Summer Apple Salad for a delicious and healthy festive season

Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, the largest exporter of South African apples and pears, commissioned plant-based advocate, entrepreneur and food consultant Mira Weiner to develop these delicious recipes.

Mira is passionate about conscious living, plant-based nourishment and holistic healing.  www.miraweiner.com. @miraweiner.

Images by @lanaloustyle.

See Tru-Cape.com for other recipes.

Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing’s Quality Assurance Manager, Henk Griessel says how to keep your fruit fresh for longer.

“Keep apples and pears cool. They soften 10 times faster at room temperature than in the fridge. Ideally, store your apples and pears in a plastic bag in the fridge to keep them away from other foods. This will help to prevent the fruit from absorbing other tastes and odours and delay the impact of other ripening foods in your fridge”.

Griessel explains that correctly cared for fruit will also supply your body with the most vitamins, minerals and fibres that it can. “Think of it as a small investment: the care you give your fruit after buying it and before you eat it will ensure the fruit can give you the most it possibly can. Other than the health benefits of fresh fruit, over-ripe fruit can easily be avoided,” he says adding that treating fruit as a living organism will help one remember to be gentle with it to avoid bruising. “A squeeze of lemon, a little vinegar diluted in water or diluted honey will help prevent cut apples from going brown – a natural response to oxidisation.” he ends.

Summer Apple Salad

Prep time: 10 minutes

Serves: 6

Ingredients for the salad

2 packs of mixed salad greens of choice (I used butter lettuce, radicchio, baby spinach and rocket)

2 red apples, thinly sliced (Pink Lady/Fuji/Cripps Pink work well)

1 square of vegan feta, crumbled

80g pomegranate kernels

30g pecan nuts, toasted

Ingredients for the mustard and maple vinaigrette

1/3 cup good quality olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

2 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1.     Start by toasting your pecan nuts in a dry pan for a few minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.

2.     In a large salad bowl, place all the salad greens, add the sliced apples, pomegranate kernels and toasted pecan nuts to the bowl.  Sprinkle over the crumbled feta.

3.     To make the dressing, add all the ingredients into a glass jar and give it a good shake.