Asian Salad with Sweet Vinaigrette from Magnolia Table, Volume 2

Another recipe from Magnolia Table, Volume 2. Are you surprised yet? I'm cooking and baking my way through the best recipes and discovering new tricks along the way.

This salad recipe was a quick weeknight meal that I whipped up from the help of the volume 2 cookbook. The toasted almonds in this recipe are like candy. I didn't just use them on this salad over and over again. I ate them as snack and reached for them to satisfy my sweet tooth at night. I think that I still start making these every week to keep on hand. I even would fancy them on a beautiful charcuterie board for a personal touch.

I hope you enjoy this salad recipe as summer is winding down. Try this one out the next time you're craving chinese takeout...I promise you won't be disappointed.

Asian Salad with Sweet Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1/2 cup rice vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Salad:

Cooking spray

2 cups whole raw almonds

1 teaspoons olive olive

3 tablespoons honey

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 cup sesame seeds

One 11 ounce can mandarin oranges

2 heads butterhead or Bibb lettuce, torn into large pieces (about 8 cups)

1 cup canned chow mein noodles

Instructions:

1. To make the dressing: In a screw top jar, combine the vinegar, oil, 1 tablespoon water, the brown sugar, and salt. Screw the lid and shake well.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray.

3. To make the salad: In a large bowl, toss the almonds with the olive oil, add the honey and coarse salt and toss to combine.

4. Spread the almonds evenly on the sheet pan and roast until toasted, about 12 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Stir to coat. Let stand until cool, 10 minutes, then break any clumps of almonds apart.

Here is a picture of what mine looked like:

5. Reserving the liquid, drain the mandarins and spread them on a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Add the reserved liquid to the dressing jar and shake well.

6. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, mandarins, almonds, and chow mein noodles.

7. Toss the salad with 1/4 cup of the dressing and serve the remaining dressing on the side.

8. Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days.

Makes 6 servings

Magnolia Table, Volume 2

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