Sweet and Savory Mallorca Salad
11+ colorSTHE WHY BEHIND THIS RECIPE
You know when you have a meal that is so delicious, pleasurable and flavorful, that you still dream about it? That is this salad for me.
It’s got it all — it’s sweet, savory, just a tad spicy, with crunch and multiple different textures. It’s honestly like a flavor playground. I had a version of this when I was in Mallorca last summer, and I’ve been recreating it ever since.
This salad is all about combining ingredients in flavors in unexpected ways. This is a skill every home chef should learn to master, as it’ll make you more confident in making things up as you go and improvising with what you have on hand.
When you look at these ingredients, you might not immediately think they go together in a salad. If I was at a salad bar making my own salad, I probably would not combine them. But, that’s what makes this salad so magical. It’s incredible how well all the ingredients compliment each other and come together with the sweet and savory miso-tamari-honey dressing. I have an amazing book called The Flavour Thesaurus (great hostess gift for someone who likes to cook) that has reminded me that so many more things go together than we think.
This Sweet & Savory Mallorca Salad combines a number of things:
Chorizo & Apple: This is a classic sweet-spicy-fatty contrast. The juicy, crisp apple balances the smoky heat of chorizo, which helps keep the salad vibrant vs. super rich and heavy.
Beans & Manchego: Manchego’s nutty, salty taste pairs so well with the creamy, mild earthiness of beans. Since Manchego is (often) made from sheep’s milk, it has a grassy depth that enhances the legume's subtle sweetness.
Manchego & Snap Peas: You might be thinking…huh…but the saltiness in manchego is lifted by fresh slightly sweep crispy snap peas. It adds contrast to the other deeper, richer flavors of the rest of the salad.
Cashews & Pickled Onions: These are both things I just love on their own, but the pairing plays with fat and acid — the creamy, buttery nature of cashews gets a lift from the tart bite of pickled onions, again keeping the salad from feeling too heavy.
I could go on and on describing each ingredient, but you get the point. The salad has spice, sweetness, crunch, umami, fat and acidity, and they all work together SO WELL.
It’s a perfect salad for spring, in my opinion, because it’s hearty but also bright and spring-y, and it uses produce that’s coming in season (at least in California) like snap peas, radishes, lettuces, etc. It’s also extremely versatile — it’s nice enough to serve for dinner, but it’s also a great lunch. I’ve made this salad when friends have come over for lunch and co-working and it’s been a hit. It’s also super easy to chop/prep in advance and then just do the chorizo right before (or prep that too!)
Lastly, on the metabolic health front, this salad is also packed with protein, fiber, micronutrients and healthy fats.
Total time: 30 minutes (not including bean cooking time)
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
WHAT YOU NEED
TOOLS
INGREDIENTS
Salad:
1 lb chicken, beef or pork chorizo, sautéd (I like Force of Nature and Primal Pastures)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 cups beans (I like pinto or kidney beans here, I use Simpli or Beanstory)
2 cups snap peas, roughly chopped (optional to blanch them for 2-3 min to get them really green!)
1 apple, finely chopped
3-4 radishes, mandolined or thinly sliced
1/2 cup manchego cheese, diced into small pieces
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup pickled onions (or more pending your preference!)
Two kinds of lettuce of choice - I like a combo of dino kale thinly sliced and butter lettuce (but you can also just do one kind of lettuce, keep it easy on yourself)
Sweet and Savory Miso Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh finger, graded or minced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1 tbsp miso
1 1/2 tsp raw, unfiltered honey (I use Lineage - use code SONJA for 10% off)
Juice from 1 lemon (or about 3 tbsp)
1 tsp kosher salt
HOW TO DO IT
If using dried beans:
If using dried beans, the night before rinse them in a colander and then put in a large bowl or a pot and cover the beans completely with cold water. They should be covered by about 2 inches of water. Add 2 tbsp salt. The salt will help the beans cook faster and break down the skins a little bit more. Cover the bowl or the pot with a lid or a top.
After 8-12 hours, drain and rinse them.
When you are ready to make them, place into a pot and cover again with at least 2 inches of water and turn heat to low. Stir occasionally and avoid letting the water hit a strong boil. Time depends on variety -sometime between 30 min-2 hours. If you forget to soak them, no biggie! It just might take a little longer to cook them.
For more info on how to cook beans, I love the NYT guide by Melissa Clark.
Instructions:
Sauté chorizo by heating a pan over medium heat (no oil needed if using fatty chorizo) and cook, breaking it up with a spatula, until it’s browned and crispy, about 5-7 minutes. If using cured chorizo, slice it and sauté until slightly crispy and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
If using dino kale, finely chop and massage with lemon or lime.
Chop everything else and add to a big bowl.
Mix dressing together into a large glass measuring cup or medium bowl, whisk well.
Toss and enjoy!
SWAPS, TIPS & TRICKS
Swaps:
Instead of chorizo: Use ground turkey, chicken, or pork and season with smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of cayenne for a DIY chorizo flavor.
Vegetarian/vegan: Swap chorizo for crumbled tempeh or lentils seasoned with smoked paprika and chili powder.
Pinto/kidney beans: Try chickpeas, black beans, butter beans, or even roasted cauliflower or chopped hearts of palm for a lower carb option.
Snap peas: Use blanched asparagus, green beans, or thinly sliced fennel.
Apple: Try diced pear or any citrus fruit.
Radishes: Use thinly sliced cucumbers or watermelon radish for crunch.
Manchego: Use aged cheddar, parmesan, or pecorino for a similar salty bite!
Cashews: Use almonds, pistachios, or sunflower seeds.
Apple cider vinegar: Use rice vinegar or white wine vinegar.
Honey: Maple syrup
Lettuces: You can use arugula, romaine, cabbage - any lettuce!
Tips:
Blanching snap peas: Blanch them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes, then immediately transfer to an ice bath to preserve their bright color.
Massaging kale: If using kale, massage it with a little lemon juice and salt for 1-2 minutes to soften it and make it more palatable.
Make-ahead tip: Prep everything in advance but keep the dressing separate until ready to serve.
Leftovers: If you have extra, wrap it in a Siete or Coyotes tortilla for a quick lunch the next day.
Nutritional Info
Per serving, yields 4 servings
Calories: 648
Carbohydrates: 48g
Fiber: 13g
Net carbs: 35g
Protein: 40g
Fat: 29g
Sodium: 1208mg
Sugar: 12g
