Amazing Spinach Salad with Sweet-Spicy Nuts, Apples, Feta and Bacon
"Kim, who gave me this recipe, alerted me to the most magnificent tip. I love onions but hate the after effects of eating them raw in a salad. To temper the onions a bit, soak the onion slices covered in cold water with a bit of baking soda (I use about 1/2 teaspoon soda). Let them sit for 15-20 minutes then rinse and drain well. Also, in my pictures, disregard the overly yellow color of my vinaigrette. I went a little crazy with the mustard when I made it this time. Yours probably won't be quite this yellow. Finally, this recipe makes an excellent main dish if served alongside grilled chicken and keep in mind that all the quantities can easily be adapted according to taste. Yum!..."
INGREDIENTS
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16 ounces baby spinach
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½ small red onion, slivered (see note about tempering the onion flavor)
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6 slices of applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled or chopped into small pieces
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1 cup Feta cheese crumbles, more or less to taste
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1 cup dried cranberries or cherries, more or less to taste
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1-2 Honey Crisp apples, cored and sliced thin
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1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
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1/3 cup granulated sugar
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Pinch of cayenne (more to taste if you want)
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Pinch of salt
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1/4 cup red wine vinegar
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1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
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1 clove of garlic, pressed or finely minced
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1-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
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1 teaspoon sugar
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1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less to taste
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Fresh cracked pepper to taste
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