Name: Watercress Salad with Apple
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Salad
Ingredients: 2 crisp tart apples like Gala or Pink Lady, sliced; 1 small shallot, thinly sliced; 4 ounces watercress*; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 tablespoon lemon juice + zest of ½ lemon; 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings; 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt**

This watercress salad makes the leafy green taste divine! Pair it with apples, lemon and Parmesan shavings for an irresistible side dish.

Got a load of leafy watercress? Here’s a great way to make this healthy green taste divine: Watercress Salad with Apple! Pair this bitter leafy green with lemon, apple and savory Parmesan shavings and you won’t be able to resist another bite! The sweet apple, zingy citrus and flaky salt balance out the watercress beautifully, making for a fresh and vibrant side dish. Here’s how to make it, and a bit more about working with this leafy green!

Working with watercress

Watercress is a leafy green vegetable with a peppery, bitter flavor. It’s a cruciferous vegetable that’s in the same plant family as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale. Watercress is an aquatic plant, so in the wild it tends to grow partially submerged in running water or in flooded areas. The peppery flavor of watercress is similar to arugula, so you’ll want to balance it with sweet, salty and rich flavors as a contrast.

In 2014, watercress was named the world’s most nutrient dense food, in a CDC study on powerhouse fruits and vegetables. It’s also one of the oldest documented greens, dating back to ancient Greece and Rome.

When you’re looking for watercress at the store, we recommend buying the baby or young watercress that’s sold in bags. This has a feathery texture and a milder flavor (similar to baby arugula). Avoid bunches of watercress, which are more mature and may taste extremely bitter.

Ingredients in watercress salad

A good watercress salad combines a variety of flavors and textures: because on its own, this leafy green is quite bitter! Taste one bite out of the bag, and you’ll see what we mean. It’s essential to use other vegetables and fruits to cut the intensity: here, sweet apples work wonders at mellowing the green. Here’s what you’ll need:

Crisp tart apples (we like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp)
Shallot
Watercress (sold in bags, not bunches per the notes above)
Olive oil
Lemon juice and lemon zest
Parmesan cheese shavings
Kosher salt and flaky sea salt

Tips for making the salad

Once you’ve assembled the ingredients, here are a few tips for mixing up this tasty watercress salad:

No need for dressing! Season the watercress with the olive oil and lemon juice, then toss with the remaining ingredients. It comes together into a fresh, vibrant salad that tastes like more than just the sum of its parts! Like our Easy Arugula Salad, there’s no need to whisk up a separate dressing: just toss and go.
Flaky salt is a nice salad finishing salad. This recipe uses both kosher salt and flaky sea salt: but if you don’t have one or the other, don’t worry! You can substitute for either. Flaky sea salt works as a nice finishing salt, and adds a nice crunchy texture to the mix.

More green salads

Love a good green salad? We’ve got ways to use just about every leafy green. Here are a few more salads we love:

Try a Butter Lettuce Salad with Parmesan Dressing
Go for Romaine Lettuce Salad with Green Goddess
Try Endive Salad with Parmesan & Orange or Grapefruit Salad
Go for a frilly Frisee Salad
Grab classic Kale Salad with Lemon or Easy Arugula Salad

Butter Lettuce Salad with Parmesan Dressing

Romaine Lettuce Salad with Green Goddess

Endive Salad with Parmesan & Orange

Easy Kale Salad

This watercress salad recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free, omit the Parmesan cheese.