This elegant salad was written out in detail in the family recipe notebook, complete with instructions for candying the almonds. It was Grandma's go-to when company came over — bright, crunchy, and dressed in that irresistible poppy seed vinaigrette.
Ingredients
- Dressing
- 3/4 tsp poppy seeds
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 3/4 cup oil
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp grated onion
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp dry mustard
- Salad
- Sliced fresh mushrooms
- Mandarin oranges
- Crisp crumbled bacon
- Red onion, fine sliced
- Grated Swiss cheese
- Spinach
- Iceberg lettuce
- Slivered almonds (toasted: 1 tbsp sugar on almonds, put in pan until sugar melts, dry on wax paper)
Instructions
- Blend all dressing ingredients together until smooth and emulsified.
- To candy the almonds, toss slivered almonds with 1 tbsp sugar in a dry pan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts and coats the almonds. Spread on wax paper to cool and harden.
- Toss mushrooms, mandarin oranges, crumbled bacon, red onion, Swiss cheese, spinach, and iceberg lettuce together in a large bowl.
- Top with candied slivered almonds.
- Dress the salad just before serving and toss gently.
