Summer Salad

Another great find in my newest book, The Healthy Cook, is a spinach mandarin orange salad with a honey mustard dressing.  It is the perfect summer salad with fruit and a light dressing. 

Ingredients:

8 cups spinach

1 red onion

½ cup mandarin oranges

2 tablespoons almond slices, toasted

Put the clean spinach into a large salad bowl.  Peel the onion and slice thinly.  Separate the slices and add to the spinach.  I did not leave mine in full circles, instead I cut them up a bit more like a diced onion.  Drain the mandarin oranges and add to the salad.  When you purchase the mandarin oranges try to find ones in 100% juice instead of syrup.  Toast the almonds.  Top the salad with the almonds.

Tip to toast the almonds: place the almonds in a dry skillet or pan on medium heat.  Heat for 3 to 5 minutes moving or tossing as needed until lightly browned. 

Dressing:

1 tbl orange juice

1 tbl lemon juice

1 tbl honey

2 tbl Dijon mustard

This is my first homemade dressing and it was so easy.  Just mix all the ingredients together.  Taste and adjust as necessary.  I added a bit more honey and orange juice to mine so that it was a little sweeter.

This recipe makes 4 servings at 98 calories a serving.  I served myself one and put the other four into containers for lunches.  I added an ounce of fat free feta cheese to my salad for some extra flavor.  I am not a fan of fat free cheese normally, but in a salad I think it works.  This add 35 calories. 

What is your favorite summer salad?