Mixed Leaf & Cherry Salad

This cherry salad with mixed leaves is festive and flavourful, just perfect for indulgent summer entertaining or absolutely ideal for your summer Christmas table.

Luscious cherries are at their absolute best during the summer months and are the stars in this simple leaf salad.

While cherries are famous for their anti-inflammatory benefits they are also a great source of natural melatonin a hormone that helps you sleep.

What makes cherries vivid red?

It is the anthocyanins in cherries that give them their vivid red colour, a powerful phytonutrient that is rich in antioxidants which boosts your immune system.

Serving Suggestions

This light yet lovely salad is perfect with ham, turkey, pork, chicken or quail or could even make a flavourful light lunch with the addition of some flaked salmon or shredded chicken. 

Try it with:

• A mustard glazed ham
• Pork scotch fillet roast
• Simple roast quail
• Roast chicken 

How to make this salad

1Roast macadamias
Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
Place the macadamias, honey, butter and salt in your tray and spread out evenly so that they are not touching. Place in the middle section of your oven.
After five minutes, check on the nuts and stir, so that they can brown on all sides.
Roast for another 5 minutes or until golden and crisp.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool.  You may need to put them in your fridge or freezer to harden so that they can break it into the salad, we don’t want them to be soft.

2Prepare remaining ingredients
Wash your salad leaves under cold running water, remove any damaged or wilted leaves, then either pat or spin dry in a salad spinner.
Wash your all your cherries, remove the stems and pits using a cherry pitter if you have one, then cut them in half.
Cut your Brie into small squares or thin wedges, place in the fridge until you are ready to use.

3Assemble your salad
In a large mixing bowl, place your salad leaves and cherries, crumble and break the honeyed macadamias, season with sea salt and cracked black pepper add the red wine vinegar and olive oil.
Toss your salad until well combined and the cherries and macadamias are evenly distributed throughout the salad.
Taste your salad and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
Place in a salad bowl and arrange the brie on top, serve immediately.  

Make ahead tips

• Make the macadamias then crack to separate and keep them in an air-tight container in the fridge.
• Pit and slice your cherries and keep and keep them covered in your fridge.
• You can wash your salad leaves but it is essential that they are completely dry before you store them covered in your fridge otherwise they will wilt and collect bacteria.
• Make the dressing several days ahead and store in a sealed glass jar in your fridge.

Try some more festive salad recipes

Mixed Leaf & Cherry Salad

This cherry salad with mixed leaves is festive and flavourful, just perfect for indulgent summer entertaining or for your summer Christmas table.

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Total Time: 30 minutes

* Times are an estimate and will depend on your skill level

Course: Salad

Cuisine: Australian

Keyword: Intermediate

Servings: 4 as a side

Calories: 464kcal

Equipment

• Salad Spinner
• Cherry / Olive Pitter

Ingredients

For the salad…

• 200 grams mixed leaves
• 500 grams cherries
• ½ small Brie
• ¼ cup olive oil (extra virgin)
• 3 tbsps red wine vinegar
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper

For the honeyed macadamias…

• ½ cup macadamias (slightly crushed)
• 1 tbsps honey
• 1 tbsps butter
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Metric – Imperial

Instructions

For the honeyed macadamias…

• Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F). Line an oven tray with baking paper.
• Place the macadamias, honey, butter and salt on your tray and spread out evenly so that they are not touching. Place in the middle section of your oven.
• After five minutes, check on the nuts and stir, so that they can brown on all sides. Roast for a further 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

To make the salad…

• Wash and dry your salad leaves. Rinse, dry, pit and cut your cherries in half.
• Cut your Brie into small squares or thin wedges, place in the fridge until you are ready to use.
• Place all your ingredients (apart from the Brie) in a large mixing bowl, season and toss until well combined.
• Place in a salad bowl and arrange the brie on top, serve immediately.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Calories: 464kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 363mg | Potassium: 468mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 903IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 2mg

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