Spinach Salad with Asparagus
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
A spinach salad with a light dressing, plenty of veggies and with the addition of fresh sliced oranges.
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch fresh spinach, washed, dried and leaves separated
- 1 bunch fresh asparagus spears, washed, tough ends snapped off
- 4 Cara Cara oranges, peeled, thickly sliced and separated into bite size pieces
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) minced scallions, white and light green parts only
- 1 small bunch French breakfast radishes, washed, trimmed and cut into slices
- 2/3 cup (160 ml) walnut halves
- 1 tsp sugar
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
For the Vinaigrette
- 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp walnut oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the spinach leaves in a large salad bowl and set aside.
To Make the Vinaigrette
- In a small bowl whisk together the orange juice, vinegar, honey, oils, salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
- Blanch the asparagus spears in simmering water for 2-3 minutes, remove and plunge in a bowl of ice water, remove and drain when thoroughly chilled.
- Place the walnut halves in a hot non-stick skillet, gently stir to lightly brown.
- Sprinkle the sugar on to the hot walnuts with a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper, stir to coat walnuts- continue stirring and cooking until dark brown and shiny spots form on edges on walnuts (turn on the exhaust fan-will be smoky) -remove from heat and cool.
- Add the asparagus spears, orange pieces, scallions, radishes and broken up walnut halves to the salad bowl with the spinach.
- Add the vinaigrette, gently toss to coat everything and serve.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 220
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why are the asparagus spears blanched and then immediately plunged into ice water?
Blanching in simmering water for 2–3 minutes cooks the asparagus just enough to soften it slightly. The immediate ice-water plunge stops the cooking and locks in the bright green color, keeping the spears crisp-tender rather than limp by the time the salad reaches the table.
What makes the candied walnuts different from plain toasted walnuts?
The recipe toasts the walnut halves in a hot dry skillet, then sprinkles sugar plus a generous pinch of sea salt and black pepper over them and continues stirring until dark brown, shiny spots form at the edges. The instructions note it will get smoky — turn on the exhaust fan — and the result is a caramelized, salty-sweet nut quite different from a simple toast. 
Why does the vinaigrette use both olive oil and walnut oil?
The dressing calls for 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus 2 tbsp walnut oil, whisked with fresh orange juice, champagne vinegar, and honey. The walnut oil echoes the candied walnuts in the salad and adds a nutty depth that plain olive oil alone wouldn’t provide.
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