Apples With Honey and Crushed Walnuts

By Alison Roman

Apples With Honey and Crushed Walnuts
Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott for The New York Times. Prop Stylist: Kalen Kaminski.
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(370)
Notes
Read community notes

Tradition is a beautiful thing, unless it requires you to make something you don’t enjoy making or eating. For me, that’s charoset. Classically, it’s an apple-walnut mixture (occasionally including a touch of cinnamon or dried fruit, or a combination) that ranges from chunky-relish to chunky-paste, and it’s never been my favorite thing on the table. I’ve always wanted it tangier, crunchier and, well, I wanted a salad. This is that salad. It’s meant to be more acidic than sweet, but adjust with vinegar and honey as needed to suit your preference. A note: Nearly everyone who ate this salad said it was their favorite part of the whole meal, which bruised my matzo ball ego, but I thought you should know.

Featured in: Alison Roman’s Seder Table

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings
  • 1cup raw walnut pieces or halves
  • 4Honeycrisp or Pink Lady apples, or a comparable sweet-tart variety
  • 2tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more to taste
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2tablespoons honey, plus more to taste
  • Olive oil, for drizzling
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

141 calories; 9 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 215 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spread walnuts in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast walnuts until golden brown and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. (You can also do this in a toaster oven.) Let cool. Using your hands or a knife if you like, crush or finely chop walnuts. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    Thinly slice apples (with a mandoline or a sharp knife) any way you please. (Rounds are excellent if you don’t mind eating the edible core.) Scatter the slices onto a large serving platter or bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar over apples, and season with salt and pepper; give them a little toss and drizzle with 2 tablespoons honey. Taste an apple slice and adjust seasoning with more vinegar or honey, as needed. Sprinkle with walnuts, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, flaky salt and pepper.

Tips
  • If you have pears on hand and want to use them here, I think that’s a lovely idea.
  • No walnuts, no problem: Any nut, especially almonds or pistachio would be great.
  • Use fresh lemon or white-wine vinegar in lieu of the apple cider vinegar.

Ratings

4 out of 5
370 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Marlette

Though Alison mentions Passover and charoset in it's traditional forms, She states that she wanted to come up with something different. It doesn't represent the "mortar" and isn't intended to be a variation of the original but, instead, a substitution. This is a great salad even with the pecans that I prefer.

uauage

Made this today following the recipe to the letter, and served for lunch instead of a green salad. It was lovely! Salad and dessert, 2 birds 1 stone. My kids asked me if it was an Alison Roman recipe: they are her fans by proxy.

Karen P.

Never ever heard of vinegar and olive oil in Ashkenazi charoset. My reaction is "Ewww." We grate apple, add grated walnuts, cinnamon, and sweet wine. It's actually good. Other cultures make charoset with dates and nuts, or other fruits and nuts. Some chop the ingredients. Others grate them. It's supposed to be a sweet blend that tops a piece of matzoh, a symbol reminiscent of the mortar that the Israelites used during forced labor in Egypt. An apple salad does not that symbol make.

Elizabeth

I shared this recipe with my 82 year old mother and said: "We can try this instead of Charoset this year." Her reply was: "I like Charoset." Looks like we will be having both. Chag Sameach!

Andrea

I made this for a salad with lunch. 1 apple, 1/4 c toasted walnuts crumbled, made a flower apple and cut it smaller. Easy and refreshing. Will do again during Passover week. So what if it’s not traditional..I’m not! Enjoy!

sadah

Made this for my Seder. As she said it was the favorite on the menu, between the two of us. I resent everyone wanting it to be haroset. Who cares? Try it. It’s hella good.

Fatima

The solution is easy for you- just don't make it. We loved it. Thanks Alison!

lori

What a great dish! Made it exactly as written, but used toasted almonds and pecans and add some pomegranate seeds on top together with the nuts. Beautiful and delicious addition to the table.

Gillian

How early in the day can you make this ahead of the dinner, without the apples turning brown?

qwerty

I’ve also made it with maple syrup instead of honey. Very good.

Jennie

This was surprisingly delicious! Not as good the second day, as the apples had lost their crisp texture, I just made it as a salad, when Passover was but a memory. Went great with grilled cheese sandwiches!

Julie Steinberg

This is cited for Passover but is an excellent idea for a Rosh Hashanah meal.

Julie

To save time, I used what looked like a French fry disc on my food processor rather than slicing the apples. Mixed everything together in a bowl. It was refreshing and delicious!

Marg

Best to spread the honey on apples using a cookie sheet rather than a bowl. Kind of blah.

heffernl

Perfect. Thank you Alison Roman.

Christine

I have made this many times. So good!!

Jules

Also good to make it a little tangy: pomegranate molasses (which I used in a pinch last year when I had no grape juice, wine, or lemons).

Anne

Delicious. Put on top of Mesclun greens.

Valerie

Great recipe for every day! Made this up in 5 mins as a lunch salad for 2 -halved the recipe. Wow -so good! Sweet, tart, crunchy and balanced to taste! Great with the pecans I had on hand, next time will try walnuts.

Paolo B.

Made this today for my dessert course and thoroughly enjoyed it. The combination of the honey and olive oil brighten up with cider vinegar worked perfectly. This salad is great alternative to the more traditional fruit salads. It is not overly sweet, but more balanced and sumptuous treat.

Lane

I used this as a foundation for a salad I currently stop making. I make it as described, but served over a bed of spinach. Add blue cheese and sometimes sautéd onions. Fresh, light, delicious.

Ryan

Really delicious for only having so few, basic ingredients. I added a dash of cinnamon (next time I might add a pinch of a hot spice as well). Although one of Alison's Passover recipes, I am totally going to make this in the fall during apple season.

Sheila Pulver

This was a fresh, easy alternative to the mushy traditional charoset that nobody ever wants leftovers of after the seder, and I had all the ingredients without having to go shopping during social isolation from covid, which made it even more appealing. The apple cider vinegar and honey combination was a sweet-sour winner.

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