SUGAR TOASTED ALMOND SPINACH SALAD

Sugar Toasted Almond Spinach Salad image

This recipe is easy to make, but tastes impressive and is always a big hit at barbecues. You can swap the mandarin oranges for dried cranberries depending on your personal preference.

Provided by M Pineda

Categories Salad Green Salad Recipes Spinach Salad Recipes

Time 33m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 14

Ingredients

½ cup slivered almonds
3 tablespoons white sugar
¾ cup red wine vinegar
⅓ cup salad oil
⅓ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
¾ tablespoon poppy seeds
¾ teaspoon salt
1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite sized pieces
1 (6 ounce) bag baby spinach leaves
¾ pound sliced mushrooms
¾ pound shredded Swiss cheese
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup mandarin oranges

Steps:

Combine almonds and sugar in a small skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir until sugar is melted over almonds, about 3 minutes. Spread almonds in a single layer on waxed paper to cool.
To make the salad dressing, whisk together the vinegar, salad oil, sugar, mustard, poppy seeds, and salt in a bowl; set aside.
Toss together the romaine lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, Swiss cheese, onion, and oranges in a large bowl. Sprinkle almonds and drizzle dressing over top of salad just before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 262.1 calories, Carbohydrate 17.9 g, Cholesterol 25.8 mg, Fat 17.4 g, Fiber 2.3 g, Protein 10.9 g, SaturatedFat 6.2 g, Sodium 244.7 mg, Sugar 12.5 g