Winter Salad + Creamy Walnut Dressing

Still here in Colorado and we're expecting some snow today and tomorrow. The wind is already howling through our hotel room. Cozy inside. If you're in the northeast, please stay safe until the digging out process is over! 

I'm glad I had some posts in the hopper for you prior to our departure. I've gotten so accustomed to posting daily that I really feel like I'm letting my readers down if I don't! So here is today's post...

Salads are not usually popular in wintry climates. At least not for me. I mostly want something WARM when it's cold outside. This salad is cold, obviously, but it does use some luscious winter fruits and flavorful walnuts. For this salad I used Organic Girl's vive le France lettuce mix, a delightful medley of mâche rosettes, baby chard, baby arugula and radicchio.

    ~ for the salad

Ingredients:

• Lettuce or baby greens of your choice
• 1 large pear
• 1 large apple
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (soaked if possible)
• handful of raw walnuts to garnish

    ~ for the creamy walnut dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw walnuts (see notes)
• 2/3 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk
• 2 medjool dates, pits removed
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or any low-sodium soy sauce)
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

1. Blend all dressing ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth.
2. Chop pear into bite-sized pieces
3. Shred apple in a food processor (or by hand)
4. Toss salad with dressing, top with fruit, sunflower seeds and walnuts.

Helyn's Notes: It's important to have fresh walnuts for this recipe. As walnuts age (out of the shell) they can take on a bitter taste which would not be very pleasant in this creamy dressing. For me it's a constant challenge to find fresh nuts. In the winter months it's easier. I usually first check my health food store's bulk bins. Otherwise, you can sometimes find fresh nuts online.

Serves 2. Enjoy!

Healthy trails,