Try this Nuts About Berries salad recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 171.333557560506 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 106.236773424438 g
- Fiber 64.765675777937 g
- Protein 28.7283866651782 g
- Saturated Fat 12.5281836793494 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1418g)
- Sodium 35067.5653436845 mg
- Sugar 106.567881782569 g
- Trans Fat 5.29374466901856 g
- Calories 1659 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash your salad and berries and set aside.
- *Almonds:* In a small frying pan, combine your almonds and sugar. Cook on medium/low heat and watch closely. Keep stirring as the sugar begins to melt, to keep it from burning. Once sugar has coated the nuts, sprinkle with cinnamon and remove from heat and place on foil to cool.
- *Dressing:* Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or mason jar and mix until combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Shake just before serving.
- For the salad, layer the spinach, berries and nuts and top with dressing.
When the sugar in the skillet liquefies and turns amber around the edges, how do you know the nuts are finished without burning them? Candying almonds requires constant motion over medium-low heat because sugar transitions rapidly from melted syrup to bitter carbon within seconds. Removing the pan immediately when the cinnamon and sugar coat the surface prevents scorching. Spread the hot nuts onto aluminum foil immediately, separating them with two forks before the coating hardens into a solid sheet.
Emulsifying Without a Blender
Blending the dressing requires an emulsion of oil and vinegar, which normally relies on high-speed mechanical force. Mason jars provide an effective alternative when electric blenders are unavailable. Vigorous shaking forces the oil droplets into suspension within the vinegar and dry mustard base, though temporary separation will occur naturally during storage. Whisking or shaking the jar vigorously immediately prior to pouring restores the temporary emulsion before it meets the fresh spinach and berries.
- If the sugar crystallizes prematurely before coating the almonds, add a single drop of water to dissolve the clumps back into syrup.
- Store leftover dressing in a sealed glass jar for up to four days in the refrigerator.
