I have about 10 dozen things running through my head right now, I hope I can concentrate long enough to write this post and do this refreshing salad justice.
In about 6 hours I’m leaving for Toronto…a trip with my girlfriends. So excited! But the procrastinator in me waited until now to do laundry, pack (more shoes than days I’ll be gone x 3), paint my nails, get cash from the ATM, find my passport, what else am I forgetting? Oh yeah, I’m also fretting about missing Real Housewives of New York, despite the fact that I’m DVR’ing it.
Also, I wish that in the past couple of months I chose salads more often than I chose cupcakes. As I’m trying on shorts and dresses the sight isn’t pretty. What are my chances of losing 10 pounds in 6 hours? Ugh. Please everybody try this salad, summer is upon us! It is really delicious and it won’t leave you feeling the slightest bit guilty!
This recipe was passed along to me from my friend Mary. I’ve made it tons of times and sometimes I vary the recipe a bit. I’ll throw in some blueberries or even some mandarin oranges. I love the sweet fruit and the crunch of the pistachios. I’ve always used a store bought Poppy Seed dressing, but I really wanted to try homemade. Homemade dressings are so easy! It was tasty too. If you’re feeling up to it, try the homemade dressing, it takes all of 5 minutes. Otherwise Trader Joe’s makes a great Poppy Seed Dressing!
- Don’t forget to check out Tuesday’s post and enter our 100th post giveaway! Contest ends midnight on 6/12 and winner will be announced in our 6/13 post.
Here's what you'll need
We obviously need a complete set of measuring utensils. And those poppy seeds actually get added last
Add salt and pepper
Blend it all together. We used a processor because it was more convenient
Now you can whisk in the poppy seeds! Then the dressing is done.
Now it's time to put the salad together. To the spinach add strawberries
And pistachios. Wow that looks good!
And finally the dressing
Now that strawberries are in season make sure you add this to your summer menu!
Ingredients
1 bag baby spinach
½ cup pistachios, shelled
1 cup strawberries, sliced
For the Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon mustard
1 green onion, ends removed and chopped
½ cup vegetable or canola oil (I used canola)
1 teaspoons poppy seeds
Directions
To make the dressing, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard in a blender. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream until it’s fully incorporated into the dressing.
Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in the poppy seeds. In a large salad bowl add spinach, strawberries and pistachios. Toss with the dressing and serve immediately.
Source: Mary Philips, friend of Live Love Pasta. Poppy Seed Dressing from Our Best Bites
