That Trendy Salad with all the Nuts and Cheese

Serves 4-6
Vegetarian / Vegan

Just about every restaurant you go to these days, regardless of ethnicity, has this salad listed on its menu. I have no idea how or why it happened, but it is everywhere. So I am here to tell you that you don’t need to spend $12 on some fussy salad that you think is so posh. Here you go:

For the Dressing:
a few tablespoons of your favorite raspberry jam
a spoonful of mustard (I love grainy brown mustard, but use whatever you like)
the juice and zest of 2 or 3 lemons
a few splashes of apple cider vinegar
a few squirts of honey (if you are vegan, omit the honey and use agave or other syrup instead)
about 1/3 cup of olive oil
salt & pepper

For the Salad:
about a cup (a few handfuls) of walnuts or pecans
olive oil
salt & pepper
a few pinches of brown sugar
a ton of fresh spinach or mixed greens
a few handfuls of dried cranberries
a few handfuls of crumbled goat cheese or bleu cheese
½ of a red onion, sliced incredibly thin
1 ripe pear or apple (or both), sliced thin or chopped

In a small bowl (or preferably in a clean jar with a lid), add the jam, the mustard, the zest and juice from the lemons, the vinegar, and the honey. Whisk (or shake) everything up. Drizzle in some of the oil, and some salt & pepper, and mix everything up again. Taste it. If it needs more oil or acidity, continue to season until you like the way the dressing tastes.

Heat up a bit of olive oil in a small pan. Add the nuts. Sprinkle some salt, pepper, a few pinches of brown sugar, and a squeeze of honey over the nuts and sauté them until they begin to brown. Careful though! Nuts go from brown to burned very quickly. If you can smell them cooking, they are probably done.

Add your spinach or mixed greens to a large serving bowl. Add the cooked nuts, cranberries, cheese, onion, and pear or apple to the greens. Pour the dressing over the salad and enjoy!

Try topping this salad with The Best Tofu EVER, or some other protein for a complete meal.