouda mixed green salad takes minutes to prepare and hits all the right notes with crispy apple, nutty Gouda, buttery croutons and a delicious homemade vinaigrette. You are gonna love this simple green salad!

Close-up of a mixed green salad with cheese, apple, onion, croutons and vinaigrette.

Hi everyone! How are ya doing?

I’ve been wanting to share a green salad with you for quite some time.

I’ve honestly made this salad (or variations thereof) for what seems like forever.

Better late than never, though. I can pretty much say with full confidence that this will be a go-to salad of yours for busy weekdays (or holiday entertaining, which is rapidly approaching, like, way too fast). Let’s get to the good stuff, shall we?

What Type of Apple Should I Use?

For this recipe, I used my very own apples. They didn’t have to be shipped to me from anywhere. I literally went out into my backyard and picked them straight from the tree. How exciting is that?

The tree is not huge, but it did yield a lot. All of the apples are not perfect, but they taste amazing and are as fresh as can be. I can only imagine just how many we are going to get next year!

I used a lovely honey crisp for this mixed green salad and it works perfectly.

But, really, use whatever variety of apple you enjoy best. I also like this green salad with Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples.

Three honey crisp apples on a marble board.

Homemade Croutons

I don’t always make homemade croutons, but whenever I have a small portion of bread leftover from a loaf, it’s a great way to use it up.

Plus, have you ever made homemade croutons? Seriously, it doesn’t even compare to those boxed ones you can buy in the grocery store.

Bowl of cubed bread and a small bowl of melted butter with cheese, salt & pepper.

These homemade croutons are buttery and crispy. And to add another element of cheese (twist my arm), I added some of the Gouda to the mix. You already know that these are going to taste fabulous, don’t ya? I could eat these like potato chips they are that good.

If you are pinched for time, though, you can totally use store-bought croutons.

Golden brown homemade croutons after coming out of the oven.

Homemade Vinaigrette

For the dressing I made my homemade go-to vinaigrette. It’s a little savoury and a little sweet and pairs perfectly with this mixed green salad. You just place all the ingredients in a jar, cover, do a little dance, and way to go!

A spoon drizzling maple Dijon vinaigrette over a mixed green salad.

More Easy Salad Recipes

If you make this apple and Gouda mixed green salad, be sure to leave a comment below!