Spinach Salad with candied almonds

I read about an amond butter salad dressing on Pinch of Yum, and altered it slightly for this salad. It’s quite yummy. I decided to use it on a salad of spinach, butter lettuce, candied almonds, red grapes, and mandarin oranges. Yes, candied almonds are one of my favorites and if I can throw them into a healthy salad, so much the better. I used the small tangerines that have no seeds and juiced a few for the salad dressing. Then I peeled the tangerines for the salad and cut the grapes. The candied almonds are super easy and fast to make. Do them first.

All you need is sugar and raw almonds. First, toast the almonds in a large non-stick pan over the stove, then add the sugar and stir with a plastic spatula, over medium heat. As soon as the sugar starts to melt, and coat the almonds take it off the stove and pour the almonds onto a sheet of parchment paper to cool. That’s it.

 

Next, make the salad dressing by adding all the ingredients in a small glass jar and stir with a fork until mixed. I hate using blenders for this sort of thing, because it just makes for more dishes to wash. I like to use a jar with a lid so I can just keep it in the fridge for the next salad. I love this dressing made with almond butter, dijon mustard, and orange juice.

Now cut the grapes in half and peel the tangerines. Toss it all together, using whatever amounts of oranges, grapes, almonds, lettuce and dressing you like.