Spinach Salad with Apple, Dried Apricots & Pappadam Croutons
When buying spinach, look for leaves that are uniformly green and crisp. Avoid those that are wilted, excessively wet, or yellowed. Fresh spinach can be quite gritty, especially the larger bundled leaves, so wash it very carefully.
Servings:
Serves six as a first course, four as a main course.
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
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1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
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1/2 teaspoon curry powder
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1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
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1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
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2-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad
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1/2 cup whole almonds (about 3 ounces)
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Four 7-inch round plain, cumin-seed, or black-peppercorn pappadams
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10 cups loosely packed baby spinach leaves, washed and dried (about 10 ounces)
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1 small red apple (preferably Gala, Cortland, or McIntosh), cored and thinly sliced
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1 small tart green apple (preferably Granny Smith or Pippin), cored and thinly sliced
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3/4 cup dried apricots (about 5 ounces), thinly sliced
Directions
1.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2.
Make the vinaigrette: In a small saucepan or skillet, heat the olive oil, curry powder, cumin, and garlic over medium-low heat until sizzling and very fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside until cool. Whisk in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3.
Make the salad: Scatter the almonds on a baking sheet and bake in the oven until lightly browned and fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Chop coarsely.
4.
Turn off the oven, position a rack 6 inches from the broiler element and heat the broiler on high. Arrange the pappadams in a single layer on a baking sheet and broil until they bubble and crisp on one side, 15 to 30 seconds. Don't let them take on more than a light golden color. Turn the pappadams over and continue to broil until bubbly and crisp on the other side, about 5 seconds. Remove from the oven and let cool--they will continue to crisp. Break each pappadam into several pieces.
5.
In a large bowl, toss the spinach, apples, apricots, and almonds with enough of the dressing to coat lightly. Divide the salad among four or six plates, garnish with the pappadam pieces, and serve immediately.
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