Oats Free Watercress & Apple Salad with Fresh Goat Cheese
Peppery watercress, crisp apple slices, creamy goat cheese, and golden toasted pumpkin seeds — this salad is the kind of thing that looks effortlessly elegant and tastes even better than it looks. The honey-apple cider vinegar dressing ties everything together with a bright, lightly sweet tang that makes every forkful feel balanced and fresh. Salads like this are naturally free of grains and cereals, so there's nothing to second-guess about the ingredient list — just whole, clean components from start to finish. Toasting the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet until they pop and turn golden is a small step that pays off big, adding a satisfying crunch and a nutty depth that store-bought croutons could never match. The dressing comes together in minutes with a simple whisk, and the whole salad is assembled in one bowl with no fuss. A scatter of fresh thyme leaves at the end is optional but genuinely worth it if you have them on hand — it adds a subtle herbal note that makes the dish feel restaurant-worthy. Whether you're serving it as a starter or a light main, this is the kind of salad that converts people who claim they don't like salad.
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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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