American
Cranberry Spinach Salad with Sesame-Poppy Vinaigrette
Tender baby spinach, tart dried cranberries, and buttery toasted almonds meet a balanced cider–white wine vinaigrette freckled with sesame and poppy seeds.
8 servings · 20 minutes prep · 2 minutes cook
Ingredients
Salad
- 12 ounces baby spinach, washed and thoroughly dried
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
- 2/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
Sesame-Poppy Vinaigrette (about 1 1/3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 2 teaspoons finely minced onion
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup neutral oil
- 3/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
Directions
Toast the Sesame
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant; do not wait for every seed to darken. Transfer immediately to a plate and cool completely.
Shake the Vinaigrette
- Combine the toasted sesame, poppy seeds, onion, sugar, both cider vinegar and wine vinegar, oil, salt, and paprika in a jar. Shake 30 seconds until lightly emulsified.
- Toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette and rest 10 minutes.
Dress at the Table
- Place the completely dry spinach in a broad bowl. Add the cranberries, toasted almonds, and 1/3 cup of the remaining vinaigrette; lift gently until the leaves just glisten.
- Taste a leaf and add more vinaigrette 1 tablespoon at a time only as needed for a distinctly tart finish. The recipe makes about 1 1/3 cups vinaigrette, so expect roughly 3/4 cup to remain. Serve the dressed salad within 10 minutes. Discard any dressed salad left above 40°F (4°C) for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F (32°C); otherwise refrigerate it promptly, noting that its texture will decline. Store extra undressed vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and shake before reuse.
