Spinach Salad with Pears, Cranberries, Red Onion, and Toasted Hazelnuts |
|
 |
Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 8 |
|
Ingredients:
1 cup(s) red onion thinly sliced |
1/3 cup(s) sweetened dried cranberries |
8 cup(s) lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves stemmed if needed |
2 firm but ripe bosc pears (do not peel) quartered lengthwise, cored, and cut into long, thin slices |
2/3 cup(s) hazelnuts or cashews toasted and chopped |
Directions:
1. Dressing:
2. /2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3. Tbsp balsamic vinegar
4. tsp whole grain mustard (or yellow prepared mustard with 1/2 tsp celery seed)
5. tsp sugar
6. tsp kosher or sea salt
7. Freshly ground pepper
8. To make dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.
9. Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.
10. In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 Tbsp of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.
11. To assemble the salad, place spinach, onions, and pears in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Scatter cranberries and nuts over the top.
12. Spread nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and place in a preheated 375 F oven. Toast for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Try to buy shelled hazelnuts (also called filberts) with the brown, papery skins removed as well. If the nutws still have the skins on, transfer them while they're hot to a clean kitchen towel. (Use a clean towel that is old or you don't mind washing with bleach, because the skins tend to discolor the fabric.) Rub the nuts to remove most of the skins (they never come completely off.)
|
|