I love this beautiful salad made with a variety of fresh salad leaves, creamy cheese, aged gouda, pomegranate seeds, dried sweet apricots, fresh grapes and caramelised walnuts! It has a complex texture, pleasing savoury and sweet tones and a wonderful crunch. My Leafy Grape Salad is easy to prepare, looks great and will make a perfect starter for a special occasion.

WHERE DOES THIS SALAD COME FROM?

This unusual leafy grape salad is a contemporary dish which I tried for the first time in Bulgaria. I’ve had similar salads before, but they were made with figs instead of grapes, and I suspect the grape salad was developed as a variation of the popular Mediterranian fig salad.

It’s very likely that the leafy grape salad has a Balkan twist. Grapevines are a very common tree grown in every garden back home. People plant them next to their verandas or outdoor sitting areas and shape them into what we call asma (a grapevine roof) to create shade. Dessert grape varieties are commonly used to make an asma, and you can pick grapes and enjoy them while sitting under the shade of the large vine. These sweet grape varieties are perfect for making the salad.

Although the local recipe for a grape salad does not include pomegranate seeds, I add them to create a vibrant colour in the salad.

HISTORY OF GRAPES

Grape was enjoyed by humans pretty much all throughout their existence. Wild grape varieties classified as Vitis vinifera sylvestris are native to Asia, the Mediterranean region and Central Europe.

The earliest archaeological evidence of grapes being consumed dates back to 7000 BC and was found in China at the Jiahu archaeological site showing that wild grapes and rice were used to produce a fermented alcoholic drink.

Scientists often follow wine-making evidence to trace the history of the grapes. Many believe grape cultivation started in Transcaucasia, the Southern Caucasian mountain region. Evidence shows grapes were pressed in this region as early as 6 000-6 500 BC, in the territory of nowadays Georgia. The ancient Georgians produced wine by burying large earthware vessels (kvevri) with grape juice in the ground and leaving it to ferment over winter.

By 4000 BC, grape growing extended to Anatolia and Persia. The Hittites are credited for introducing the viticultures to ancient Greece, Thrace, in the southern Balkans, and the island of Crete in the Neolithic period. Other sources claim domesticated grapes were grown in many parts of Greece and the Balkans even before that.

Grape production spread throughout Europe in Roman times. After the fall of the Roman empire, grapes were grown mainly in the monasteries and used for making wine for religious rituals. From the 16th century onward, the production of grapes gradually grew with wine-making becoming a social custom. Many grape varieties were developed.

Grape cultivation remains significant in the Balkans today. I am proud to come from a family of grape producers and winemakers. Both my grandfathers owned large vineyards and, now, my father and uncle keep the tradition alive, though on a much smaller scale than their ancestors, and make wine for self-consumption.

HOW TO MAKE LEAFY GRAPE SALAD

📋 INGREDIENTS IN THIS RECIPE

Salad greens – In winter, I make this salad with a large pack of Italian mixed-leaf salad from the supermarket and, in summer, I use my home-grown produce. Salads are very easy to grow. If you have not tried it yet, you must. Lettuce can be planted in small boxes or planters and grown on your balcony. The variety of the salad leaves is important in this salad. For the best results, mix arugula (rocket) and baby spinach with colourful soft-leaf lettuce to add more flavour to your salad. Rocket has a wonderful peppery taste and spinach adds a pleasantly mild, earthy and slightly acidic flavour to the salad.

Grape – You can use any dessert grape variety, but red grape varieties will add more colour to the salad.

Dried apricots – This salad is delightful even without the dried apricots and many versions of this recipe do not include them, but they do add a wonderful sweetness and rich texture to the salad.

Walnuts – Caramelised walnuts are a great addition to green salads in general. They bring wonderful caramel and nutty tones and crunchiness to the salad and break the boring, on its own, taste of the salad leaves. You will need white granulated sugar to make the caramel.

Cheese – I have tried fig salads made with gorgonzola or goat cheese. In this recipe, we go a step further to lift the flavours of the salad by using a variety of cheeses. Soft goat cheese or gorgonzola will add creamy savour and the aromatic and nutty gouda will give texture to the salad. Cheeses pair well with the grape and the nuts.

Pomegranate – Although some recipe versions do not include pomegranate seeds, it adds vibrant colour to the salad.

Dressing – A light dressing, made with good quality extra virgin oil, apple cider or white balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt, is all you’ll need to lift the flavours in the salad.

📖 STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: GATHER ALL ingredientS

Wash your salad leaves well and pat them dry with a paper towel. You can also use a salad spinner to dry the greens.

Remove the stalks from the grapes, then wash and dry them too.

You can cut the dried apricot into smaller pieces or use them whole.

De-seed the pomegranate. The easiest way, according to Jamie Oliver, is to do that by cutting the pomegranate in half. Then, hit the pomegranate to shake off the seeds in a bowl. I have not tried that yet. I use a teaspoon to take the seeds out of the pomegranate after I cut it into halves.

Crumble the soft cheese and cut the hard cheese into small pieces.

Choose large pieces of walnuts.

step 2: MAKE CARAMELISED WALNUTS

First, prepare the caramel by melting the sugar in a saucepan. Stir until the sugar turns darker in colour and transforms into caramel. Be careful not to burn it. Add a little warm water to the caramel to make it thinner, and stir the walnuts to coat them in the caramel. Remove the saucepan from the heat, then fish the caramel-coated walnuts from the pot and arrange them on baking paper. Let them cool.

step 3: ASSEMBLE the salad

Spread the salad leaves onto a large salad plate, then arrange the grapes and apricot all around the salad. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and pieces of cheese on top.

step 4: MAKE THE SALAD DRESSING

Transfer the vinegar to a small bowl. Add small splashes of olive oil and stir to integrate it with the vinegar. Sprinkle the salt and stir it into the dressing.

Pour the dressing over the salad and stir it lightly to coat the greens.

🍲 SERVE MY LEAFY GRAPE SALAD

This is a great fresh salad with complicated flavours, lovely texture and a pretty appearance that will make a perfect appetiser or starter at any dinner party. It looks festive and can be served on special occasions. It’s perfect for the forthcoming Easter festivities.

MORE IDEAS FOR EASTER FOOD ON MY BLOG:

• My Easter Lamb Kleftiko is an excellent juicy roast, perfect for the occasion. You can also view my recipes for
• Croatian Rozatta or Easter Drunken Cherry Cake are both great choices for an Easter dessert.
• Kozunak – Traditional Easter sweet bread in the Balkans.
• Greek Koulourakia cookies – traditional Greek Easter treats, perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

Enjoy! 👨‍🍳👨‍🍳👨‍🍳