Barley Free Watercress & Apple Salad with Fresh Goat Cheese
Peppery watercress, crisp apple slices, and tangy crumbled goat cheese come together in a salad that feels both refreshing and a little bit fancy without requiring much effort at all. The honey-apple cider vinegar dressing is whisked together in minutes and brings a bright, lightly sweet acidity that ties every element on the plate together beautifully. Toasting the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet until they pop and turn golden adds a satisfying crunch and a subtle nuttiness that makes this feel like a complete dish rather than a simple side. Every ingredient here is naturally free from barley and grain-based fillers, so there's no label-scanning or substitution stress — just clean, whole-food cooking from start to finish. The combination of textures is genuinely impressive: silky cheese, juicy apple, snappy greens, and those toasty seeds all in one forkful. A scatter of fresh thyme over the top is optional, but it adds an herby lift that takes the whole thing up another notch. This is the kind of salad that converts people who think salads can't be a real meal.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 5 oz fresh watercress, thick stems trimmed
- 2 medium crisp apples (such as honeycrisp or fuji), cored and thinly sliced
- 3 oz fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- 3 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds
For the dressing
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For serving
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Toast the pumpkin seeds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they begin to pop and turn golden, about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool completely.
- 2
Whisk together the apple cider vinegar, honey, and fine sea salt in a small bowl until the honey dissolves. Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream while whisking continuously until the dressing is emulsified and slightly thickened.
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