Cabrales Blue Cheese & Garbanzo Salad

This is my absolute favorite salad to make at home and is my go-to salad whenever I have guests over. It incorporates one of the best blue cheeses around: Spanish Cabrales. The salty blue cheese really makes this salad a stand out, in my opinion. Cabrales can sometimes be difficult to find, so feel free to use crumbled Gorgonzola. I’ve used both and love them equally.

Growing up, my family would always keep stinky Spanish cheeses in the refrigerator and I couldn’t stand the smell! As with most blue cheeses (and children, sometimes), they can be an acquired taste but once acquired, there’s just no turning back. In my house, it goes on salad, toast, fruit, you name it. Who needs buffalo wings when you can have blue cheese salad? Ok, I’m kidding but seriously, this salad is perfect for a quick summer lunch. Here’s why: It’s super easy to make and you don’t even need to make a separate dressing for it. You add the chopped grape tomatoes, cucumbers, garbanzos (protein!), pine nuts; add the extra-virgin olive oil; mix it all up and the cheese will blend with the olive oil to make a light, creamy, already salted dressing. What’s easier than that! Perfect on a hot summer day. Now, go make it.