Plum Salad with Manchego and Marcona Almonds
This Plum Salad with Manchego and Marcona almonds is lovely to prepare and serve. It features red plums at their peak season, buttery Spanish Manchego cheese, and Marcona almonds on a bed of arugula or baby greens with a simple Sherry vinaigrette. This gorgeous salad is a fabulous addition to grilled or roasted meats or a fantastic starter for Paella or a Tapas night!
This spectacular but simple salad doesn’t disappoint in flavor in the least. The plums complement the Spanish Manchego cheese, almonds, and Sherry vinaigrette. It is festive and gorgeous to serve. This salad is best when plums are at their peak. In California, plum season is from May to December, and the peak is in August. This is when all the beautiful varieties can be found at the farmer’s markets or grocery stores. My favorite is the dark-fleshed Satsuma plum. They are a deep red color, like a beet. They are perfectly sweet and beautiful in color and texture. For this Plum salad, I used the Satsuma and red plums.
Ingredients
- 5 ounces of Spring mix salad greens, Arugula, or baby greens (see note)
- 2 medium to large ripe plums, pitted and sliced into wedges
- 1/2 cup of sliced Spanish Manchego cheese – use a vegetable peeler to shred the cheese in strip form
- 1/3 cup of Marcona almonds, whole or chopped
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 cup of Sherry vinegar or Apple Cider vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
NOTE: This salad is delicious with any choice of tender greens. I love it both with Spring salad mix and Arugula. Arugula adds an intense peppery taste to the salad because of the flavor of Arugula.
The difference between Spanish and Mexican Manchego cheese
For this recipe, I use authentic Spanish Manchego cheese. It’s a hard cheese with the texture of a domestic parmesan cheese. This hard cheese is made of sheep’s milk and is aged for several months to years. It has a distinctive dark rind with a herringbone pattern. It’s a mellow, nutty cheese full of flavor and perfect for salads like this and charcuterie.
Mexican Manchego is made of cow’s milk and is not aged. It is perfect for melting on a pizza like my Spicy Chorizo Shrimp Pizza. It has a subtle nutty taste and the texture of a standard American cheddar cheese, making it easy to shred and melt.
How to prepare and assemble this salad
Sherry Vinaigrette
Using a small jar with a lid, add the extra virgin olive oil, Sherry vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Shake until completely emulsified. You can adjust sweetness and salt to your liking. The Sherry Vinaigrette is ready to go!
Assembling the salad
This is a breeze to prepare and is perfect for entertaining! First, arrange the salad greens in a large shallow bowl or platter. Then, evenly arrange the sliced sweet plums on top of the salad. Add the shreds of Manchego cheese, and sprinkle the Marcona almonds evenly. You can add as much cheese, fruit and Marcona almonds to customize this salad to your preference.
Drizzle the vinaigrette upon serving.
Ideas for serving this delicious salad
This is one of the easiest salads to prepare and my favorite to serve at home. I make it at the peak of stone fruit season and often serve it with a simple grilled chicken or salmon; it’s so delicious! If you are pressed for time, a rotisserie chicken is perfect to serve with this, or if you have time, my Simple Herb Roast Chicken is ideal for a Sunday dinner. Since this salad has some Spanish influence, it’s also a perfect accompaniment or starter for a Paella night or to serve with Charcuterie or a fun Tapas night!
How to store
Once this salad is dressed, it cannot be stored. If you serve this to a crowd, I suggest dressing the salad individually so you can store any leftovers without the vinaigrette. Leftovers can be placed in a zip-type plastic bag or container with a lid. I like putting a paper towel inside the bag or bowl to absorb extra moisture, keeping the greens fresh a little longer. I recommend storing for up to 2 days.
More to love…
If you love unique salads, I have so many salad recipes that I think you will enjoy: Summer Berry Salad with Creamy Berry Vinaigrette, Jicama Orange Salad, Radicchio Pear Salad with Maple Vinaigrette, and my very popular Pearl Couscous salad with Feta & Chickpeas.
If you tried this recipe, please help other readers by commenting below and sharing some stars! We 🫶🏼 appreciate you!
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Plum Salad with Manchego and Marcona Almonds
September 25, 2024
Equipment
- 1 large shallow bowl or platter
- 1 jar small size with lid
- 1 vegetable peeler optional for cheese
Ingredients
Sherry Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
- 1/8 cup of Sherry vinegar or Apple Cider vinegar
- 1 clove of garlic finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon of Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
Plum Salad
- 5 ounces of Spring salad greens Arugula, or baby greens (see note)
- 2 medium to large ripe plums pitted and sliced into wedges
- 1/2 cup of sliced Spanish Manchego cheese – use a vegetable peeler to get the cheese in strip form
- 1/3 cup of Marcona almonds whole or chopped
Instructions
Sherry Vinaigrette
- Using a small jar with a lid, add the extra virgin olive oil, Sherry vinegar, minced garlic, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper.
- Shake until completely emulsified.
- You can adjust sweetness and salt to your liking.
Plum Salad
- First, arrange the salad greens in a large shallow bowl or platter.
- Then, evenly arrange the sliced sweet plums on top of the salad.
- Add the shreds of Manchego cheese, and sprinkle the Marcona almonds evenly.
- You can add as much cheese, fruit and Marcona almonds to customize this salad to your preference.
- Drizzle the vinaigrette upon serving.
Notes
How to store
Once this salad is dressed, it cannot be stored. If you serve this to a crowd, I suggest dressing the salad individually so you can store any leftovers without the vinaigrette. Any leftovers can be placed in a zip-type plastic bag or container with a lid. I like putting a paper towel inside the bag or bowl to absorb extra moisture, keeping the greens fresh a little longer. I recommend storing for up to 2 days.Nutrition
Nutritional information is calculated online and should be used as a guide.
All content and photographs ©Claudia’s Table and claudiastable.com
Love this combo, so delicious and a fun salad recipe!