This Mexican Christmas apple salad is the perfect way to end your Christmas feast. After a meal of Christmas roast, tamales and pozole, this refreshing salad will hit the spot. Crisp apples, pineapple, grapes, and chopped pecans are mixed with a sweet almond crema.
This has to be one of my favorite childhood food memories, except that we added marshmallows to ours and it was almost sickly sweet. This healthier version is refreshing and sweetened with maple syrup. We would have this salad on Christmas of course, but my grandmother would make a different version for New Year's with carrots and raisins which was also delicious. Depending on where in Mexico you are some people add raisins, carrots, celery, and even maraschino cherries.
Traditionally this recipe uses crema or even mayonnaise, but I have made a crema with soaked almonds, water, almond milk, and maple syrup. You can also make the crema with cashews or use your favorite vegan yogurt. I prefer using almonds because they're more affordable, but they are a bit more work because you have to peel them.
Year after year, the longer I’m vegan the less I miss meat and the more I can appreciate veganizing traditional Mexican recipes and fulfilling all of my childhood food memories in a cruelty-free and healthy way. If you haven’t been vegan for long I just want to let you know that your palate does change, that you do adapt, and that it becomes easier and easier.
The Recipe: Mexican Christmas Apple Salad
- As optional ingredients, you can add carrots, raisins or celery.
- I recommend that you make and eat on the same day.
- You can use your favorite vegan yogurt to make this recipe even quicker
- Enjoy!!
Mexican Christmas Apple Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups Diced gala apples (you can peel or not peel according to preference)
- ¾ cup Crushed pineapple, canned or fresh (drained)
- 1 cup Green grapes, cut in half
- ½ cup Chopped pecans
- ¼ cup shredded cocount, unsweetened
Sweet Almond Crema:
- 1 cup slivered almonds, raw
- ½ cup Almond milk, unsweetened
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. Lemon juice, fresh
- ¼ cup Agave syrup
- ¼ - 1/3 cup Water
Instructions
- Bring 1 pint of water to a boil in a small sauce pot and pour over the almonds. Let soak overnight. The following day strain and set aside.
- In a blender, place the almonds, almond milk, lemon juice, vanilla, agave syrup, and a 1/4 cup of water. Blend at high speed until completely smooth, about 6 minutes. If it's too thick add the rest of the water.
- For a really smooth sauce strain through a fine mesh strainer.
- Place sauce in a small container and refrigerate for 30 min.
- In a large bowl combine the apples, pineapple, grapes, coconut and chopped pecans. Pour sauce over it and mix well.
- Serve.
Can you use whole almonds ?
Yes, just soak them overnight and then peel them