Watercress Salad with Manchego, Membrillo, and Almonds
TIME/SERVINGS
Total: 15 mins
Active: 15 mins
Makes: 4 servings
By Jessica Battilana
This simple watercress salad celebrates all the flavors that define Spanish cuisine.
What to buy: Look for membrillo, also called quince paste, in gourmet groceries and Latin markets.
Manchego is an aged sheep’s-milk cheese from Spain; look for it in gourmet groceries. All of these Spanish products are also available online at La Tienda.
This recipes was featured as part of our Fruits of Fall story.
- 1 medium garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 bunches watercress, stemmed and washed
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 4 ounces Manchego cheese, shaved into thin slices
- 4 ounces membrillo, small dice
- Combine garlic, vinegar, and a couple of pinches of kosher salt in a medium bowl. Whisking constantly, add olive oil in a steady stream until completely incorporated.
- Combine watercress, almonds, 1/2 of the cheese shavings, and 1/2 of the diced membrillo in a second bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Divide salad among 4 plates, and garnish with remaining Manchego cheese and membrillo. Serve immediately.
Beverage pairing: Montsarra Cava, Spain. Cava is Spanish sparkling wine, and this one has the light-bodied spritz to merge seamlessly with the Manchego cheese, handle the bitterness of the cress, and appeal to the honeyed sweetness of the membrillo.
COMMENTS | ADD YOUR OWN
Also available at website donajuana, in Los Angeles/South Bay, also called La Espanola. A little hole in the wall store tucked away in a commercial/industrial center, but the nicest people work there and OMG the cheeses and meats!
This is my new favorite salad! Thank you Jessica. I served it at a tapas party I had. I was able to find the membrillo at Whole Foods in the cheese section.
Ridiculously easy and delicious. I have made it twice in two days. Do make an effort to use watercress. The pepperiness is just wonderful with the sweet quince paste and salty cheese. I made this salad for a group and every single person wanted seconds.
Fantastic! I made it twice and EVERYONE raved about it.