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Vegetable Salad Recipes

Henrietta Red Salad: Sunchoke & Apple Salad with Aged Cheddar

2 servings
Gluten-Free Diet, Vegetarian Diet, American Cold Cuisine

A unique crisp salad that is all about texture. It’s refreshing with just a touch of sweet heat to make things interesting. This dish was inspired by a visit to Henrietta Red in Nashville.

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eatgourmade eatgourmade Rising Star
January 9, 2026
Henrietta Red Salad: Sunchoke & Apple Salad with Aged Cheddar top close up shot
  • 15 min.
  • 20 min.
  • 2/5
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Ingredients:

Salad

  • 1.3 of honeycrisp apples - thinly sliced (or Fuji apples)
  • 3 cups of Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes) - thinly sliced (adjust if needed)
  • ¾ cups of sharp cheddar cheese - brick (adjust if needed, broken into chunks)
  • 3 TBSP of sunflower seeds - roasted (adjust if needed)
  • ½ cups of microgreens - fresh (adjust if needed, or other microgreen)

Dressing

  • Lemons vary in their acidity levels, so adjust the lemon and honey if needed.
  • The dressing will be very salty, but will tone down once it is mixed with the other ingredients at the end.

Tools:

Directions:

1. Before We Start:

Preparing Sunchokes:

  • Scrub thoroughly with a brush to clean deep crevices.
  • Do not peel; the skin adds essential flavor and visual texture.
  • Pat dry after scrubbing.

Red Pepper Alternatives:

  • Recommended: Aji Rico (fruity and mildly hot).
  • Spicy Substitutes: Red jalapeño, Calabrian chiles, or a small amount of deseeded habanero.
  • Non-Spicy Substitutes: Basic red bell peppers.
  • Pantry Substitute: Crushed red pepper flakes work well in a pinch.

Sprout Options:

  • Best Choice: Sunflower sprouts (preferred for their thickness and size).
  • Good Alternatives: Pea sprouts or radish sprouts.
  • Garnish: Any type of microgreen can be used as a topper.

Timing & Oxidation:

  • Watch for Browning: Both sunchokes and apples will oxidize (turn brown) quickly after slicing.
  • The Ice Bath: Soaking sliced sunchokes in an ice bath delays browning for about an hour.
  • Serving Window: Because the apples brown faster and the sunchokes have a limited window, assemble this dish less than an hour before serving (ideally immediately).

2. Make the Dressing:

  • If using fresh red peppers, slice them thinly, then finely chop them.
  • Zest the lemon and set the zest aside.
  • Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from the lemon.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, chili peppers, salt, and black pepper.
  • Whisk until the salt starts to dissolve, and everything is slightly emulsified.

Note: I like to grind my salt with a mortar and pestle first, so it dissolves easily into the dressing.

3. Optionally Toast the Sunflower Seeds:

  • If you don’t have seeds that are pre-roasted and salted, you can toast and salt them in just 90 seconds yourself.
  • Just add your raw sunflower seeds to a 10-inch pan on medium heat with a pinch of fine salt and toast for 1-2 minutes or until they start to brown slightly.
  • Then remove from the pan and let them cool.

4. Prep the Sunchokes and Apples:

  • Scrub sunchokes well, keeping the skins on. Slice thinly with a mandoline set to 1/16–1/8 inch and place immediately in an ice water bath for a minute or two. Swirling them around with your hand to help clean them. This removes starch, creates crisper texture, and minimized browning from the air.
  • Drain with a fine mesh strainer and pat completely dry with a towel. You will want to ensure the sunchokes are pretty dry, so they don’t carry excess water that would dilute your dressing. Wrapping them in a kitchen towel until you are ready to use them can help ensure the excess moisture is removed.
  • Slice the apples into thin half-moons and then slice them on the same thickness (1/16–1/8 inch) with the mandoline and place in a large bowl.

Note: I like to prepare a large bowl with ice water and lower the sunchokes in a fine mesh strainer into it. This make it easier to pull them out and drain without having to deal with the ice.

5. Prep Cheese:

  • Using a fork, break apart the brick of extra sharp cheddar into about 1/4in chunks.
  • It is best to get a good-aged cheddar that will crumble as you break it up with a fork.

6. Combine and Toss:

  • In a large bowl, combine the sunchokes, apples, lemon zest, and cheese.
  • Just before you are ready to eat, re-wisk and drizzle over the dressing and toss gently to coat evenly.
  • Waiting to the last minute to add the dressing will ensure the salt and acid don’t draw too much moisture from the ingredients before you eat it.

7. Garnish:

  • Top the salad with roasted sunflower seeds and sunflower sprouts, along with a very small drizzle of extra virgin olive oil on top, and serve immediately.
About the Author:
eatgourmadeRising Star
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  • Member since: 2025-12-11
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