Honey Walnut Salad with Be Local New Zealand Honey

A Fresh, Crunchy Salad Dressed with Sweet Honey Vinaigrette

This Honey Walnut Salad features crisp greens, crunchy toasted walnuts, creamy cheese, and a light, tangy honey dressing made with Be Local New Zealand honey. It’s a perfect side dish, lunch option, or light dinner salad that celebrates natural flavours and wholesome ingredients.

Using Be Local honey in the dressing adds a floral sweetness that balances perfectly with tangy vinegar and crunchy walnuts — making this salad refreshing, satisfying, and deliciously memorable.

Why You’ll Love This Honey Walnut Salad

Balanced flavour: Sweet honey meets tart vinegar and fresh greens.
Textural contrast: Crunchy walnuts and crisp veggies complement creamy cheese.
Simple but elegant: Easy to prepare yet impressive on the table.
Naturally wholesome: Fresh ingredients with no artificial sweeteners.

This salad is ideal for warm evenings, entertaining guests, or pairing with grilled meats and seafood.

Ingredients

(Serves 4–6)

Salad Base

Mixed lettuce or salad greens
1 cup toasted walnuts
½ cup crumbled feta cheese or goat cheese
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1–2 crisp apples or pears, sliced
Optional: dried cranberries or seeds (pumpkin/sunflower)

Honey Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons Be Local New Zealand honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Optional: squeeze of fresh lemon juice

How to Make Honey Walnut Salad

Toast the walnuts
In a dry skillet over medium heat, warm walnuts for 3–4 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
Prepare the salad base
In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, sliced apples or pears, red onion, crumbled cheese, and toasted walnuts.
Make the honey vinaigrette
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together Be Local honey, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add lemon juice if desired.
Dress the salad
Drizzle the honey vinaigrette over the salad just before serving and toss gently to coat.
Serve immediately
Divide into bowls or place on a large serving platter to share.

Serving Suggestions

This honey walnut salad pairs beautifully with:

Grilled chicken breast or salmon
Quinoa or couscous for a heartier meal
Fresh artisan bread on the side
A chilled glass of white wine or light rosé

For extra flair, top with pomegranate seeds or shaved parmesan.

Tips for the Best Honey Salad

Use fresh greens — choose crisp, bright leaves for texture and colour.
Toast walnuts carefully — just until fragrant to enhance crunch and nutty flavour.
Balance the dressing — adjust honey and vinegar to taste for sweeter or tangier dressing.
Serve chilled — keep the salad cool until right before serving for the best crunch.