Spinach Salad with Strawberries (Lion House)

This recipe comes form my newest cookbook addition "Lion House Entertaining" I have loved everything I have cooked out of it so far! This was also a recipe that helped me use up a few wontons. I will definitely be making this salad again! It was awesome!


Dressing
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup strawberry jam (I used homemade jam)

To make dressing, mix together vinegar. sugar. oil, mustard, salt, and strawberry jam. Mix until all ingredients are well blended. Set aside.

SALAD
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup cashew pieces
15 wontons cut into thin strips
1 large head red leaf lettuce, washed and broken into pieces
1 pkg. Fresh Spinach, with stems trimmed (I prefer Baby Spinach)
1/3 cup bacon pieces, cooked and well drained
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 purple onion, sliced ( I like the flavor of onion, but this was an overwhelming amount to me so I used 1/4 cup finely minced)
1 cup strawberries, sliced

Heat a medium frying pan and add sugar and nuts. Stir constanly over medium heat until nuts are coated and slightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside.

Fry wontons in hot cooking oil and drain onto paper towels. ( I tried cutting the wontons in to 4ths and they didn't fry as well as when I divided it by 5 or 6 slices per sheet,)

When ready to serve salad, put lettuce, spinach, bacon, red pepper, onion and strawberries into a large bowl and toss. Add salad dressing and toss. Add sugared nuts and wontons last. Makes 10 servings

I divided up everything in half except the strawberries and I didn't put the dressing on the entire salad. Half a salad was a great side addition to our Sunday dinner when we combine with my in-laws. Half a salad fed 4 adults and small servings to the 5 kids.

Variations: Use fresh raspberries and raspberry jam instead of strawberries and strawberry jam. Substitute almonds for cashews. When fresh berries aren't available, substitute dried cranberries.


This is a personal preference, but ever since I made a spinach salad by Giada De Laurentiis (Food Network chef) I fell in love with the way she cut the spinach into ribbons like this picture shows. I think it makes it so much nicer and easier to eat a salad when the pieces are small.