Brezensalat (German Pretzel Salad)
A recipe for Brezensalat (German Pretzel Salad)! Slices of pretzels are toasted until golden and tossed with greens in a light honey mustard vinaigrette.
Servings 4 -6 Servings
Ingredients
Pretzel Croutons:
- 2 large soft pretzels day old
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) canola oil divided
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) unsalted butter divided
Vinaigrette:
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) canola oil
- 3 tablespoons (44 milliliters) white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dijon or sweet mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons honey slightly heated to become runny if too thick to blend
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
- 5 ounces (140 grams) mixed salad greens
- 4 radishes thinly sliced
- 5 ounces (140 grams) cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 small cucumbers or one large peeled if desired and sliced
- 4 ounces (113 grams) Emmentaler or other Alpine cheese, diced, optional
- Fresh chives thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
To prepare the pretzels:
- Thinly slice the pretzels about 1/4 inch (0.5 centimeter) thick.
- Place a large pan over medium low heat. Add 1 tablespoon (15 milliliters) of the canola oil and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of the butter.
- Once the butter is melted, add half of the sliced pretzel pieces. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining butter, canola oil, and pretzel slices.
- Allow to cool to room temperature.
To make the vinaigrette:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) canola oil, white wine vinegar, mustard, and honey until well combined and blended.
- Season as desired with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until needed. Whisk again if separated before serving.
To assemble the salad:
- In a large bowl, toss together greens, radishes, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
- Immediately before serving, add in the toasted pretzel slices, cheese if using, and chives.
- Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.