Mar 10 2010
My Favorite Salad Ever
This is the best salad ever! It is oh so special and will make you feel fancy when you eat it. The dressing is a special recipe a lady I know got from a catering company in Utah. It is SO delicious and has one secret and surprising ingredient – maple syrup! That sounds weird but it adds the perfect bit of sweetness. A pair of grainy and Dijon mustard along with the cider vinegar balance out the maple syrup nicely. You can add whatever you want for the salad part, but I think pears (preferably Asian pears sliced thinly), feta cheese, candied pecans, mandarin oranges, and spring greens go so nicely with this dressing. If you don’t have any candied pecans you can make your own by mixing an egg white with 1/2 cup cold water and sugar/salt to taste. (I even add cinnamon sometimes!) Then roast the pecans at 300 F or so for 45 minutes.
Maple Vinaigrette
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Grainy Mustard
- 1/3 cup real maple syrup
- 1/3 cup imitation maple syrup
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup canola oil
Salad
- Mixed spring greens
- Candied pecans
- Mandarin oranges
- Asian pears – sliced thinly
- Feta cheese
Mix all ingredients together and let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad. Shake the dressing well and pour over lettuce to your liking. Then assemble individual plates with the remaining ingredients. Makes enough dressing for 2 salads.
