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April 22, 2012

Tangy Raspberry Mandarin Spinach Salad


This salad absolutely screams summer! From its fresh raspberry vinaigrette to the lovely array of farmer's market produce in the salad itself, this salad is absolutely delightful enjoyed on a summer evening, out on a starlit patio with a glass of white wine. Salud! (N.B. This recipe was inspired by one of my favorite vegan chefs, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau. While her recipe was delightful as is, I have modified it significantly to encompass a little more of summer's bounty. Thanks Colleen!).

What you'll need:

  • 8 - 10 cups triple washed organic spinach leaves
  • 3 cans mandarin oranges, drained (or, if you prefer, 3 fresh oranges, peeled, sliced, and quartered. Normally, I prefer fresh produce every time, but mandarins just have a very special flavor that lends itself nicely to this salad)
  • 1/2 cup toasted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1/4 cup raw or toasted sunflower seeds (depending on your preference--just stay away from salted)
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 2 cups fresh red raspberries
  • 1 cup fresh golden raspberries (if you can't find these, just use more red ones)
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
  • 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp. canola or coconut oil
 In a nice, big salad bowl, toss the spinach with the mandarin oranges, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, 1 cup of the red raspberries (reserving one cup for the dressing), the golden raspberries, and the strawberries.



In a powerful blender, pulverize the the remaining cup of red raspberries, seasoned rice vinegar, and oil. You can either drizzle it over your salad for a beautiful effect (see above photo to see how striking this dressing is!), or simply toss it all together if you plan to eat it all that night. A word of caution: once you combine the dressing with the salad, it won't keep for more than about 12 hours, so I don't recommend mixing them unless you're absolutely sure you're going to eat all of it in one seating; better to store the salad and dressing separately and enjoy it again tomorrow!

1 comment:

  1. Wow! Simply amazing~!~ Looks yummy and easy to put together!

    ReplyDelete