AUTUMN APPLE PEPITA SALAD

Autumn Apple Pepita Salad image

I work in natural foods and some of the items we sell at the store, such as pepitas, dried apple chips, and apple cider vinegar, inspired me to create this recipe. Pepitas are Mexican pumpkin seeds and a perfect crunchy topping for this fall-influenced salad.

Provided by Dianne

Categories Salad Green Salad Recipes Spinach Salad Recipes

Time 20m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

¼ cup hulled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 teaspoon olive oil, or as needed
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon minced shallot
ground black pepper to taste
3 cups torn romaine lettuce leaves
3 cups torn baby spinach
1 cup dried apple chips
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup crumbled bleu cheese

Steps:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Toss pepitas with 1 teaspoon olive oil in a bowl; spread onto a baking sheet.
Toast in the preheated oven until pepitas start to turn golden brown and become fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool.
Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, mayonnaise, shallot, and black pepper together in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Screw on lid tightly and shake dressing vigorously.
Toss the toasted pepitas, dressing, romaine lettuce, spinach, apple chips, cranberries, and bleu cheese together in a large bowl.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 374.2 calories, Carbohydrate 30.4 g, Cholesterol 6.8 mg, Fat 27.4 g, Fiber 3.5 g, Protein 4.7 g, SaturatedFat 5.3 g, Sodium 179.9 mg, Sugar 24.1 g