This is a wonderful salad and very forgiving as you can add almost any fruit to it and it still comes out superb! Try adding mandarin oranges - you won't be disappointed..... Side note: A little oily for my taste so will probably cut back on the amount of oil called for next time!
AWESOME is the only way to describe this salad. I have brought it to many social events and it ALWAYS gets rave reviews, looks very pretty and many requests for a copy. My "tweeks" include: Spread the cashews on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake @ 350 degree for 10-15 minutes until lightly toasted/browned. Saves time, uneveness and greater chance of burning when cooking on stove. I cut back the olive oil to 1/3 cup (use very high quality olive oil) and maple bacon. I use a whole pear sliced then cut each slice into halves or thirds, depending on how large the pear is, and toss. For a more formal presentation, toss the greens with the vinagrette, place on a decorative plate, then sprinkle with the bacon, grapes & pears, leaving pears in slices vs cutting in pieces and fan out in a circular pattern. Use a firm pear and make sure to wait until the very end to add the pears to prevent browning. If desired, blue cheese, roquefort or gorgonzola sprinkles can also be added. YUM!!
oh my. i wish i could give this more stars. this salad was amazing; the best i've ever tasted. my man who is usually very cool with his compliments ate very noisily and raved with every bite. it was also fairly simple to put together. this will definitely become a staple. bravo. p.s. i left out the bacon.
The thing that makes this salad awesome is the curried cashews...wow!!!! I added some goat cheese and craisins as well. A keeper!!! Edit: After making this salad a bunch of times I found that the dressing is best when cutting back to 1/4 cup olive oil (otherwise too oily tasting) and adding 1/2 tsp of paprika. I also like to add fresh raspberries to the salad. Good stuff!!
i have made this recipe multiple times over the summer and people always ask me for the recipe. here are my changes: (1.) reduce oil to 1/3 cup (2.) use Bac-O's instead of bacon (for those who don't eat pork) (3.) use Maille brand dijon mustard (for those who don't want white wine in their mustard) (4.) bake the cashews for 9 mins at 350 degrees (they come out perfect and you don't have to stand over the stove) (5.) use a full cup of halved red grapes (6.) peel and slice up an entire bosc pear --- so delicious!
This is an absolutely amazing salad! The blend of flavors is very creative and super delicious. My husband and I ate it all in one sitting! I didn't have fresh rosemary and used dry instead. There was a lot of dressing left over. The next time I make this I'll only make half the dressing. I'll also try adding some goat cheese.
This salad is awesome!! I had it at my Mom's house and everyone loved it. This recipes is missing a few ingrediants compared to our recipe. For the dressing we put in 3 tbls toasted sesame seeds and 1 teasp. minced garlic. It also suggests you use peanut oil if you have it in place of the olive or veg. oil. With these extra ingrediants I give this recipe a 5 or in my rating system a 10. Second note: Try including Arugula (rocket) in your salad mix. It has a great nutty flavor when it is picked young and will really compliment the flavors in the rest of the salad.
This was a delicious salad! My husband and I both enjoyed it! We made a few changes. I noticed that we were out of curry powder so I used lemon pepper which turned out great on the cashews and worked well with the salad. We also used veggie bacon. My husband had his with chicken which makes it a great main dish salad! We will make this again!!
AMAZING!! I brought this salad for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! You won't be disappointed. I did add some cranberry goat cheese - thought this was an excellent addition. If you're looking for an impressive salad - THIS is it! I wll be making it again and again!
Concept is good; execution -- not so much. Came out way too sweet for my taste; I like a salad that tastes like vegetables not dessert. Halve the honey and oil and eschew the brown sugar entirely. Another reviewer's suggestion to add goat cheese was right on. It lends a nice tang to the dish.
