Walnut, Brie and Arugula Sandwich
Is this a salad or a sandwich, you say? How about we call it a Salad Sandwich. That has a ring of healthy and comforting to it. Don’t shy away, my meat eating friends. This sandwich means serious business. And I don’t mean because it’s hard to make. All you need is a little patience to caramelize the onions and to make sure you have all the ingredients on your grocery list.
Each ingredient has a very distinct flavor yet together they compliment each other. It tastes slightly sweet from the onions, and then you get the crunchy tartness of the apple, with the pungent creaminess of the brie and the peppery punch of the arugula. I know it is easier to stick to the basics and throw together a quick sandwich, but if you are looking for something different I recommend you give this one a try
Walnut, Brie and Arugula Sandwich Recipe
Makes 1 sandwich.
Ingredients
- 1/2 sweet onion, sliced
- 1/4 Tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup walnuts (either whole or pieces)
- 1 Tbsp apricot preserves (substitute raspberry or cranberry preserves)
- 1/2 an apple, thinly sliced
- 2-3 ounces brie cheese
- 2 slices artisan bread (French, country, or sourdough)
- Handful of arugula
Directions
- Peel and slice 1/2 of a sweet onion. (Store the other half in the refrigerator for another recipe.)
- Melt 1/4 Tbsp of butter in a medium sized skillet. Add the sliced onion. Cook, stirring often, over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Then reduce to low heat and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the onion to caramelize and turn brown (but not burnt) . It takes time – but it’s worth it.
- After the onion is caramelized, remove it and place in a small bowl. Wipe the pan with a paper towel to remove excess onion so it won’t burn. Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the walnuts to the pan to toast, about 4-5 minutes, stirring often so they don’t burn.
- Place the walnuts in a food processor and pulse until broken into small/fine pieces. If you don’t have a food processor, put the walnuts in a plastic bag and use a hand held meat tenderizer (or anything in your kitchen that will serve as an impromptu tool) and break up the walnut pieces. You want the walnuts to be crumb sized.
- Put the walnut crumbs in a small bowl and stir in 1 Tbsp preserves. Stir until combined. You want the nuts and preserves to look like a paste. Add more preserves to coat the walnuts if necessary.
- Very thinly slice the apple into 6-7 slices.
- Cut the brie into 1/4 inch slices. Cut enough to cover the size of the sandwich.
- Toast 2 slices of bread in the toaster until warm, but not overly toasted (you still want the bread to be soft).
- Create the sandwich by putting a handful of arugula on one slice of bread, top with caramelized onion, apple slices, and brie. On the other piece of bread, spread the walnut mixture. Combine bread into a sandwich.
I served the sandwich with an arugula side salad topped with apple and walnuts.
Use the Extra Ingredients
Make extra of the walnut/preserve mix and serve with the apple slices and brie on crackers or toasted bread as an appetizer.
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