The best salad

A lot of people have a go-to recipe for when they need to bring a dish to something. Mine is this salad. The credit for introducing me to this salad goes to my stepmother-in-law Susan who served it at Christmas one year. Someone else introduced it to her, so I'm not sure who originated it, otherwise I would credit them heartily. I've been making this salad as often as possible, especially for everyday dinners at home, ever since Susan shared the recipe. It's just so good, I can't bring myself to make any other kind of salad beyond minor variations on this one. Favorite minor variation: add fresh chopped strawberries.

I've served it at a number of functions and I always get asked for the recipe. It's pretty much a guaranteed home run unless someone is allergic to walnuts or doesn't eat cheese. Candied pecans (or any other nuts) are a great substitute and you could also serve it without cheese for vegan or lactose intolerant friends. (Of course you would also have to substitute oil for the butter on the walnuts to be vegan.) Although, come to think of it, I don't personally know anyone who is completely vegan (that I'm aware of) so I have never tried that variation.  A life without butter or cheese... ok we're getting a little off topic here.

Back to The Salad. The secret is, of course, the homemade sweet-and-tangy vinaigrette dressing. It's so good I want to just dip anything in it after the lettuce is gone. Vegetables, potatoes, fish... I don't eat chicken but I have also heard it makes an awesome marinade for chicken. Here is the official recipe:

Glazed Walnut Salad
 
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 T butter
¼ cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
½ to 1 tsp pepper
Large amount of salad greens
¾ cup dried cranberries
4 oz. feta cheese
 
For the dressing:
¼ cup vinegar (any type)
½ cup chopped parsley
¼ cup red onion/shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup oil
½ tsp. oregano
Salt & pepper to taste
 
Melt butter in a skillet; add sugar, walnuts, salt and pepper.  

Cook on medium for 5 minutes.  Cool on wax paper.
 
For the dressing: Combine all ingredients in 

blender or food processor until well mixed.
 
In a large bowl, layer salad greens, feta cheese, 

cranberries and walnuts.  

Add dressing before serving and mix well.

 

 The homemade candied walnuts really take this over the top.  I started making those by themselves for Christmas every year because they were such a hit.  I will admit, though, that in a time crunch I just buy the candied walnuts from the grocery store and skip that part. It is easy, and worth it, to candy them yourself, but it gets a pan dirty, and well sometimes we're just a little crunched for time and we take shortcuts. 

The dressing is very flexible. I've made it many ways - with balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or red wine vinegar.  Basil or parsley. Red onion or shallot (or neither if I have neither on hand). I stopped measuring long ago and I just eyeball the amounts of everything and I am yet to screw it up too terribly.  As long as it's about 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar, you get some sugar in there, and pack it as full of the fresh herbs as possible, you are not going to go too wrong. 

 

Once again, I love my Cuisinart hand blender so much for making the dressing - just make it in the container you'll be storing it in, no transferring. An old glass pickle jar is perfect with a wide enough mouth for the blender, and you don't have to chop the parsley much at all, just small enough pieces so they will blend. 

One key tip, which you already know if you've ever served a dressed salad before, is add the dressing right before serving - not too far ahead. It will get soggy and sad. The best is when I have time to make the dressing and serve the salad all at once - oh my yum, it's so fresh and amazing. I often have to make the dressing the day before which is slightly less amazing but still works. 

 

It will keep for about a week or so once it's made and I try to maximize my greens intake whenever I have some left over and just keep scarfing mass amounts of this salad until the dressing is gone. If you are looking to get more greens in your diet this will do the trick I promise!  It's not a "light" dressing or salad by any means but it is so, so delicious and it is great real food. 

Nutrition tip of the day: an oil based dressing (or any fat) helps your body absorb the fat soluble nutrients in the salad greens, so pour on the dressing and enjoy!